Chandan:
Here I think we will have to agree to
disagree.
We are trying to show that journalism
should be neutral. And that is our position.
Now you are trying to take the position of
George Bush and try to argue, that they never are and therefore there is nothing
wrong in some journalist like Tehelka not being neutral because
we cannot show any journalists to be neutral.
This is what we call twisted logic of
George Bush.
Against such twisted logic, simple folks
like us with our ordiniary 'garden variety' logic simply
cannot win.
Because, for sake of argument, I can
say that NPR is such a neutral Radio journalism
which many of us believe show the whole picture without taking any
particular sides.
But against my argument, probably you will
come up with your twisted exapample, like the Right Wing is trying to do now,
how in such and such case on such and such date and time, NPR made
certain statement which shows that they cannot be called aboslutely
'neutral' etc etc blah blah blah.
That is why I say, it is better that you
live in the world where you believe that all journalis are human and
therefore they cannot be neutral and therfore there is nothing for Tehelka to
take side.
And we live in the world with the
statement of Ganseh Bora that journalists should be
neutral.
Thank you bye bye.
Case closed.
No more noise please.
Rajen
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 9:29
AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] From the
Tehelka
At 2:50 AM -0500 5/21/05, Barua25 wrote:
> >But
the > >journalism and journalist should
be neutral and we > >count on
them. > > *** Can you cite a few examples of that
:-)?
I think
this is a wrong response to a statement with word "should'. Why it is so
difficult to understand the simple statement. 'Should be beutral' here
simply means without taking any political side or being biased to any other
agenda.
*** You are right Rajen. As is Ganesh. The press should be neutral
and fair and even handed.
Just like people should be too.
And govt. officials should be honest, hardworking, responsible, truthful,
responsive, not indulge in corrupt behavior, so on and so forth.
*** My question however, to both Ganesh, and you, is : ARE THEY?
Is the press what it should be in a perfect world?
Or do you expect only TEHELKA to adhere to such standards, not be
biased ?
That is my question.
Imagine
your own example, unless you are trying to suggest that all journalists are
biased to one side or the other in which case we should agree to dis
agree.
*** Heck, if the journalists are scrupulously bias-free, show the
examples . That is all I asked to see.
Yes, I do argue that all journalists would have some bias or other. All
human beings would have that. It would vary only on degrees. To be a perfectly
unbiased journalist is an oxymoron is how I see it.
But you don't have to accept my view. PROVE that I am WRONG by
citing examples.
In my
opinion, a journalist's duty should be to act as a camera to present the
news as it is and to give a factual perspective so that people can
understand the news in broader perspective.
*** You are perfectly entitled to YOUR opinions as to the ethics of
journalism. Just show who abides by or maintains the standards you
demand.
c
Rajen
----- Original
Message -----
From: "Chan
Mahanta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Ganesh C Bora"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>;
<assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu>
Sent: Friday, May
20, 2005 1:37 PM
Subject: Re:
[Assam] From the Tehelka
> At 10:22 AM
-0700 5/19/05, Ganesh C Bora wrote: > >C'da, > >My point
was that all politician and political parties > >have their
ideologies (or biased ness). > > > *** I
agree. > > > >But the the > >journalism and
journalist should be neutral and we > >count on
them. > > *** Can you cite a few examples of that
:-)? > > > > >I agree with your point that
Tehelka > >did a good work in exposing the defense deals
where > >BJP president and NDA coordinator George Fernandes
was > >involved for which Tarun Tejpal was penalized by the >
>then govt. > > *** The penalizing was arbitrary, and
politically motivated. The law > of the land was misused to hold
Tejpal in prison, with political > might, and not with due process of
justice expected of a functioning > democratic
state. > > > > > >Does this case give freeway
to Tehelka to be biased? > > > *** Unfortunately Ganesh,
freedom of the press does allow such > things. And they are not unique
in this regard. Everybody else is > like that too. That is why asked
you for a few examples of the > scrupulously objective or neutral
voices of the media that you or I > might like to see. > >
The only recourse to it is that others are just free to rebut or >
refute what Tehelka alleges or insinuates. But we also know that it >
is easier said than done. Take for example a letter to the editor. I >
don't know how many times you have tried that--I mean write letters >
to the editor and get published. But I certainly had no luck, except >
once. Why? Because I write about stuff that causes discomfiture to >
that particular paper's editorial bent, its biases. Why would it
give > publicity to that? > > > >Or write a
biased article against whom they do not > >like? > >
*** It is not that simple however. Because if they write pure >
fabrication, sooner or later it will get exposed. When that
happens,
> they will lose
credibility and there will be no buyer of what they > sell. I
subscribed to Tehelka recently. If I had a perception that > they make
up sensational stories without any substance, I would not > have spent
the money, even if its political leanings might fit my
own. > > > >The author in the article did not present
any > >investigation findings, only re-affirming that the >
>Maharani belongs to RSS! Is that news! > > > *** If it
were not news or otherwise noticeable, would you be upset? > >
Tehelka wrote about some of the policies the Maharani is pursuing. >
They are very corrosive for Indian society. But these are in the >
public record. Tehelka had the courage and the will to write about >
them. However there are just as many outlets who would NOT write >
about them. > > In that Tehelka IS indeed providing a service to
the people as a > watchdog of democracy, which is what a free-press
is. > > c-da > > > > >
> > >Ganesh > > > > > >--- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote: > > > >> Hi Ganesh: >
>> > >> You may be very right about the fact that
the > >> personal picture of the Maharani >
>> painted by Tehelka is biased and/or one sided. >
>> Certainly the latter, because > >> no
alternative view was presented. > >> > >> But,
would that make Tehelka's picture unique? > >> >
>> Would that also automatically make some of the >
>> retrograde policies that the > >> Maharani
has established or is pursuing either > >> unbelievable or
in fact wrong > >> or misleading? Are those NOT in the
public record, > >> that anyone could distort >
>> them and get-away with? > >> >
>> Finally, Tehelka is India's best known Investigative >
>> Journalism endeavor. Desi- > >>
demokrasy-bhoktos of Assam Net have been advocating > >>
more IJ, not less, as > >> an antidote to its
dysfunctionality. I don't know > >> what your view
is on that, but > >> certainly Tehelka is contributing
more than its fair > >> share.If they are biased >
>> could their view not be challenged abd rebutted? If >
>> they are malicious, could > >> its victims
not sue in court? Surely George > >> Fernandes and the BJP
had Tarun > >> Tejpal imprisioned for months on the
expose' it > >> aired on thye BJP president's >
>> bribery case and GF's involvement on questionable >
>> military purchases. They > >> almost closed
Tehelka down --with political muscle, > > > not on legal
grounds. > >> > >> So the BJP is not exactly
thye helpless victim of an > >> ideological enemy. Is
it? > >> > >> > >> c-da >
>> > > >> > >> > >>
> From: Ganesh C Bora <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> > Date: 2005/05/19 Thu AM 10:05:33
EDT > >> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], >
>> assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu > >> > Subject: Re: [Assam] From the
Tehelka > >> > > >> >
C'da, > >> > You know the relationship between Tehelka
and BJP! > >> > This article is too much onesided. She
refers to > >> Mani > >> > Shankar
Aiyer, who is typical congressman > >>
(suspeneded, > >> > joined opposition, returned to
party like Pranab, > >> > Arjun). >
>> > > >> > On the other hand, she has
been a BJP worker for > >> long > >>
> time and being MP for 4 times (including a being > >>
> minister in the union) before she became the CM. > >>
> Definitely she would have tilt towards RSS/VHP > >>
because > >> > of her background! >
>> > > >> > Do you think she will sing
Sonia bandana or sing > >> to > >> >
the tune of communist (What this Tehelka report > >>
does). > >> > > >> >
Ganesh > >> > > >> > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote: > >> > > >> > > SAFFRON
CHAMPAGNE > >> > > A pearls-and-chiffon socialite or
a closet > >> fanatic? > >> > >
Poornima Joshi discovers > >> > > the real
Vasundhara Raje > >> > > > >> >
> > >> > > Desert Queen: Vasundhara in Rajasthani
costume > >> > > Photo S. Khan >
>> > > > >> > > For the Davis Cup
tie on April 29, Vasundhara > >> was to >
>> > > deliver the opening > >> >
> address. The match was to start at 9.30am. She
> >>
> > sauntered in only at > >> > > 10.45am.
Even the world?s third richest man LN > >> > >
Mittal had to wait for half- > >> > > an-hour to
meet the CM > >> > > >From the tip of a manicured
toe to the > >> disdainful > >> >
> toss of her lustrous mane, > >> > > everything
about the Maharani of Dholpur aka > >> > > Rajasthan
Chief Minister > >> > > Vasundhara Raje spells
arrogance. She is > >> > > out-of-bounds and above
the > >> > > mundane world of governance. Her
officers > >> tremble > >> > >
even as they get her to > >> > > do the most basic
of a chief minister?s tasks ? > >> like >
>> > > clearing files. The only > >>
> > time the maharani switches her regal demeanour >
>> is > >> > > when she is
hobnobbing > >> > > with astrologers and pandits,
and temple-hopping > >> in > >> >
> ethnic chic, with dollops > >> > > of sindoor
for the benefit of her doting praja. > >> >
> > >> > > As most of her contemporaries trample
their > >> chances > >> > > in the
battle for the top > >> > > job in the BJP ? Uma
Bharti with her tantrums > >> and > >>
> > Narendra Modi with his > >> > >
high-handedness ? Vasundhara?s popularity > >>
ratings > >> > > continue to soar. Even >
>> > > the most vocal of the Sangh adversaries
have > >> only > >> > > nice
things to say about > >> > > her. ?Vasundhara Raje
is not Uma Bharti,? wrote > >> Mani > >>
> > Shankar Aiyar in his > >> > >
pre-ministerial days, obviously referring to > >>
Raje?s > >> > > ?liberal? credentials as >
>> > > compared to the rabble-rousing sanyasin. >
>> > > > >> > > Aiyar is right.
Vasundhara is not Uma. The > >> > > sindoor-wielding
maharani is a far > >> > > more circumspect and
shrewd politician than poor > >> Uma >
>> > > who hurts herself > >> > >
every time she opens her mouth. The two women, > >>
who > >> > > fought the Assembly >
>> > > elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in
the > >> > > same year, have charted >
>> > > out courses that are similar in ideological >
>> essence > >> > > but quite different
in > >> > > presentation. > >>
> > > >> > > So, while Uma prays with sundry
sadhus in > >> > > Amarkantak, Vasundhara has
done > >> > > what would keep RSS satraps happy for
a long > >> time. > >> > > Take a
look at the > >> > > measures taken to keep the
Sangh in good > >> spirits: > >> >
> > >> > > She has not appealed against the lower
court > >> order > >> > > on the
Deorala Sati > >> > > incident acquitting all the
accused; > >> > > The practice of Sati is being
glorified. The > >> state > >> > >
government recently > >> > > announced the setting
up of a township named > >> ?Shri > >>
> > Rani Sati Nagar?. After > >> > > protests,
the government omitted ?Sati? from the > >> > >
name, letting it remain Shri > >> > > Rani
Nagar; > >> > > The government is encouraging the
Vanavasi > >> Kalyan > >> > >
Ashram, an RSS offshoot, > >> > > to open more
schools in tribal areas. Even the > >> > > Muslim
students have to sport > >> > > tilaks and recite
shlokas in these schools; > > > > > There has been a
spate of communal incidents in > >> the >
>> > > state, the latest > >> > >
erupting in Bhilwara town after the alleged > >>
killing > >> > > of an RSS activist; >
>> > > In the areas where communal tension resulted
in > >> the > >> > > police
registering cases > >> > > against VHP and Bajrang
Dal activists, > >> counter-firs > >>
> > have been filed against the > >> > >
victims, mostly Muslims. According to human > >>
rights > >> > > groups, there are 150 >
>> > > such counter-firs; > >> > >
She has lifted the ban on trishul diksha. > >> > >
In the areas neighbouring Gujarat, incidents of > >> >
> communal violence are on the > >> > > rise.
Local activists allege that the RSS, > >> Bajrang >
>> > > Dal and VHP are inciting > >>
> > tribals to attack the Muslim population in these >
>> > >=== message truncated === > > >
> > > > > >
>__________________________________ > >Do you Yahoo!? >
>Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. >
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