Re: [Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus
Paid news: EC wants it to be made electoral offencehttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Paid-news-EC-wants-it-to-be-made-electoral-offence/articleshow/31469349.cms Naguesh Bhatcar > From: mayabhus...@gmail.com > Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2014 15:43:52 +0530 > To: mayabhus...@gmail.com > Subject: [Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus > > Letter to Goa Union of Journalists sent today at 2:27 pm
Re: [Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus
On 4 March 2014 10:30, Naguesh Bhatcar wrote: "Mr. Nagvenkar,.How can a Government initiate a judicial probe, in an event involving two private individuals/entities -- in this case, a private newspaper and a citizen of Goa?...Will you not be playing into the hands of the Government and the very politicians, you are supposed to keep a tab on???.If GUJ and your fellow newsmen, cannot keep tabs on one your own fraternity, how will you be patrolling the misdeeds of these politicians?...A judicial probe could set precedents that might be detrimental to Press freedom, as it happened during the days of Emergency, in the 1970s." I believe that Mayabhushan Nagvenkar is on solid ground - as far as procedural 'precedent' is concerned http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/faqs/ jc
Re: [Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus
Mr. Nagvenkar, How can a Government initiate a judicial probe, in an event involving two private individuals/entities -- in this case, a private newspaper and a citizen of Goa? Will you not be playing into the hands of the Government and the very politicians, you are supposed to keep a tab on???. If GUJ and your fellow newsmen, cannot keep tabs on one your own fraternity, how will you be patrolling the misdeeds of these politicians?...A judicial probe could set precedents that might be detrimental to Press freedom, as it happened during the days of Emergency, in the 1970s. Naguesh Bhatcar > From: mayabhus...@gmail.com > Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2014 15:30:07 +0530 > To: mayabhus...@gmail.com > Subject: [Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus > > Letter to Goa Union of Journalists sent today at 2:27 pm > The letter to Mr. Parrikar was accompanied by email transcripts between > former Herald editor and the newspaper's general manager Michael Pereira, > which clearly indicates that paid news was commonly practiced by the > Herald. This was perhaps the first time that a paid news-related paper > trail has surfaced. <<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > Mayabhushan Nagvenkar
[Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus
Letter to Goa Union of Journalists sent today at 2:27 pm Dear Mr. Kishor Naik Gaonkar (President: Goa Union of Journalists) Thank you for upping the ante on the issue of paid news in Goa. Your continued pursuance of the protest path has finally forced the chief minister Manohar Parrikar to express regret for his unfortunate and blanket comments damning the journalist fraternity here. As you may recall on Saturday, I had written to the Goa chief minister and tagged along documentary evidence which showed that paid news has indeed taken root in at least one leading newspaper, namely Herald. The letter to Mr. Parrikar was accompanied by email transcripts between former Herald editor and the newspaper's general manager Michael Pereira, which clearly indicates that paid news was commonly practiced by the Herald. This was perhaps the first time that a paid news-related paper trail has surfaced. The same documents, which held identify paid news practices during the run up to the 2012 assembly elections have been uploaded on Facebook and have also been attached along with this email for your reference. As you are aware, the phenomenon of paid news is slowly taking a vice-like grip on the functioning and decision-making in several newspapers, published in both English and vernacular languages. If attempts are not made soon to combat it, sincere journalists plying their trade may find the going difficult to even survive in the profession. My request to you as the head of the only organisation in Goa which also acts as a custodian of journalists' interests, is to ensure that my complaint to the chief minister is collectively pursued to ensure that the highest authority in the land gets to the bottom of the matter. I would appreciate that GUJ, with the resources and manpower it has at its disposal, follows up the complaint with the chief minister. I am also requesting you to impress upon Mr. Parrikar to initiate a judicial probe into the practice of paid news in the Goan media. The email transcripts have enough material in them to serve as a starting ground for such a probe by a retired judge, which could once and for all help identify those black sheep in our profession and expose them to their readers. It would be an honourable first for the GUJ to become the journalistic body in the country to demand for such a probe on the basis of documentary evidence. A judicial probe in Goa's increasingly corrupt media scenario would also send a signal to journalistic fraternities across the country to follow suit. GUJ should also take the responsibility to use its offices to formally complain to the Press Council of India and the chief electoral officer for Goa, mentioning the specific instances of paid news which are made out in these email transcripts. This would only be in sync with your public appeal on Monday (March 3), where you implored to journalists and the public at large to approach GUJ with specific complaints about paid news, which you assured would be taken up with the relevant authorities. I hope you will seriously consider the requests I have made in this email and take up the challenge to weed out or thwart the influence of paid news within the Goa media. best regards Mayabhushan Nagvenkar For scans of the email trail, pls click here. https://www.facebook.com/mayabhushan/media_set?set=a.1015249452484.1073741831.617092223&type=1
[Goanet] Demand for Judicial Probe in Goa's Paid News nexus
Letter to Goa Union of Journalists sent today at 2:27 pm Dear Mr. Kishor Naik Gaonkar (President: Goa Union of Journalists) Thank you for upping the ante on the issue of paid news in Goa. Your continued pursuance of the protest path has finally forced the chief minister Manohar Parrikar to express regret for his unfortunate and blanket comments damning the journalist fraternity here. As you may recall on Saturday, I had written to the Goa chief minister and tagged along documentary evidence which showed that paid news has indeed taken root in at least one leading newspaper, namely Herald. The letter to Mr. Parrikar was accompanied by email transcripts between former Herald editor and the newspaper's general manager Michael Pereira, which clearly indicates that paid news was commonly practiced by the Herald. This was perhaps the first time that a paid news-related paper trail has surfaced. The same documents, which held identify paid news practices during the run up to the 2012 assembly elections have been uploaded on Facebook and have also been attached along with this email for your reference. As you are aware, the phenomenon of paid news is slowly taking a vice-like grip on the functioning and decision-making in several newspapers, published in both English and vernacular languages. If attempts are not made soon to combat it, sincere journalists plying their trade may find the going difficult to even survive in the profession. My request to you as the head of the only organisation in Goa which also acts as a custodian of journalists' interests, is to ensure that my complaint to the chief minister is collectively pursued to ensure that the highest authority in the land gets to the bottom of the matter. I would appreciate that GUJ, with the resources and manpower it has at its disposal, follows up the complaint with the chief minister. I am also requesting you to impress upon Mr. Parrikar to initiate a judicial probe into the practice of paid news in the Goan media. The email transcripts have enough material in them to serve as a starting ground for such a probe by a retired judge, which could once and for all help identify those black sheep in our profession and expose them to their readers. It would be an honourable first for the GUJ to become the journalistic body in the country to demand for such a probe on the basis of documentary evidence. A judicial probe in Goa's increasingly corrupt media scenario would also send a signal to journalistic fraternities across the country to follow suit. GUJ should also take the responsibility to use its offices to formally complain to the Press Council of India and the chief electoral officer for Goa, mentioning the specific instances of paid news which are made out in these email transcripts. This would only be in sync with your public appeal on Monday (March 3), where you implored to journalists and the public at large to approach GUJ with specific complaints about paid news, which you assured would be taken up with the relevant authorities. I hope you will seriously consider the requests I have made in this email and take up the challenge to weed out or thwart the influence of paid news within the Goa media. best regards Mayabhushan Nagvenkar