Eminent Editor criticises TV journos over Anna stir coverage

Finding that there was "juice" in the story, journalists there did not merely report events, but started manufacturing news, Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of Outlook magazine said at a media seminar on '15 years of Indian Television Journalism -- Today and Tomorrow' organised by 'Asianet' TV channel to mark their 15th anniversary.

When a resolution was in sight to the issue, the channels were unhappy as the "tamasha" was going to end. And they started airing news to the effect that the government had bowed down to Hazare to justify what they had been doing all these days, Mehta said.
"The impression created was that it was not Hazare who had won, but the TV channels," he said.

He urged mediapersons not to indulge in "professional corruption" by abusing their privileged position which gave them a leeway to have a ringside view, but not to act as players.

Mehta said one of the ground rules of journalism is to understand that a journalist is a spectator who has the best seats to have a close view of events, and not a player.

"Journalists should have an opinion and report with vigour. But it is wrong to influence news which makes them players. If you want to play, you should contest elections," he said.

Mehta said scribes should not be afraid to have an opinion and need not shed ideas for the sake of objectivity.