The Unusual Suspects: Paid news scandal - a lifeline for UPA

Prelude - Many important events and incidences take place in such a manner and it may seem just a coincidence or the reason may seem to be quite straight forward. But I do not believe in coincidences, I like freakonomics' way of exploring things & I believe in conspiracy theories. In the blog series - "The unusual suspects", I have tried to explore the hidden reality behind some of the recent events. I DO NOT have material evidences for what I would present but I would try to give valid arguments.

Few months back we heard about a syndrome called "Paid News". Paid news or paid content are those articles in newspapers, magazines and the electronic media, which indicate favourable conditions for the institution that has paid for it.The news is much like an advertisement but without the ad tag. This kind of news has been considered a serious malpractice since it deceives the citizens, not letting them know that the news is, in fact, an advertisement. Secondly , the payment modes usually violate tax laws and election spending laws. More seriously, it has raised electoral concerns because the media has a direct influence on voters.

Two member committee was set up by Press council of India to examine the paid news scandal. The committee came up with a report but the release was then "deferred" and the report was referred to a larger group of Council members who were to decide within three months on how it should be presented because some council members argued that "'it would destroy the publishers' credibility and hurt their long term interest". Finally PCI came out with a much watered down version of the report without any of the specifics detailed in the original which explicitly named newspapers and channels — including some of the biggest groups in the country — seen as having indulged in the “paid news” practice. The original report was not made public.

A plethora of scams have come to the fore in the past one year, records have been broken and new heights have been set by the UPA-2. At the same time the country is reeling under inflation, food prices are at an all time high. The list can go on. A free media would sensationalize these and bring the government to its feet. But interestingly, most media houses are walking a fine line. They are more focused on the less important things.

Ramdev's agitation was in news for so long - what it did was killed time and shifted the focus away from the more important issues like Lokpal. The sensationalisation of UP crime scenario took precedence over CAG report on Reliance power/KG Basin/Oil ministry which is potentially another scam of epic proportions. I do not support crimes in UP, but are they something new ? Is it something specific to Mayawati ? If it is due to lacklusture security scenario, isn't UPA guilty too by delaying police reforms even after repeated Supreme Court orders.

Whenever there is an issue in the opposite camp, the head of UPA marketing team Rahul Gandhi and his puppet-chatter box Digvijay Singh reach the scene to extract political mileage out of it (and in actuality doing nothing). Most media houses show this 24x7 and give the front page space. Is farmer's suicide an issue of lesser importance? Is Lokpal of lesser importance? Is UPA policy failure and rise in food inflation of lesser importance?

This is nothing but a UPA-media(which ones? - Are hidden in the report) nexus. UPA won't take any action by letting out the names and in a return favour media will continue making a mockery of democracy.

(Note - I have nothing personal against UPA or a media house. Neither do I have an allegiance to any political group.)

The crisis of tolerance and the crisis of intolerance

India is probably going through the most tumultuous times since the mid 70s. On the socio-economic front - inequality is at an all time high though the burgeoning middle class is a positive sign. On the political front - leadership deficit is at an all time high. While there is a huge political vacuum in the country, no political front can claim moral responsibility over that space.

Let me demarcate the Indian society into three broad classes - The upper class, middle class and the lower class. Half of the upper class has a strong nexus with the government, the other half doesn't care. Middle class is very tolerant towards corruption and see it as a necessary evil, they go with the flow. Lower class fights tooth and nail to fill it's stomach daily, how can they find time. Moreover, in the absence of strong leadership - middle class and the lower class can do nothing.

Communal riots, casteism, honour killings etc show the extent up to which Indian society is intolerant. At the same time Indian society is strangely tolerant towards farmer suicides, child labour, exploitation of women(including dowry and other evils) and corruption at all fronts.

A fraction of the civil society - Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and co. (baba excluded) are trying hard to provide the much needed leadership but they can do nothing without the people of India. India is a democracy where government is the reflection of its people. The current political scenario is not due to the corrupt government but due to its people who are tolerant and intolerant towards the wrong things. It is the crisis of tolerance and the crisis of intolerance more than anything else.

As individuals, the least we can do is to instill in our hearts - "I will never give or take bribe" , "I will never give or take dowry" , "I will never employ child labour" . More can be added to this list.