Media serves to settle political score

Hyderabad, Dec 17 (INN): Ever since media has become a commercial proposition and has gone into the hands of industrialists who have multiple business interests and politicians who intend to further their clout, things have changed from bad to worse, to say the least.

Media can have its own policy and may be identified with one political party or the other; this is a world-wide phenomenon, be it Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Fox News or any entity in any part of the globe.

The difference lies in where the line between professionalism and political affiliation is drawn, how often is it been crossed and to what extent.

The joke doing the rounds in journalist circles is, a bank employee cannot start a bank when he loses a job but a journalist can start a paper if he loses the job.

Back home, a newspaper known for its anti-Congress stand has flourished after the Emergency and the bi-lingual paper is still read by people who do not like the Congress style of politics, whether or not they like the policies of other political parties.

Then came a vernacular daily from Visakhapatnam and expanded fast and earned popularity in quick time. The paper did take the help of Congress government in some ways but has turned hostile for whatever reasons after consolidating its position.

Then started the campaign journalism and the emergence of TDP has changed the style of journalism. After the 1984 crisis, media has become more powerful and was in a position, or at least some believed, that it could influence and mark the course of the government, whichever party was in power.

It was during this time that stories were leaked to press creating wedge between one paper and the other while some newspapers neatly gathered advertisements and accreditations disproportionate to their market share, circulation wise.

Then came electronic media and it was an instant hit. Print media, while retaining its own grace had to yield lot of ground to the audio visual medium. The arrival of new channels did not change the style of journalism though the reach has increased manifold.

At some point of some bad blood that has flown relentlessly between the ruling party and a section of media. The issue failed to die down as both sides took it a bit too personal. Many equations have crept in to the tussle from caste to region and the volume of following.

Then came another news paper and a news channel to declare that Telugu press is now bi-polar, and then the battle for attrition began. In a world of wolves and sharks, pots and kettles, the war is on.