[Reader-list] ABC of Media

[anupam chakravartty]

Dear all,

One of best observations about media in times of recession and freedom
of expression. This is by P. Sainath on 'Advertising, Bollywood,
Corporate power':
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article108458.ece?homepage=true

Excerpts:

"Many corporate-owned media houses have sacked hundreds of journalists
and non-journalist staff since late 2008. Hundreds of other
journalists have suffered wage cuts. Of course, the ‘right to know' of
readers and viewers does not extend to this information. Why scare the
poor lambs? And how can you tell them the truth about that while
everyday crowing about the once-again booming economy? It might lead
audiences to ask that dull, boring question: “If things are so good,
why are you axing so many people?” Answering that means revealing the
interests the corporate media have in the fate of the stock market. It
means talking about their need to keep the shares of the companies
they are linked to (or have heavily invested in) afloat and buoyant.
That is regardless of how rotten they are within. No matter how their
own shares in those companies were obtained. And no agonising over how
unethical the means used to keep them heated. This was in part behind
the fatwa issued by some newspapers to their staff banning the ‘R'
word last year. Recession is what happens in the United States. In
India, it was a slowdown — and it's already turning around
brilliantly. The hundreds of sacked and ruined staff have little
freedom to speak of. Even the professional communicators within them
cannot tell their own audiences their story. Cannot tell them they
were laid off, let alone tell them why."

Thanks

Anupam