Embedded Indian journalists in Nepal

Iboyaima Laithangbam *

The news channel journalists of India had tagged along with the Indian army going to Nepal for the distribution of relief materials to the victims of the devastating earthquake. But all of them had ignominious exit once there was a campaign asking them to scoot. The unanimous impression was that the embedded Indian journalists had rushed to Nepal like a team coming for filming a TV serial.

BBC, CNN snd others had extensively covered all aspects of the human sublime tragedy with about 8000 persons dead. But there was no complaint from any circles against their coverage since the reporters know basic principles and responsibilities of journalism. The wiping out of the entire village by avalanche was covered with objectivity whereas most of the TV news channels of India left as bad taste in the mouths of the people.

The Indian journalists cannot say a word in defence and it is shameful. Of late there has been a mushrooming of TV news channels throughout the country and many of the reporters and the owners as well know nothing of journalism ethics and morality. One most nauseating practice is showing the dead bodies or violating the right of privacy for the women victims.

They have not learned the valuable lesson that showing of dead bodies including the mutilated ones is not done anywhere in the world. BBC warns of distressing photos ahead if it is going to show some dead bodies from a distance.

And these Indian "live wire" reporters seem to get licence to speak anything they like. Bristling with self importance these reporters and others holding fancy sounding editorial posts will broadcast tendentious reports and make a mountain out of molehill. Forgetting the people's urgency and importance one channel continued to telecast the scenes of one homosexual police officer.

With an eye to advertisements and cheap popularity all the news channels are making confusing claims of popularity. The group discussion resembles the endless fights of street dogs with the "experts" yelling simultaneously making it impossible to digest anything.

In sharp contrast the BBC discussions are academic and educative since there is no such mad shoutings. Many of them had stooped too low to settle personal scores and a minister who was the army chief has rightly referred to this breed of journalists as media workers. This should have shamed them.

The reference was made in the context of the adverse media campaign against the minister. No wonder, the fiery journalists and editors cannot say a word in defence of the their motivated campaigns. It is quite boring to watch even for a few minutes any of these news channels. Time is overdue to enforce some guidelines to these mushrooming news channels.

Arvind Kerjiwal is a soft spoken and harmless politician. He has been media friendly all these years. However of late he has been avoiding the journalists like lepers. He had given instruction to the police not to allow any journalists near the official functions of AAP. Besides no journalist is allowed to his office or residence. It is quite a slide for the journalists in Delhi who have been the most respected and influential ones.

In the days of Choudhury Charan Singh there were mud slingings against him and his close associates. However he did not deign even to clarify the misleading write ups. He explained that his voters do not read newspapers and as such he sees no reason why he should have sleepless nights.

The Editors' Guild and the Information ministry officials are likely are likely to conduct a post mortem on why some army officials had taken the TV channel reporters. Instead some doctors and relief materials could have been taken since even a bottle of water is more important and useful than the gaggle of reporters. The army officials might have invited them clandestinely with an eye to some awards later.

Some reporters who were denied transport made their presence felt saying that since India is extending so much help to Nepal they are entitled to cover the distribution of the relief materials. What had happened to an independent country (and not a satellite state) like Nepal should be a lesson to the new breed of reporters.

A post script should highlight scoop by the Hueiyen Lanpao team who had broken the news of the arrest of the main suspect of the Pallel firings. Besides the reporter and photographer happened to be at the exact place at the right moment to take photograph of the suspect. Since it is a sensational incident which will have far reaching consequences all reporters were alerted and they scoured every possible lair of the gunmen.

However there was no accolade to this team possibly due to professional considerations. While the photographer was in readiness the suspect was nabbed, frogmarched flanked by the security personnel for bundling into the waiting Black Maria. He has earned brownie points.