Saturday, October 25, 2008

Is the Chief Justice right?

Supreme Court Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan has commented that the newspapers are irresponsible when it comes to reporting 'Rape'. In Mumbai, last week, he said that, ethically, the newspapers should not divulge any details pertaining to the victim. He also said that the newspapers are not revealing the name of the victim but are giving enough clues to the readers to know who the victim is.
The Chief Justice is right and there is every reason for him to comment because the newspaper he reads with great respect every morning (did) does it. The Hindu, the newspaper that is known for responsible reportage of incidents such as 'rape' in its edition on Saturday, 25th October, 2008, published a photograph of the victim allegedly raped in Kandhamal on August 25 this year. The nun covered her face with a veil. Very few people outside Orissa knew the name of the nun. The Hindu is largely circulated in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Kerala.

The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle published the photograph like ToI and The New Indian Express, but the two newspapers gave the name of the nun. Is this responsible Journalism?

The telugu newspapers too were irresponsible. Major newspapers including Eenadu and Andhrajyothi too gave the name of the nun.

Justice Balakrishnan is right. Newspapers that do not name the alleged rape victim, cover her face but parents or the relatives standing next to her are exposed. Television channels too do the same. The face of the victim is masked, her name not disclosed but the face, name, village and every other detail sufficient enough to identify the victim are revealed.

Lets be responsible. Lets be sensitive. Lets formulate dos and donts while reporting atrocities against women.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Surya Anniversary Blunder

News cannot be so blatantly distorting. In the days when there is a thin dividing line, often invisible, between editorial and news, distorting can be dangerous. Words may be deceptive but numbers are not. Refer to the table is Surya daily dated 22nd October, 2008 page 1. The table gives the details, caste wise, of tickets given by political parties during assembly elections 2004. The basic fact is that the TDP did not contest all the 294 seats. TDP had alliance with the BJP. Congress too did not contest all the 294 seats. The party had alliance with the Left and TRS. The statistics are misleading and sends incorrect message.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Good Job Done by Delhi Union of Journalists

Although all newspapers and TV channels used the same source, the police, they differed in the basic facts reported about the police encounter in Jamia Nagar. THE DELHI UNION OF JOURNALISTS presents a critique of media reporting of the Batla House Police Operation

Extracts from the DUJ report

The Delhi Union of Journalists and its Ethics Council are concerned at the falling standards of reporting as evident in the manner in which the police operation at Batla House on September 19, 2008 was reported by various newspapers and TV channels in the Capital.

We wish to underline that accuracy in reporting facts is the first responsibility of the media. Where facts are disputed, the discrepancies should be pointed out and the sources questioned. Presenting several versions of incidents and using multiple sources of information is an inalienable part of credible reporting.

We also emphasise that uncovering the truth may not always be the job of the media. The media is not equipped to investigate and uncover the truth in severely complicated cases like the incident being examined in the report.

But presenting different facets of events as they emerge is part of the professional responsibility of the media.

In this report we have analysed the reporting of the Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express (Delhi editions of September 20 and 21, 2008). Among the Hindi newspapers we have examined Dainik Jagaran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Hindustan, Jansatta, Punjab Kesari and Rashtriya Sahara; the Urdu newspaper we looked at is Rashtriya Sahara.

We wish to make it clear that we hold no brief for either the police or the suspects, two of whom have been killed and several rounded up. We are not passing a judgment on whether it was a planned encounter or a fake encounter or a police operation gone wrong. We do not know the truth. We are only examining the professional conduct of our co-professionals with a view to pointing out the casual manner in which serious issues have been handled right from the day of the serial bomb blasts in Delhi.

A research team of the DUJ decided to examine the way in which the print media reported the police operation on September 19, 2008, at L-18, Batla House, Jamia Nagar in Delhi in which two alleged terrorists and one inspector of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police were killed. We have attempted in this report to first state the facts as they were reported and then analyse the language employed and the views expressed while reporting and commenting on this highly sensitive and contentious incident.


Analysis of Newspaper Reports dated September 20, 2008

The facts first.

1. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police killed.

2. Two young boys, Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid, killed.

3. Mohammed Saif arrested.

The rest of the facts regarding the police operation at L-18, Batla House, Jamia Nagar, Delhi on Sept. 19, 2008 are uncertain. Although the incident took place in the capital of India and all the newspapers and TV channels used the same source, the Police, even the basic facts are not in place. Every daily newspaper and television channel seems to have its own set of 'facts' and often these contradict each other. Accuracy seems to have been sacrificed in the rush to be first with the news and provide the more sensational coverage. Let us examine how the incident was reported in the Delhi editions of the dailies.

The Time of the Shootout:

The Hindustan Times and Dainik Jagran have given the time as 11 a.m. The Indian Express, quoting a resident, says the first shot was fired around 9.45 a.m. The Times of India report does not mention any time. Mail Today says it began at 11a.m. The Hindi Hindustan report would have us believe that it all began at 10.30 a.m. Amar Ujala says firing began around 10.45 a.m. and lasted till 11 a.m.

The Duration of the Shootout:

The Hindustan Times says the shootout lasted 15 minutes whereas its Hindi publication, Dainik Hindustan, says it lasted 90 minutes. According to the TOI, the entire encounter took 25 minutes. Mail Today says the operation lasted 30 minutes. The Veer Arjun says the shootout lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. Rashtriya Sahara, Urdu, claims that the shooting lasted nearly two hours. Amar Ujala says the encounter lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. Punjab Kesari claims that the encounter lasted one hour.

Rounds fired:

According to the TOI, 25 rounds were fired by the police and 8 by the 'terrorists'. The Indian Express, the Hindu, Dainik Hindustan, Punjab Kesari and Rashtriya Sahara, Urdu say the police fired 22 rounds. They are all silent about the rounds fired by the suspects. Rashtriya Sahara, Hindi and Amar Ujala say the police fired 22 rounds and the 'terrorists' fired 8 rounds.

Interestingly, the Navbharat Times claims that both the police and the suspects were armed with AK 47s but did not use them!

'Explosive' stuff:

All the dailies reported the police claim that those shot at Batla House were terrorists responsible for several bomb blasts.

The HT quoted Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal as saying that "explosives made by him (Atif – our clarification) and his team bore their signature – two detonators, wooden frame, ammonium nitrate and analog quartz clocks."

In the light of this claim, the list of explosives claimed to have been recovered from the flat occupied by the suspects is interesting.

Dainik Hindustan says one AK 47, two pistols, one computer and important papers were recovered.

Veer Arjun reports one AK 47, .30 bore pistols, cartridges and 21 country pistols were found.

Navbharat Times says one AK 47, two .30 imported pistols, 20 live cartridges, magazine, two laptops, mobile phones and other items were recovered.

Rashtriya Sahara, Hindi says police recovered one AK 47 and two .32 bore pistols, one computer and books.

Punjab Kesari says police found one AK 47, two pistols and one computer.

Amar Ujala says the police seized one AK 47, .30 bore revolver, two laptops, half a dozen mobiles and six pen drives.

None of the dailies report the recovery of any ammonium nitrate and analog quartz clocks. No question is asked about the recovery of these chemicals or equipment claimed to be part of the terrorist group's signature.

How many Policemen were there?

Indian Express reports that Sharma went there along with five officers.
Mail Today reports a 15-member team led by Sharma
Veer Arjun claims 50 personnel led by Sharma landed there.
NBT says a total number of 24 police personnel went there.
Amar Ujala reports that a 22-member police team cordoned off the area under the leadership of Sharma.

The TOI, HT, Jansatta, Dainik Jagran and The Hindu refrain from mentioning the number of policemen involved in the operation.

How many Bullets hit Sharma?

The TOI, IE, HT, Mail Today, The Hindu, Veer Arjun, Rashtriya Sahara, Hindi all say three bullets hit Sharma.

Navbharat Times says four bullets hit him.

Jansatta claims that five bullets hit him in the abdomen, thigh, left arm, upper part of the shoulder and right hip (Anchor story).

Rashtriya Sahara, Urdu reports four bullets hitting him, one each on shoulder, arm, back and right hip.

Rashtriya Sahara, Hindi claims that all the three bullets were taken out during an operation in Holy Family hospital

Amar Ujala also claims that bullets had been removed and quotes Dr. Rajesh Chawla to this effect. It says Dr Chawla was summoned from Apollo hospital. He reportedly told the paper that there was excessive bleeding because the bullets hit the lung and the lower part and after 'bullets had been removed', it was felt that Sharma may survive.

Subsequently post-mortem reports quoted by some of the dailies said that Sharma had been hit by only two bullets and both bullets had exited the body. No bullets were removed from his body.

About Mohan Chand Sharma

Even in paying tributes to Inspector Sharma the papers have reported different facts. HT says that he had "shot dead 75 criminals and terrorists." The TOI says he was "credited with the killing of 35 terrorists and the arrest of 80 others." The IE says that "Sharma's 'kill tally' stood at 75 criminals including 35 terrorists". The Hindu says he was instrumental in "neutralising 35 terrorists and arresting as many as 80 militants." It goes on to say he had 'gunned down 40 gangsters' and arrested '120' criminals. Amar Ujala reports that Sharma killed 35 terrorists and 40 gangsters, nabbed 80 terrorists and 129 gangsters. It says he was involved in 75 encounters.

Contact:

DELHI UNION OF JOURNALISTS Office: FLAT NO.-29, New Central Market, Connaught Circus, New Delhi-1 E-mail:, pande.duj@gmail.com Tel: 23413459

Courtesy : www.thehoot.org

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Dont blame Journalists

Like many encounters between the terrorists/naxalites and police, encounter at Jamianagar in Delhi too generated a debate. The debate - the encounter is fake or genuine. Those questioning the encounter have perhaps recalled the scene introducing Abhishek Bachchan in BLUFF MASTER. Nobody to blame, these days journalists write scripts. Scripts that get good 'numbers' and numbers that satisfies their bosses. The action of the police was questioned when the encounters tookplace at an isolated place in the wee hours. Surprisingly the action is also questioned when the encounter takes place in broad daylight and in crowded locality like the Jamia Nagar. Agreed that to Question is what media should teach, but certainly not to question just for the sake of questioning. Questioning by an organisation or group cannot be called irresponsible but questioning by media can be termed irresponsible. Common man may not have access to 'police sources' and therefore raise questions, but media has access to several of the 'police sources' like forensic, ballistic, etc,. And this sources are not just limited to one case or incident. The reporters develop sources to an extent that some of the inputs are shared with them but not their officers or colleagues.

Unfortunately journalists do not have time to understand the perspective of an incident. Who is to blame? The police? Or the Journalists? Read Praveen Swami article "Behind the Batla House shootout" (The Hindu Op-Ed,10th October, 2008) on Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma's injuries.
Dont blame the media if they have written, based on a photograph, to question the claims of the police. The blame has to be taken by the Police. Hundreds of Journalists throng the Police Headquarters in cities like Delhi and Mumbai for News. Senior police officers converse with the Journalists and comment after they leave their office about the journalistic quotient of the reporter.
The police should conduct orientation classes for those reporting crime. Teach them the basics of ballistic and forensic science. Why not examine, evaluate and certifying the crime reporters? Objective and responsive journalism cannot be possible without the partnership of the stake holders.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Terror in your INBOX

I received a mail from one of my friends and this is one of several such prank mails that land in my inbox. The mails speaks about how "People are more dangerous than HIV". I could not resist to write a reply to the mail at this hour. But I thought it as necessary as a responsible citizen.
Here is the copy of the mail that originated, nobody knows from whom and where. The mail id of the person in the mail is nowhere in the chain mail.

FROM
Arvind Khamitkar , I.A.S ,
Director of Medical & Research Div,
Chennai.
Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, in a movie theatre, a person felt something poking from her seat Whe n she got up to see what it was, she found a needle sticking out of the seat with a note attached saying "You have just been infected by HIV". The Disease Control Center (in Paris ) reports many similar events in many other cities recently. All tested needles were HIV Positive. The Center also reports that needles have been found in cash dispensers at public banking machines. We ask everyone to use extreme caution when faced with this kind of situation. All public chairs/seats should be inspected with vigilance and caution before use. A careful visual inspection should be enough. In addition, they ask that each of you pass this message along to all members of your family and your friends of the potential danger. Recently, one doctor has narrated a somewhat similar instance that happened to one of his patients at the Priya Cinema in Delhi .. A young girl, engaged and about to be married in a couple of months, was pricked while the movie was going on. The tag with the needle had the message "Welcome to the World of HIV family". Though the doctors told her family that it takes about 6 months before the virus grows strong enough to start damaging the system and a healthy victim could survive about 5-6 years, the girl died in 4 months, perhaps more because of the "Shock thought". We all have to be careful at public places, rest God help! Just think about saving a life by forwarding this message. Please, take a few seconds of your time to pass along.

With Regards,
Arvind Khamitkar , I.A.S,
Director of Medical & Research Div, Chennai.

Rather than forwarding irrelevant mails, kindly pass this to every one. Probably ur mail can help some save his/her life
There is no IAS officer who has served as Director of Medical and Research Division in Chennai. There is no institute/centre called the Disease control Centre in Paris.

AND ABOVE ALL HIV DOES NOT SPREAD THE WAY IT IS MENTIONED IN THE MAIL. IF YOU ARE NOT CONVINCED 'NETIZENS' PLS GO TO GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE AND TYPE THE KEY WORDS - ARVIND KHAMITKAR, CHENNAI, DISEASE CONTROL CENTRE, PARIS, HIV, AIDS, CHENNAI... ETC,. and you will get all the details. Please... please.... when the world (www) is available at the click of the button dont ignore and terrorise your friends.