Friday, January 09, 2009

Journalism Today

Journalism is one of the most exciting jobs, I always thought. In fact, there was one point when I had a glimpse of thought of becoming a journalist. Well, there were many other jobs which I, at least at some point, was attracted to. Wherever and whatever, if there is a corruption, then media is the way to alert the appropriate so and so to make an action or correct it. And of course journalism is a risky job where they have to meet their occupational hazards of getting arrested, injured etc to get the story out. If a person takes such risks in his/her life, they would definitely not want to take bribes and spread their own opinions. And even if they want, it won't be let happen because telecasting or voicing a news is not an individual work. But there have been kidnaps and murders of media people, which are never taken into any serious account by the regarding authorities, but the voices that rise for media-freedom are seen as just clamoring.

The Journalists would take the risk to get out a story but they are not entitled to use the so-called media freedom to actually deliver the story to the public and if they do expose audaciously, it would be right at the cost of their jobs and lives.

I was inspired to write this, after hearing constitutive attacks on Journalists and Media recently in a number of countries. Totally indigestible, I would say.

There was an attack on one of the television stations in Gaza on the 5th Jan, an Indian Journalist was arrested and there were other events like this on the same day alone. On the following day, there was an attack on one of the largest media in Sri Lanka. Done at gunpoint. And on a couple of days later, a top Journalist/Editor was killed. This profession, which supposed to be a protective one, is now the most dangerous profession not only in Sri Lanka but also in many others. It is a job that is keying on ensuring a country's good governance and in that case, a freedom and protection should be involuntarily available to the media, which is of course not true in the case of what is happening around the world.

One of the main rules in Journalism is to present a news in a balanced, objective manner as well as keeping up the integrity. To do this, they should be free to report the truth, just as they have seen it. On the other hand, I must agree that there are problems with the professionalism and trustworthiness of Media. How many times you have read news that is mostly biased? But what can the public do with it, other than just shrugging your shoulders, tut tut, and move on. The journalists play a key role in doing public services but if one is un-trustworthy, and reporting one sided information whether intentionally or unintentionally, there is nothing that can be done. However, a citizen can clearly say when reading a newspaper if what had been written is leaning one way or another. But I strongly believe this can not be solely blamed on a journalist. Professional ethics should be made aware if not being maintained and not by violence.

I think I have written enough to bore you lot :) Before I draw the curtains, I have to point out a few things. A, This post was purely unintentional and non-specific to anyone except that I used my very own space to share what I think. B, I have chosen to write in this lang, because I thought I could be more precise in what I am saying. Thus, no mistaking of me please ;).

And sorry for making this way too long. Couldn't keep it any more succinct than this.

11 comments:

Sheae said...

Hi Mathu,
Sorry for irrelevant announcement. But I couldn't find your contact info.

We recently launched a social bookmarking site for Tamil related contents at eTamil.net. Unlike other similar services we don't want to restrict our site only to content written in Tamil. There are hundreds of thousands of Tamil who can't read Tamil but still want to keep in touch with the community.

Keep up the good work.
Seralathan.
eTamil.

Mathu said...

Sheae: Thanks a lot for the info. Apologies, I have just added the email id on the profile.
Thanks again.
Best wishes.

Kumiththa said...

truly written post mathu.. Journalist should have the freedom to say the truth that they have heard or seen. But thats not the case nowadays, which is really sad:(

Mathu said...

Kumiththa: Yep, you are right. Thanks for the comment.

நட்புடன் ஜமால் said...

\\Journalism is one of the most exciting jobs,\\

ஆம் உண்மையே

சிறு வயது முதல் இதன் மேல் ஒரு தனியாத காதலுண்டு, இப்பொழுதும் தான்.

நட்புடன் ஜமால் said...

எவ்வளவு ஆக்க பூர்வமான படைப்புகள் செய்தாலும் அது அப்படியே வெளியிடப்படுவது கிடையாது.

பத்திரிக்கை சுதந்திரம் முக்கியமே.

ஆனாலும் பலர் அதனை துஷ்பிரயோகம் செய்கின்றனர் என்பதும் உண்மையே.

உலகின் பல மூளைகளில் உள்ள விடயங்களை பலருக்கு அறியத்தருபவர் பத்திரிக்கையாளர், அவரிடம் முழுமையான உண்மையிருக்க வேண்டும்.

தனது கருத்தினை சேர்க்கலாம், ஆனால் நடந்த விடயங்களையே திசை திருப்புவது போல் திரித்தி சொல்லக்கூடாது.

ஊடகங்களில் கருத்து ஊடுறுவல் கூடாது

Mathu said...

ஜமால்:

ஆம், உங்கள் கருத்து உண்மையானதே. இந்த ப்ரோபெஷனில், அடிப்படையானது வெளியிடும் தகவலை எந்தவித பக்கச்சார்பில்லாமலும் உண்மையை உண்மையாகவே எழுவது. ஒரு ஊடகவியலாளர், உண்மையை திரித்து தனக்கேற்ப வெளியிடுவாரேயானால், அவர் ஒரு ஊடகவியலாளர் என மேலும் விளிக்கப்பட தகாதவரே.
கருத்துக்கு நன்றி.

மேவி... said...

s.
journalism is effective tool. it only lead to awaking of people and a did a lot to the society.

but the fate is tht people believe tht or consider writing gossips and writing abt cel. personal life is true journalism.

also these days many focus on problems only... few only focus on solutions.
th source should be made affordable so tht even common could read it.

Mathu said...

MayVee: Absolutely right! I agree with what you have said, people these days can hardly differentiate an article whether it is a pure journalistic piece!Thanks for the comment.

புல்லட் said...

Hmm Mathu! Journalism? Media? These kind of topics, really ,make me sick. Once, they were such conveyors of opinions and suggestions that no one was able to rebuke about. But nowadays? Those who thrive in that industry are all servile boot lickers of govermnmet or those who defer the rulers without any single question. As for Si Lanka, the industry of media is only there to feed those belligerent barbarians's sanguinary blood thirst . That's all. I'm really upset while I write this comment ,because me too had a dream of becoming a Journalist which is ever impossible in this country, damn.

Mathu said...

புல்லட் பாண்டி: So true! And there is nothing that I could deny of what you have said. Nowadays someone would hardly take Journalism as their profession. What to do. Thanks so much for your visit & comment!