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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Justice Katju: Media needs to be accountable to people by Anand Sagar

Justice Katju: Media needs to be accountable to people by Anand Sagar

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published Published on Nov 19, 2011   modified Modified on Nov 19, 2011

The newly appointed Chairman of the Press Council of India (PCI) and an eminent former judge of the Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju now faces a somewhat Hamletian dilemma — how best to suit his actions to his words. And, in the process, how best to also diffuse the heated debate and controversy that has followed some of his recent remarks on the state and the functioning of Indian media.

Interestingly, although Justice Katju has over the years acquired a well-deserved reputation for the fairness of his well-measured analysis and comment while delivering a series of landmark court judgments, he now confronts a rising chorus of criticism in the Press — for what is broadly being headlined as a rather ‘biased and sweeping’ verdict on the Indian media in general, and the electronic news media in particular.

Clarifying the content and context of what he actually said during a recent television talk-show, which is what has triggered the entire controversy, Justice Katju spoke at some length to the Khaleej Times over the telephone from his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. He emphasised that not only have his television talk-show remarks been clearly “misunderstood and misinterpreted” by a section of the media… “but what is worse is that they have been distorted”.

Justice Katju, it may be recalled, has been heavily slammed for his so-called ‘bias’ against the fourth estate by various media regulatory bodies in the country and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has also registered its protest against what it has chosen to describe as “derogatory” remarks.

The INS president Ashish Bagga was quoted on Thursday as saying categorically that with his rather “sweeping remarks”, Justice Katju has not only undermined his own position but had made the position of the Council (which has several members from the Press) untenable. In fact, he added, Katju has demonstrated his “deep bias against members of the fourth estate.” He also said the INS fears that such bias will have an adverse affect on the functioning of the Press Council as a media watchdog.

The INS is the latest to join the growing chorus of criticism against Justice Katju. The others who have openly criticised Katju and taken a strong exception to his remarks include The News Broadcasters Association, the Editors’ Guild of India and the Broadcast Editors’ Association.

At the centre of the highly acrimonious debate are Justice Katju’s remarks in the October 30th television talk-show which have been perceived as blatantly “demeaning and denigrating” by some top editors, senior journalists and various national media organisations. Although, equally, it must also be said there are many both within the widespread Indian media network and outside who have supported Katju’s views.

Excerpts from the interview:

Khaleej Times: Some of your specific comments such as the assertion that self-regulation is no regulation; that the media is often deliberately divisive and that many media professionals are poorly informed on various subjects (like politics, economics, history and philosophy) have raised a bit of a furore…your reaction?

Justice Markandey Katju: Since it appears that some controversy has been raised over what I have said in one of my television interviews recently, let me say that since we are passing through a transitory phase of social churning and intellectual ferment…the media too needs to play a more responsible and progressive role. But a section of the press has furiously criticised me for saying this. Some have even launched a personal attack on me suggesting that I am a government agent.

I could have retaliated by saying that most media persons are agents of the corporates who have hired them. But I have refrained. When serious issues are raised about the functioning of the media, I expect that these issues would be addressed seriously. But that is not what is happening.
 
But the question still remains who ought to regulate the media, how much, and by what means?

There has to be a clearer sense of priorities in the media. But they seem to have gone haywire…people can criticise me as much as they like for this viewpoint, I shall not resent it and maybe I shall also benefit from it. But, equally, the media too should not mind when I criticise them, nor should my words be twisted or distorted. And, of course, I am advocating that the ambit of the Press Council of India should be expanded; it should be given more teeth and even the electronic television news media should be brought under its purview.

But please also bear in mind that when I say that the PCI’s present powers merely to admonish and to censure need to be increased, I’m implying that only in ‘extreme cases’ should they be used as a punitive measure — that too, after all democratic methods of discussion, persuasion, consultation and dialogue may have failed.
 
Why not let the media continue to be self-regulated?

Surely you realise the simple fact that all freedoms are subject to reasonable restrictions in public interest — so should it be in the case of the media. And anyhow, why is the electronic media so shy of coming under any regulatory authority. TV channels too in my view should be made accountable to the public. In fact, there is no such thing as self-regulation which is an oxymoron.

But isn’t there some risk involved in converting the Press Council of India into some kind of a ‘supercop’ watchdog regulatory authority?

No. None at all. The media too needs to be accountable to the people in a democracy… as is the legislature, the executive and the judiciary in this country.

Is your view that “the majority of media people are of a poor intellectual level” not too presumptuous?

This statement of mine has also been twisted and distorted by several persons on TV channels. I was misquoted as saying that “all” media persons are “uneducated and illiterate”.

There are many media people for whom I have great respect (and I can name names)… but such a misinterpretation of my words is obviously intolerable and unacceptable.

You were scheduled to meet a wide spectrum of journalists on Saturday at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, in the wake of the ongoing controversy, but this engagement was abruptly cancelled following some “disagreement” between you and the organisers — the Press Club and the Foundation for Media Professionals(FMP)…what happened?


I shall make no comment on this. You may ask the joint organisers of this Press meet if you wish.

Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, the president of the FMP, told Khaleej Times: There was some misunderstanding regarding the format of the public discussion for which we had jointly (along with the Press Club of India) invited Justice Katju. It’s unfortunate, but there may be another similar opportunity later…although right now I really cannot say when.  —  news@khaleejtimes.com

Khaleej Times Online, 13 November, 2011, http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/November/international_November493.xml&section=international&col=


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