To understand the role which the media should be playing in India we have to first understand the historical context. India is presently passing through a transitional period in its history: a transition from a feudal agricultural society to a modern industrial society. This is a very painful and agonising period. The old feudal society is being uprooted and torn apart; but the new, modern, industrial society has not yet been...
More »SEARCH RESULT
Herald denies ‘paid news' charge but ball in Press Council court now by Prakash Kamat
Armed with recordings, transcripts, emails and cuttings, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar has taken the matter of what he calls “an open and shut case” of ‘paid news' against OHeraldO of Goa to the Press Council of India. The Press Council defines ‘paid news' as “any news or analysis appearing in any media [print or electronic] for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” Mr. Nagvenkar backs his complaint with audios and transcripts...
More »Lokpal Movement: Unanswered Questions by Gautam Navlakha
Why is it that the Anna Hazare-led movement against corruption does not seek to have the Lokpal cover NGOs, corporate houses and the corporate media? Gautam Navlakha (gnavlakha@gmail.com) is a member of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi. It would be churlish to dismiss “Team Anna’s” mass mobilisation which is an assertion of our collective right to protest. This is especially so in view of the fact that after having waited...
More »Holding government to account by Wajahat Habibullah
As the Right to Information Act (RTI) celebrated the sixth year of its coming, there has been much heated discussion, often emotional, of the benefits that it has brought and also the challenges with which it has confronted government. This debate came to a head with the prime minister’s inaugural address to the Annual Convention of the Central Information Commission on October 14. It is accepted in all circles that the...
More »Larger bench of CIC likely to decide BCCI's status by Himanshi Dhawan
The nettled issue of whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is a public authority or not hangs in balance, with the Central Information Commission mulling the option of referring the case to a larger bench. At the first hearing of the transparency panel in the presence of TV cameras, Information Commissioner M L Sharma indicated that the matter may be decided by a larger bench. The...
More »