Chai Time
Free Journalism is “Gifted”, Fair Journalism is “Earned”
Suman Kumar Jha stresses on reporting “both sides” of the story as a cornerstone of fair journalism. There is a balancing act to be done. It requires critically assessing the relationship between the media, government and the general public, while always putting “credibility” of news at the forefront of reporting
The media mirrors the democracy that we are. Many would say we get the media we deserve. With its imperfections, prejudices and biases, the Indian media remains amongst the freest in the world. It, however, also needs to be amongst the fairest. Debates like the one on Outlook recently on ‘both-sides’ journalism are welcome and would add to the momentum. The media is not merely any actor in a democracy. Not for nothing it’s called the fourth pillar of democracy. The media must actively play the role of a watchdog, especially in an unequal democracy like ours, which, according to many, remains a work in progress. To be a fair media, ‘both-sides’ journalism is not just a pre-requisite; it’s a given. And this extends beyond the Opinions and Ideas pages. ‘Both-sides’ journalism is at the core of what should be unbiased, fair journalism. This, then, should be seen in news stories, news management, and, indeed, in newsrooms.
