########################################################################## # Goanetters-2004 meet in Goa. Dec 21, Tuesday. 12 noon to 2 pm. # # Clube Vasco, Near Municipal Garden, Panjim. Pass the word around! # ##########################################################################
<A question -- though belated -- needs to be asked about the ability of the Times of India to talk about IFFI, considering that 360 Degrees, the firm which got a major contract for the IFFI itself, is part of the group which publishes The Times of India. Wouldn't this amount to a conflict of interest? FN> "Conflict of interest" may be an overstatement in this case since two separate (though admittedly related) entities are involved. Exercising its editorial "independence", TOI began by trying to give an appropriate build up to IFFI. Later it, to its credit, it recognised the force of Remo's salvo against IFFI and carried a report about it. Now that the dust has settled it is trying to boost its credibility (albeit marginally) by carrying a suitably critical "letter to the editor". So not much harm done, I guess. In the meantime 360 Degrees has presumably got paid for its work for IFFI and doesnt have to bother about what TOI says or doesnt say. I myself am a bit puzzled why TOI couldnt summon up enough courage so far to run a "Point/Counterpoint" column on the edit page devoted to IFFI. Maybe they will have a Sunday debate on this if the topic is still deemd to be of national interest.
