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Frederick Noronha [EMAIL PROTECTED] (FN) wrote:
Joe says, "The press in Goa, as we know, is highly partisan and biased..."
[FN]>That's true of the press everywhere.
Isn't it in your adopted country?
Fred, thank you for your comments, and your contributions to Goanet are
appreciated.
First, lets get things right. I dont have any adopted country; the only
country I adopted at birth is my homeland Goa, which I love and cherish.
Ipso facto, to talk about Goa, is my birthright; thats why I take great
interest in happenings in Goa, rather than the West or elsewhere. Although,
I had open offers and opportunities to settle in the west, I chose not to.
Therefore, your presumption on my adopted country is dead wrong! I am
very much Goan, as you are, (except that I am NOT a journalist by
profession) but would still like to present my ideas and views occasionally,
as time permits, if thats allowed on Goanet. I sincerely hope you will not
find that to be terribly awful, or inconsistent with the Goanet rules and
guidelines. :-)
Albeit, I may have ruffled some feathers; nevertheless, the points I am
making are irrefutable facts, I see that you agree with 90%+ of the content
posted. I am not going to talk about the world at large. Goa is not the
world, and certainly the world is not Goa. Besides, I understand that
Goanet was created for the purpose of discussing issues related to Goa, and
not specifically the West. So, lets confine the discussion to Goa.
If there is general agreement that the Press and journalists in Goa are not
doing justice to journalism, by way of responsible reporting, that fact
should be acknowledged, even though its a bitter pill to swallow.
Promoting the concept that it happens everywhere in the world, so Goa
shouldnt be different doesnt arguer well from a journalistic point of view
at least that is my perception.
A vibrant and thriving democracy is founded on the voice of the common
citizens. The press and professional journalists are the conduits through
which the voices of citizens are channeled and surfaced. It is a sad
situation when the very media the people rely on is let down by the press
due to dilution of issues and/or misrepresentation. This brings a bad name
to journalism that prevents people to know the true stories or news that
might influence their lives.
Now, regarding reporting in Goa, more specifically in the e-media, we find a
few vocal people who (despite not being journalists) are doing a whole lot
more reporting and issue based critiquing than most journalists, who
consciously choose to practice selective and often biased journalism.
Conveniently, that suits both the journalists and their pay masters. What
about the general public, whose interests and concerns are not adequately
addressed or totally neglected? Does the press have any responsibility to
the public?
I am NOT trying to undermine or trivialize the journalists efforts. No
sir, not by any means. Journalism is a very noble profession for which I
have high regard. I said that before and I say it again. Professional
journalism can play an increasingly pivotal role and act as a safety net
in strengthening and promoting democratic values. Importantly, I am making
an effort to encourage our current and upcoming journalists to play a more
prominent and proactive role (vs a passive and reactive one) in the greater
interest and service to society.
Albeit, there are many crucial issues that the press can vocalize, even
before the concerned citizen is forced to voice these through
scant/available means such as the e-media. An educated citizenry can be a
formidable force like sharks in a pond invigorating dormant salmons to
stir the up the complacency and coziness of the press at large, to stay
focused on critical issues rather than putting them under the rug or on the
back burner.
Fortunately, the onset of rapidly emerging technologies including the
Internet/IT and networking through web-logs, chat rooms, message-boards,
mailing lists, mobile, and online contributory news portals, has conceived
a new communication concept called participatory journalism (Goanet
forum is one such example).
Participatory journalism is here to stay, and is a definite bliss bringing
voice to the world, which was mostly blurred through the traditional biased
reporting. This new concept is rapidly becoming a recognized and vital
medium of communication, where stories can be instantly reported by ordinary
citizens.
As more and more people become educated and consciously aware about the
happenings around them, the more eager they become to voice their concerns.
This bridges the gap between the journalist and the readership; it
essentially provides the readers the power to be a journalist and
communicate events that would invariably change the outlook of the entire
society.
On a concluding note, I would like to add that the main reason why our
politicians advocate primary education in Konkani/Marathi in Goa, and
deliberately maintain a weak education system, is to keep the general
public in the dark regarding matters that most concern the citizens. This is
a clever ploy by politicians to effectively and successfully weaken the
education system, and ensure there are not many new and upcoming vocal
voices within the community that would straighten out the corruption and
complacency in governance. That, of course, is topic for another
discussion.
Thank you all, for your indulgence!
Best wishes,
Joe Vaz
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