I think Cecil is being unduly soft on the media. If the newspapers feeled the pinch, they would react. While newspapers reflect society, they also shape it. So they have responsibilities. They can be either a tonic or a narcotic for the mental health of a society. And what is the record in Goa?
* A section of the media in Goa is promoting the sex trade, either unknowingly or for the Rs 100 or so they earn from every classified advert: http://puggy.symonds.net/pipermail/goajourno/2006-June/002832.html * Another newspaper has a page full of the scandals from Bollywood, and is simultaneously trying to push their product among schools. * Editors are cast as heroes, without anyone bother to question their more-than-murky dealings. * In cyberspace, the most obvious target is hit at ... while a whole lot of other things are swept under the carpet. Selma might just be right in advocating more assertive consumer/citizen campaigns. FN PS: Cecil's argument might just be shifting attention from the issue at hand. Why can't the newspapers also simply decide to block caste labels in their matrimonials (assuming this is an important issue). We do it for Goanet-Cybermatrimonials ... and nobody complains. You could call this censorship if you wish. And don't make the case that the newspapers "need" their classified. I don't know any proprietor who would starve .... On 15/09/06, Cecil Pinto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's easy to blame newspapers and church authorities and 'the system', > rather than blame ourselves. If you see an unethical advert for a product > or a service you would boycott the advertiser and not the medium that > carried the advert. Think on similar lines for caste-specific Catholic > matrimonial adverts. Write nasty e-mails to the Chardo Marine Engineer Boy > and tell him to grow up into a Man. Phone the Homely Brahmin Graduate Girl > and tell her that her pimples will keep increasing. Contact the parents of > these pathetic casteist bachelors and spinsters and inform them that the > world has moved on. They're not likely to be educated or enlightened > immediately but at least they will get the message that mentioning caste in > matrimonial adverts only shows their depravity and blinkered vision! -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frederick Noronha http://fn.goa-india.org 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/ _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
