Public Editor can enhance Oheraldo’s reputation By Eugene Correia
It's a tenet of democracy that the Press is considered as the Fourth Estate. In the struggle for Independence, the Press played an important role in pushing forward the agenda of the nationalists. In fact, more often the Press was either in the forefront or served as the fulcrum of the freedom struggle. It was looked as a mirror to the public challenges to the presence and imperialism of the British. The Press urged the people to join in the cause of the freedom movement till the British were driven to concede Independence to India. Jawaharlal Nehru, along with other freedom movement leaders, was for freedom of press, but it's true that he was annoyed with certain section of the Press. He didn't take favourably the criticism of his decision and the famous case regarding Organiser, the mouthpiece of the BJP. The Press in Goa played a prominent role in the fight for Liberation. Post- Liberation, the media has expanded. oHeraldo’s valiant effort to start Amcho Avaz, a Konkani weekly, was a renewed attempt to boost Konkani journalism. The linguist media in Goa has shown its vitality and vigor in pursuing the noble pursuit of journalism. The media has kept the people well- informed and abreast of events that concern them. As much as the prime ministers had brushes with the Press, so also the chief ministers. Like Modi, Manohar Parrikar has become belligerent towards the media, particularly the print media. He has lashed those he considers as against him and his government with the obnoxious label, " gutter press”. It's easy to throw brickbats at the media. True, all media outlets are not clean and above partisanship. As much as the political class gets a bad rap for the wrongdoings of a few, so to the journalist class earns a bad name for the ethical bending by a few. There are cases in Indian journalism which show journalists have not confined to the philosophy and ethics of journalism. The media has always been divided on political, social and economic issues. The diversity of views makes it a vast choice for readers. Such a choice is good for the health of democracy. Today in India, the media is divided over loyalties to political parties. As in the US, the media is largely divided into Conservative or Liberal, the Indian media has been labeled as " non- secular", which was formally branded as “ communalist”, and " secular”. Communalism prevails in many guises. The BJP rise to power has driven a chasm in the world of journalism. There has been a rise in pro- BJP websites and BJP proclivity in the social media. The other old significant parties, and the new upbeat AAP, which got tremendous support from certain electronic media, have a love- hate relationship with the media. It's said that the media’s job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The tug- of- war between the govt and the media is the result of the media's role of often taking adversary positions. However, the media has showered kudos on the govt for its good plans, national or State development efforts and the social good of the people. India, as a whole, presents a mixed picture with increase in violence against women, minority politics, regionalism, and discriminatory practices. Goa is part of this scene. Fortunately, there are newspapers such as oHeraldo which have been presenting the stories of govt complacency and negligence on many social, women and development issues. The paper caters to different sections of the society. One must remember that editorials and opinions by columnists are not meant to satisfy all and the readers can feel dissatisfied and often voice their resentment through the Letters to the Editor section. Goa has witnessed confrontation between the govt and newspapers. Past govts have hit back by blocking the release of advertisements to certain papers. Some govts, both at the Centre and the state, have tried, often in vain, to control the media. The Modi govt has shown its desire to indirectly control the media, with some corporations having seized control of the media, especially the electronic media, in the aftermath of the BJP’s victory. Whatever role the oHeraldo continues to play, especially after the Liberation and after turning itself into an English edition, can never be underestimated. Critics of the paper, as critics found in public discourse, will find flaws or accuse the paper of favouritism or bias. For this reason, there are " media watchdogs", with media critics analysing the material that the papers print and the electronic media broadcast in its programs. Even some top- notch papers have a media section and a critic column. My suggestion to the management of oHeraldo is to appoint a Public Editor, just as some of the world reputed newspapers, like New York Times, and The Hindu, has done. The Public Editor’s independent position with a free hand to pull up editorial lapses and often act as both a sounding board and voice of reason on behalf of the readers will enhance its reputation. ( Eugene Correia is a senior journalist)