I am not exactly a big fan of Barkha Dutt...on the contrary, I found her reporting on 26/11 way off the mark. But try as I might am unable to find what exactly has she said wrong in the Radia tapes which have been doing the round. It might be ethically wrong to pass on information from one side to the other, but this is one role of a journalist which is not taught in classroom. Journalists have always played the role of being a go-between the two warring sides. Most of the time we do it get news, more information. Can this be termed lobbying...I dont think so.
If you have been covering BJP for long and you also have access to Congress and you are also powerful, it is naive to expect that the parties wont be communicating through you. Journalists vie to be in a position of power from where they are almost part of the news. Another popular trick of the trade is to tell one side that you got X information from the other side. This generally leads to the party clarifying and telling the journalist that no this is wrong or right, whatever the case might be.
I went through the conversation several times in an effort to find something incriminating but frankly, I didnt. There is nothing in the transcripts to suggest that they were lobbying for particular side or candidate.
8 comments:
lobbying or no lobbying but if u have seen peepli live.. for some reason barkha thinks she is a demi god.. high time she was thrown off that high chair anyway..
Haan...many people believe that she does has holier-than-thou attitude
fully agree.. you can see it and smell it in her tweets
do you suggest that all this is opposition drama over a simple, innocent networking of an innocent news anchor ? Though you are right when you say that political parties/groups communicate thru journos at several occasions. Vir Sanghvi was reportedly an 'intermediary' between Rajiv Gandhi and Prabhakaran. However, Misuse of their 'unique position' by journos is the issue here.
Hi Anonymous, journalists are neither simple nor innocent. See journos are not Gods and media is a part of the society. If there is muck in the society, it will reflect in media as well. In the Radia tapes, the case against Vir Sanghavi is quiet clear. If you go through the columns he has written, it is almost replicating what Radia told him. However in Barkha's case, I feel she is just trying to get a feel of what is happening between DMK and Congress.
But a silly fallout of these tapes: believe it or not, even an unknown business journo like me is suffering. People are just not willing to talk on phone even if it is an innocent conversation. Super cautious lest they say something incriminating... :(
Barkha is seen weaving stories on her channel to explain her side. However, this is not the first time she has landed herself in a controversy. This time she has bitten much more than a mouthful.
Yup...the debate was at her disadvantage but the channel got the TRPs. I just dislike her holier than thou attitude...hate it in fact. Wonder why she had to go to such a length to explain herself...she should have just let the storm pass, like Vir Sanghvi.
She is confident that this is no storm and whatever it is, shall pass...It is her 'attitude' that got a serious beating this time and she is trying hard to salvage that.
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