RAMYA KRISHNAMURTHY writes from Bangalore: The on-again, off-again Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC), linking Karnataka’s two most prominent cities, has been mired in controversy and litigation for over a decade now, and polarised political, bureaucratic and public opinion, often on caste lines.
On the one hand, there are those like former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda who believe the project should in its current shape should not go through as it allegedly tramples over farm lands. And on the other hand, there are those who contend that the objections are afterthoughts of vested interests seeking to extract a bit more from the project’s promoter, Ashok Kheny.
The Bangalore media has been a bit-player in the drama, some sides covertly supporting the project and some overtly opposing it. But yesterday when Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), the company promoting the project, held the inaugration of a “Freedom Park” at the Peripheral Road at Somapura in Bangalore, the company’s PR machinery went into overdrive.
The invitation cards that were sent out to all media organisations in Bangalore sported the names of 23 journalists from 17 media organisations who had been invited as “guests”. Journalists of The Hindu, Deccan Herald and Praja Vani which have not hesitated to ask questions of the BMIC project and have put out the “other side” of the story, were prominently missing.
Some key questions emerge here:
1. What was NICE’s motive behind inviting “select” journalists from leading newspapers and TV channels and using them as mascots? Is it to suggest that they approve of the project?
2. Did the “select” journalists give their consent to their names being used this way by NICE on the invitation card or was this done without their knowledge? If so, has any of them objected?
3. Can the reading and viewing public expect fair reporting from media organisations, whose journalists were guests of NICE and enjoyed its hospitality?
4. Should journalists who are expected to be the eyes and ears of the public, be “guests” of an organisation undertaking a controversial project, notwithstanding its own legitimate case?
5. Does it mark a new low in ethical journalism? Or does it mark a new high in commercialisation of journalism, where public opinion is the privilege of the highest bidder?
Cross-posted on sans serif
Only selected journalists. No, celeberated journos
Nothing new!
it is an open secret that, any journo can be bought! and Mr Kheni has been surviving solely due to the “PRO” reporting by the media, who do not hesistate to “enjoy” the goodies thrown by him…
Kheni has gone a step ahead…to make news writers into newsmakers!!
Somebody must suggest Kheni to screen NFDC’s jaane bhi do yaaro, possibly the coolest writing ever, on the big screen he donated to the press club @ bangalore. The man has the chutpah to do it too.
yeh swiserland ka kaekk hey. thoDa khao, thoDa feko. bahut maza ayega.
Your reporter Ramya Krishnamurthy, in case such person exists, was there at the inauguration of Freedom Park? If she was there, then like her many other journos attended the function. In case she was not present, then she has put up second hand report on your web. Unfortunately, this is what many reporters do. With their prejudiced mind they write or they collect information over phone and report it as though they were eyewitness.
First, some senior journalists attended the function? What’s wrong in it? As a journalist one has to attend functions and events, but what they write is their preorgative. WHy Ramya should assume that all fell at the feet of Kheni. After it was just a simple inaugural function and of course, there was dinner. Is it a crime to attend such function? is Mr Kheni is a underworld don? His project has been cleared by Supreme Court of this country. Whether the government was right or wrong in giving land to him on a platter is a debatable issue. But if he has bought the land from the government and the law of this country upholds what he is doing, what is Ramya’s problem!
Secondly, journalists including Mr Krishna Vattam, Mr R Shankar, Mr Koti were special invitees. By attending the function have they lost their pen to Mr Kheni?
Going to any place is not wrong. As journalists one need to talk to Deve Gowda as well as Kheni. Even officers who made Kheni’s job of getting vast acres of land should also be interacted by media persons. But what is wrong and right, that has to be decided by the reporters.
You walk into PWD office, or Revenue Dept or talk to Revanna and his brother Kumaraswamy, you will not get a clear picture of what is happening on BMIC project. But person who happily gives news (what he wants) is Mr Kheni. At least, journalists, by attending the function on saturday, realised that he is not desilting tanks all along the corridor way because the government is against it. But by not desilting, he is going to violate the agreement.
Did you Ramya was aware of this?
So many journalists go with Prime Minister and President. That is also sponsored projects. There also Indian and Indian Embassy throws liquor bottles and free food to reporters. But name one reputed reporter in this country who has not gone with PM or President free of cost? The only money they spend is on room rent. The rest all taken care by the host. So, can we keep off from international event?
So, I again emphasis, where we go and to whom we talk is not the question, what we write is important.
The so called The Hindu reporters in Bangalore are known blackmailers. Majority of The Hindu reporters suffer from inferiority and caste complex. The best example is an ex-dh and current Special Correspondent who all the time when in Deccan Herald did nothing but glorifying Deve Gowda. How many stories The Hindu has put up against Kheni, pl put it you web. The Hindu now has an NGO editor. Is all NGO doing a great job? Why she devotes so much space to NGOs? Because, she wants to heroine among NGOs.
Of course, this is not applicable to Prajavani group. At least there is a sensible reporting team DH has.
So Ms Ramya, without knowing the ground realities do not blurt just because you have a forum.
Show me any paper on Sunday which has glorified Kheni for having gone there?
Is it not better than the “journalists” from DH/Hindu among other “celebrated” newspapers having NEVER questioned where the funds for Mr. Deve Gowda, S M Krishna came from. The ransom for one of the most famous kidnapping in karnataka – where did that money come from -especially after it was confirmed by the top police official of the day. Come on guys, wake up – you cant have different rules for different people. Everyone knows what DH prints and why and for whom ! The less said about H, the better. Its all about you scratch my back and i scratch yours – why condemn only Mr. Kheny for it – when you have politicos owning star hotels, petrol bunks, mines, colleges, bungalows et al – HAS any journalist from these worthies press ever asked a question – much less tried to probe it.
Ujwala’s and Namma Nadu comments interesting. One thing is sure, The Hindu reporters are number one goons who have not only sold their pen but also themselves to politicians. When Churumuri is attacking Kheni by praising the Hindu, how come it has forgotten how The Hindu is illegally occupying the land on which their office stand? It was Siddaramaiah as minister who fought against the Hindu. But the Hindu threw its weight around and booked Deve Gowda compeltely, welcomed him to its office in Hbad and rolled out red carpet and tried to get hold the government leased land in Bangalore. What ethics Ramya is speaking? More than anybody, I am sure KP knows how the Hindu reporters operate.
If at all there is some sanctity left in journalism in Blore, it is in Deccan Herald and The Indian Express reporters team. Still, they are working as as journalists and not as PRs.
my name has appeared in invitation without my knowledge. no body contacted me regarding this. when invitation was given i questioned the misuse of name. NICE media coordinator Suresh was mum on this.
One evening newspaper headline sreamed
Its is NICE.
yes, Vattam;s english paper, which lookl ikes Star of Mysore
Check the list. ETV reporters name figured in the list. for Udaya Tv it is comman. But, how come ETV…
Ramya Krishnamurthy is as real (or as unreal) as Ujwala, Namma Nadu or Nagesh. And first-hand or second-hand, the questions raised by this incident are obvious to all, it seems, except some.
The key concern here is not about whether journalists should break bread (or spill booze) with those whom they have to report. That is an occupational hazard. How they choose to do so, with whom, where, to what extent, etc, are all issues between the journalist and his or her conscience, provided they still possess such a delicate thing.
The core issue is whether journalists should be attending these (or any other) functions as “guests” and “chief guests” or as the eyes and ears of the public. If the distinction is not immediately obvious, I am afraid you have only a passing knowledge of what is expected of journalists.
The other issue is of the names of journalists being used by NICE on its invitation card almost as if the journalists were validating the project with their physical presence. No amount of parsing or hair-splitting can take attention away from this.
No one has accused all the journalists of being on sale or falling at the feet of Ashok Kheny. For all I care, every one of the journalists present may be an incorruptible angel descended from the high heavens that very night. The issue is slightly more nuanced than that.
If the SC has cleared the project in its entirety, what is there for Kheny to prove to only these journalists? Few of the journos present are personally reporting the story. They may not be aware of the nitty-gritty of the project and its myriad controversies. So Kheny & his PR men have to convince the beat reporter. However, by keeping the reporter’s bosses on the right side, a top-down approach to kill negative stories and put a positive spin is being adopted. The evidence may not show up the very next day, but who is to say that it will not colour (positively or negatively) reportage or opinion in the days and months to come?
The comparisons with going with the PM or President, or enjoying the courtesy of the Indian Embassy, are specious. They are not going to advertise or monetise the journalists presence as Kheny has done even before they could arrive at his so-called Freedom Park.
Journalists cannot be hermits. They need to meet people and mingle to extract information. But they also need to show a bit more discretion in whom they meet, what they do. By this yardstick, is it OK if these journalists names figure on the invitation cards of Mutthappa Rai and other goons who populate Karnataka’s landscape?
In a slightly more evolved media atmosphere than ours, we would be debating these issues with more maturity and responsibility. However, we seem only too happy to hurl stones at journalists and publications without a shred of compunction. It doesn’t make for a pretty sight. (Nagesh, the High Court of Karnataka has dismissed a public interest litigation on the allotment of the land to The Hindu.)
I am no fan of Deve Gowda but his chief grouse is that the BMIC project is a cover for a real estate project. The fact that a man who “edits” a property supplement and who couldn’t care less if the tanks were desilted or not, was one of the “dignitaries” present gives the game away.
Ashok Kheny has won an important round in his PR game; public opinion is the loser. The pity is that our journalists are too pigheaded to even notice or appreciate the difference.
Mr Govinda
thanks for the concern
before you raise the question i have clarified it.
i represent bangalore bureau of ETV
Swamy, The Hindu reporters are the most stupid and inferior journalists in K’taka. Half of them can’t write even 3 sentences in English properly. But most of them are experts in making money by touching the feet of politicians and bureaucrats. The Hindu office looks like a perfect government office.
The issue here is journalists being invited as chief guests to inaugurate freedom fountain, well please stick to the topic right or wrong rather than scathing publications.
The argument has got no meaning and it can go on and on, if you were in the journalists shoe what would you do is the question which remains a question. The perception differs with every two people and you could perceive or portray what you feel about something.
Even if you say if it is wrong, would you be able to change it now… Each person needs to live his life, i m sure Mr. Marakini will agree.
It is very interesting to read all this. I am told that only Media Heads and Jounalists were invited to the function and no public presence was there. Hence has Ms Ramya Krishnamurthy has bothered to check whether the invitations were sent to anybody (i:e the public) or only to the Journos and if only they were sent to journos, where is the question of Mr Kheni taking PR benefit from it arises? It is sad that instead of supporting the journalists their good spirit to attend a function, so much is being read into it. Also Ms Ramya, just for your information The Supreme Court of India also upheld the fact that real estate was very much part of the project. As far as the “The Hindu” is concerned, there is an Audit General Report that states that Hindu cheated the State Government of Rs2.45 Crores and was nothing but a encroacher of Government Land in Bangalore. It is also a known fact that the petitioner was put up by the The Hindu to avoid any unpleasent litigation later by some knowledgeable person. I wish Ms Ramya can reply to this.