With a cloud of suspicion hovering over the credibility of the bold-faced names of Indian media following the Niira Radia tapes—and institutional disasters such as paid news, private treaties, medianet and the lot—it was just a matter of time before someone twisted the knife even further.
Offstumped, the right-of-centre blog that claims to offer “commentary on an impatient and aspirational India”, has been first off the block with a survey on India’s most credible media outlet. Pinch yourself, multiple voting ensures that the right-of-centre Pioneer is leading the list.
Poll: courtesy Offstumped
churumuri 
Every publication today has political leanings. Every publication today has business leanings. In a situation like this, how can we trust any one publication?
However, if one were to select the worst of the above choice for NOT TRUSTING, my vote goes to TOI.
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how can you _credibly_ say that it’s multiple voting?
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>Pinch yourself, multiple voting ensures that the right-of-centre Pioneer is leading the list.
Pinched myself to see who is second, also saw that even after multiple voting(as per Churmuri) more than 65% have voted for far far left of the center liberal media.
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I demand to know why Organiser/Panchajanya has not been included in this survey. Is it a joke? When people are voting in droves for Pioneer, don’t you think you have goofed up by not including them?
I protest the hidden agenda and I may be forced to denotify you if you don’t behave.
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None of the above is my choice.
Is there indeed a truly trustworthy platform free of biases and really objective? This poll done on a “left-of-centre” blog would have provided (almost) diametrically opposite results. Is this the bane of India – left is left, right is right, never the twain shall meet!!!!?
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If you want unbiased news source you need to pay for it. Nothing is free. We are not willing to pay for it and hence we don’t get unbiased news.
How many are willing to buy a 15rs news paper to make it sustainable ?
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How can Pioneer be credible when the editor is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP?
Shows how biased the rabid BJP supporters in this forum are.
How many stories has Pioneer done which exposed the corruption/ nepotism/ infighting/ indiscipline/ inefficiency/ mal-administration in BJP?
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Far better to be right-of-centre than be either liberal or left-of-centre and in the pocket of coporate lobbyists. Make that multiple pockets of multiple lobbyists, corporate, political and who knows what else. Disclosure: I have been associated with The Pioneer since 1991 when the Delhi edition was launched by Vinod Mehta. And just to let folks know, this paper’s vintage dates back 146 years.
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There is nothing wrong in a paper being politically biased towards a political party/idealogy as long as that bias shows up only in the editorials and not in the reporting. Unfortunately, this is not true in any of the Indian media.
@Simple, The Hindu ranks 2nd in the polls. So next to the “rabid BJP supporters”, the 2nd biggest group are the Commies/Chinese in this forum?
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Karihaida Sir,
>If you want unbiased news source you need to pay for it. We are not willing to pay for it and hence we don’t get unbiased news.
IMO ideological/political/corporate biases of the media outlets do not have any relationship with the amount of money we are ready to pay. Consumer is ready to pay a decent price for a quality product. On the contrary the media outlets have been driving down the prices in their irrational chase for eyeballs/readerships which is directly related to number of ads, ad rates and crazy valuations.
If any media person is using the price of the product as an excuse for being corrupt, he is trying to be clever by half. Media business is like any other business, if they can’t run the business honestly within the boundaries of law of the land at a price acceptable to the consumer, let them fold up.
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Swapan Das Gupta had this to say to BD during the sham NDTV ran on their channel. ” People ask me to pass certain messages to the leaders of BJP because I am perceived to be close to BJP. Since you are not claiming to be close to Congress, why were you chosen to do the job of a courier agency?” May not be in the exact words, but he conveyed this as much.
This is the problems with the so called liberals & left of centre “intellectuals”. I had pointed out the underhanded dealings of historians with powers that be since the time of independence. The same trend is carried on with the current day journalists. We know N Ram has left leanings. We know Hindu is often called Chindu for all the communist crap which keeps popping out of the paper. I would prefer this open declaration of political belief than what people like Barkha are doing in the garb of being liberals.
The same applies to The Pioneer. I have not read this paper, therefore I dont claim to be in the know of how this paper reports. But if people believe that this is a credible newspaper, inspite of its editor being a BJP MP, then it is to the credit of the paper and the editor that they have stood for fearless and favourless journalism.
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Most of these celebrated journalists are media’s own creation, myth. I once challenged Vir Sanghvi in Twitter that public buy HTimes not for his column, rather for many other things like career page, job page, entertainment pages etc..I didnt know that he will be forced to suspend his columns because of Barkhagate so soon. ABC data of HTimes before after Vir stopped his column will prove people dont but HT for his column.
If anything, this survey result proves a large number of people in India who spend lots of time in the net actually support/closely monitor/appreciate right of the center politics..that’s why the pioneer gets more votes than even the hindu.
N Ram is a card carrying CPIM member, so is Chandan Mitra of bJP. Still, large number of people believe their publication as they dont talk to PR people so openly for business deal.
***
* ABC data of HTimes before after Vir stopped his column will prove people dont buy HT for his column.
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Kelu.
Your comments on Pioneer:
“I have not read this paper, therefore I dont claim to be in the know of how this paper reports. But if people believe that this is a credible newspaper, inspite of its editor being a BJP MP, then it is to the credit of the paper and the editor that they have stood for fearless and favourless journalism.”
Pioneer writes what blind BJP supporters want to read. That is why they like it. Liking it is different from being credible.
Of course there is nothing wrong in a paper believing in a particular ideology. But then how can it be credible if it narrowly focuses on only one ideology?
N Ram has never been a politician like Chandan Mitra has been. You cannot compare N Ram with Chandan Mitra – whose paper is nothing but a BJP Pamphlet.
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Why isnt there a ‘ none of the above’ or ‘ when I want credibility I avoid the media’ choice.
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Simple,
Its atleast in the open that Chandan Mirtra is a BJP guy and what his paper writes may and shall have a pro BJP tilt. The reader atleast knows about this.
When BDutt slams BJP, is she seen as a neutral observer or a person whose interests lie more with Congress than BJP. After all as swapan said, if you are used as a courier, only reason is knowledge that you belong to that camp.
Its very interesting to say that Raadia was just being led on. But really does she think that guys like Tata and Ambani are fools to have such a person as PR who can be led on so easily.
Some people have direct affliations, some don’t. But very few who don’t have any affiliations are neutral. At some point, many journos are not exactly looking for money or direct Quo Pro. They are looking for some thing more that can satisfy their urge to be seen as the No.1
BDutt for me appears to as a person who is willing to be known as a person who has direct contact with SG / RG than like any other journalist. Her decision to ally defnitely induces a bias regardless of whether she accepts or not.
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I think the idea is that everyone knows that Pioneer has right of center slant and that Hindu has leftist slant. Both the publications are quite open about it. I read both the papers, but I know where they are coming from and can pretty much seive out the facts.
NDTV/HT/TOI etc purport to be “neutral” but they basically stand nowhere. They stand for whoever is in power and in some ways are “for sale”. On top of that, their propaganda for the highest bidder is wrapped around being on the side of people and against the “system”. It is an insult to the intelligence of most of the readers.
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we have to chose the’most’ credible? By this you are implying all are ‘credible’ media & credibilty at this point of time is ‘oxymron’ I wish you had ‘none’ as one of the choices instead of others!
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If I read my mind in the same way the media would read then I am right winger, chaddiwala or knickerwallah etc. I voted for THE HINDU. For me two things I like about THE HINDU, credibility in all parta of the news except the political views which has also been consistent. Now it is easy for me to arrive at the truth. Read all the news discount it for its political leanings make additions for its political non-leanings from the web then I have a more or less correct picture. Actually I like Pioneer for its editorial views and rich columnists. Net-read Newspaper is only for editorial content. paper reading is required for news. The prostitution of editorial views to suit current political corporate trends is worse than seduction by the frigid virgin.
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If memory serves me right, in early 90’s there was a daily newspaper called The Independent priced at Rs. 4 while TOI, IE etc were less than Re. 1. It was closed down in a few months.
The market was certainly price-sensitive then, but not so now, for quality.
Another aspect is adverts: I subscribe to a newspaper only for local ads. I don’t really need the news from there. Only a popular newspaper would have ads. Thus a popular newspaper will remain inexpensive.
Its a viscous cycle.
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Surprising results!!
Lesson for padmas :If you disclose your editorial biases upfront and don’t twist/spin the regular news, people will trust you. Otherwise you are just another Saint Chatwal
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The question is not whether Chandan is open about it or not.
The question is how credible can a single dimension paper be?
A BJP Pamphlet passes off as a news daily.
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@Dailybread,
+10
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Pioneer 18.29%
hahaha….
That’s really funny
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Simple (Simon?) you must be living in some cave re The Hindu. It is notorious for being a barefaced apologist for its Chinese masters and for the Indian commies. Obviously you haven’t read Ram Guha’s takedown of N.Ram’s PR piece on Chinese occupied Tibet or in the earlier days N.ram’s coverage of the Tiananmen massacre.
The Pioneer is upfront about its tilt and employs first rate columnists. It is the only paper that publishes rejoinders from not just readers but from other columnists as well. Rediff.com is in a class of its own and brings us reportage that no paper does. For a person like me who lives abroad, The Hindu (for its coverage of TN, my home state), The Pioneer (for realistic look), The Telegraph (for Eastern India) and Rediff.com (for reportage) is all I need to keep in touch with what’s happening in India.
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Pioneer…tell me you are joking :-)
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Would it be pertinent to mention here that according to the Press Freedom Index 2010 by the Reporters Sans Frontires India, economically resurgent India has fallen 17 places to 122nd ! The consolation prize- if it is indeed consolation, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh are ranked further down and we are indeed one place above Zimbabwe!!!
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Definitely not NDTV, if you read this.
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1082
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/a/1083
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The Hindu used to be credible once upon a time before global warming. Not anymore. It has a good raddi value, though. For 3 rupees, you get weighty paper! The report in The Hindu goes on something like this: Bangalore: Members of certain community threw stones on certain group of people and shops were forced shut in one of the busy streets of the market place of certain area. Situation is said to be under control according to a police official. Wishing anonymity, he said the clashes were over a statement made by a political leader objecting to taking out procession in front of certain area where certain people were worshipping. No one was injured.
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Kangeya
One question. Answer it please
How many investigative pieces has Pioneer done which exposes the rot/corruption/nepotism/maladministration/inefficiency/dynastic rule in BJP?
It is one thing to give 10 col cm space for other columnists and quite another to have the chief editing every bit of newstory through saffron tinted glasses.
Pioneer is as credible as the reality shows on Television. Everyone knows that these reality shows are from from real. Every bit of it is rehearsed and doctored.
By the way, Tehelka, TOI, NDTV, CNN IBN,Outlook – all these so called pro cong media channels give plenty of print space and air time for BJP wallahs to voice their warped views – so your theory that Pioneer is the only paper which publishes rejoinders from readers but from other columnists as well – is as convincing as BSY’s claim about his innocence in the land scams.
Tch. Tch.
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Congratulations to the Pioneer for being the most credible newspaper in India. Unfortunately, in Mumbai, we don’t have a Mumbai edition of the paper. Hope this anomaly gets removed soon by the Pioneer owners.
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Ever since the Radia Tapes controversy, I get Pioneer delivered to my door-step in Mumbai (the Delhi edition). Though it arrives a day late at more than double the printed price (5 rs for a 2 rs issue), I find Pioneer commentary and analysis more honest and relevant compared to other Paid News rags.
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