Sagarika Ghose is no stranger on this blog. And let me admit it, I derived an almost sadistic pleasure watching her get clobbered by Ram Jethmalani (link via the Acorn). Some fine bloggers have already put it in perspective.
I’ll just leave with a parting remark about the media’s misplaced, misunderstood priorities:
Sagarika Ghose: What is wrong with an activist Press—a Press that speaks for the underdog.
“I don’t care. You can write hundred things against me. I will stand by my client and will defend him till the last breath of my life.”
Ram Jethmalani: Go ahead, be activists. But it is my duty to inform you.
That’s exactly what’s wrong. The role of the press ends at reporting news, and shaping public opinion neutrally. Our press increasingly is playing God. News channels intrude homes devastated by grief/violence and ask the mourning people to adjust their hair and clothing–it happened with a relative who lost her 35-year old son in a train accident. The press is NOT meant for activism. And activism is NOT equal to interference.
When that happens, morons like Sagarika Ghose, after each round of getting drubbed, tries to save face but only ends up getting more. Sample these:
Tags: Media Watch, Society & Culture, WeblogsSagarika Ghose: But you seemed to be so angry with the Press?
Ram Jethmalani: But I am angry with you.
Sagarika Ghose: Why me? I am just a voice of the people.
Ram Jethmalani: For the simple reason that you are creating a hype that the accused is guilty.
Sagarika Ghose: But in this country where the high and mighty get away with so much, where witnesses are paid off.
Ram Jethmalani: Did I come to you and told you not to do it? Just do you duty.
Sagarika Ghose: Where the high and mighty buy the process of justice, Press is the sounding board. It is the only recall.
Ram Jethmalani: You can give yourself all the tributes that you want. This is self-praise. By all means, adopt it, pocket it, publicise it, take credit it. But when you are doing something wrong, I will say you are doing wrong. I have the liberty in a democracy. People have the liberty to go wrong and you are going wrong.
On 11.07.06 Anshul says:
Sandeep,
I dont understand this. If the media wud not have been that active do you think that justice wud have been served in the Mattoo case. I think it is the over activism of the media whcih made the govt take the action it did. What say?
On 11.07.06 Sandeep says:
Anshul,
It is pretty simple. As I said in my post, the media’s job is to simply report and shape/influence public opinion from a neutral standpoint. But the media, increasingly, is trying to act like the court of law. Read this post at the Acorn (I’ve linked above) where he speaks about their double standards. The media is not some Human Rights body which can indulge in activism.
On 11.07.06 Ravindra says:
I dont like Sagarika Ghose. I think she is the most dimwit media persons around who is in the position she is solely because of her lineage!
I also agree that Jethmalani cannot be castigated for taking up Manu Sharma’s case, however much we may be convinced of his crime.
So I quite agree with the sentiments expressed in your post as well as the ones you have linked to.
My only nagging worry is about Jethmalani’s screeching about the media’s activism. I dont agree that the media’s role stops at “reporting” - because even the style and manner of reporting can influence opinions. I would be disappointed if our media took the oh-so-neutral stance at every event and never analysed it threadbare. I remember being delighted at Sahara’s coverage of the AIIMS anti-reservation agitation, even though I knew in my heart that it was being blatantly one-sided and whipped up. Similarly, the Gujarat riots where Rajdeep Sardesai went hoarse playing up the anti-Modi fervour on the media, made my blood boil. Hence, there is bound to be a whole spectrum of views reflected in media analysis.
Jethmalani’s angst seems to be more because the entire media is concentrated on one end of the spectrum in the Jessica Lal case for obvious reasons. This, he perhaps feels, makes his task of defending Manu Sharma, all the more difficult. I think if he indeed feels that way and it does seem so looking at his anger, he is underestimating the judiciary as well as betraying a lack of confidence in his own abilities as a lawyer.
On 11.07.06 Ravindra says:
Just to clarify: When I said: “Similarly, the Gujarat riots where Rajdeep Sardesai went hoarse playing up the anti-Modi fervour on the media, made my blood boil” - I meant, my blood boiled at the blatantly one-sided reportage of Rajdeep!
Though I doubt it required clarification
On 11.08.06 Ram Jethmalani Flays the Media « The Blog of a Liberal Mugged by Reality says:
[...] More on this subject on the Acorn, License to Hic, Retributions and Sandeep. [...]
On 11.08.06 Praveen says:
You r right Sandeep, it was good to see someone bashing the media .
The CNN-IBN video “Jethmalani flays media” was excellent. Could some one try to archive the video on youtube or google video.
On 11.16.06 Satta Singh says:
Ram SHITmalini’s brain has completely bcom disfunctional because he is freaking 83. He is a completely lost idiot who does not know what he is doing or saying about the Jessica Lall’s (JL) case. Earlier he said a cop shot JL, now he came up with the bullshit story that a tall sikh killed JL. What would be next coming from his ass. You got it !!! This rotton old fart needs a BRAIN TRANSPLAT in emergency, before he does something stupid.
Who does he think he is. There far more experienced and professional lawyers than him. A person who bow down to kiss the dirt to save a killer is very unprofessional and has no ethics or morale. This lawless small creature should be kicked out of the court and revoke his licence to practice law.
On 11.19.06 sanajy choudhry says:
“I dont like Sagarika Ghose. I think she is the most dimwit media persons around who is in the position she is solely because of her lineage!”
That is quite right. She is the daugher of former Doordarshan DG Bhaskar Ghosh and wife of Rajdeep Sardesai.
This whole leftist/Marxist cabal is highly incestuous and interbreeds.
On 11.26.06 Ram Iyer says:
Dear Sandeep and the rest of the contributors to this column,
I didn’t have an opportunity to watch the said show of Sagarika Ghose. I would agree with Sandeep on the fact that, yes, the press is acting like the sole saviour for everyone in this country and in a way they are influencing the public.
Press has to draw its line and I am afraid its not happening.
On 06.22.07 nkota says:
http://www.jaalmag.com/15121998/slangmatch.htm
—-is this the same ghose
On 08.15.07 nerus says:
Sandeep,
Well said! The electronic media in India is increasingly intrusive and does not seem to know where reporting ends, and comment begins.
Nerus
On 08.05.08 dinesh says:
sandeep,
wat u hav written is 100 percent true….we need people like sandeep to write abt the false n biased reporting abt media n each one of us should express our views…..