I was surprised to read this about the People’s Paper considering what others and I have written about it.
But the news is not as good for the country’s boldest English-language news magazine, Tehelka. The crusading independent weekly is struggling to expand and take a bigger slice of a highly competitive print market.
Like many anti-establishment publications around the world, Tehelka has garnered only lukewarm support from advertisers and relative disinterest from readers more interested in upbeat news.
Tehelka, which means "sensational" in Hindi, has lived up to its name with hard-hitting investigations that have often used undercover cameras to confront officials and expose corruption. Its crusading reports also focus on the downtrodden of India.
Via Barbar Indians, we learn how Tehelka hobnobbed with the rich and the powerful and those that matter politically. What gives? Is this somehow an ugly offshoot of Tehelka’s Gujarat "expose" that bombed mightily in Modi’s favour that an angry Congress party cut off this dishrag’s supply lines?
In the end, I think the yellow paper’s own zeal towards achieving fast-track martyrdom is responsible for the mess it is in. You can play victim and keep publishing "underdog" stories and gutsy anti-establishment pieces for only so long. But the IHT article opines it is because
"Psychologically, Indians are on such a high with the economy booming," Dharker, the media critic, said. They are in no mood to hear bad news. And that’s what Tehelka offers."
Tehelka is bad news.
Tags: Commentary, Indian Politics, Media Watch, Society & Culture
The IHT report is craswling with innuendo and half-truth. It is true that George Fernandes the raksha mantri resigned, but not because of any suspected involvement in bribery, simply because his companion was seen taking some cash. And that was the 2nd time the “progressive opposition” (a vaguely defined cabal) tried to smear him. The 1st time was the coffin “scam”, when it was alleged that the Ministry of Defence had imported coffins from the US at great cost. The stupid media did not care to find out what a casket costs in the US, or what it even looks like. Unlike the plain and austere caskets we are used to seeing in India, the US variety is an alaborate affair made of walnut, rosewood or cherry with brass handles, and lined inside sometimes even with silk. Tehelka tries to go way beyond Outlook, which is founded on the assumption that there is a large subscribing population of cynics in India. Vinod Mehta was simply trying to produce a counterpoint to “India Today”, rather than producing a pale imitation of it. And he has been successful. Tarun Tejpal is no different. Only these days the smear artists seems to be moving out of the Outlook intothe Tehelka stable. Habitual liars like S.Anand and Shivam Vij now write for Tehelka.
Tehelka does not have the guts to do stories on muslims stoning Hindu processions, leaving beef in small Hindu roadside shrines, peeing on Hindu dieties found on tiles lining some property, SIMI and LeT finding safe havens in Kerala etc. All acts of pure spite and hatred for hindus go un-reported and un-Tehelka’ed.
But all sorts of stories about Modi are Tehelka’ed in the fervent hope that something resembling dirt will emerge. The pattern is clear: if there is a psec audience waiting out there, do anything that gets you revenue. Tehelka first, ask questions later. If muslims do anything wrong, leave them alone.
High time this spineless tabloid gets thrown into the dustbin by the public.
Where did this loony story appear? The guy who considers Tehelka an “anti-establishment publication” deserves nothing less than a CNN-IBN Indian of the Year award! Or a Padmasri at any rate!!
Its a good development, isn’t it? Now we need not bring out processions, or ask for bans. Just boycott them plain and simple. Money speaks louder than anything else, and the economic hardships Tehelka is facing will be enough to cause them to shut shop soon, unless somone in the Gulf takes notice of their plight, and compensates Tarun Tejpal and his ilk for all the trouble they have been taking on behalf of their Muslim and PS brethren.
unless somone in the Gulf takes notice of their plight, and compensates Tarun Tejpal and his ilk
True - All underworld money will flow into these ventures. Wonder how all this fits into the moral worlds of Dilip Dsouza and Shivam Vij. I think it seems ok for these folks. Apparently the fact that Tehelka used hookers and other underhand deals does not deter these guys from contributing or writing for this rag.