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by Krishantha Prasad Cooray
(May 04, Colombo,Sri Lana Guardian) Is the media a blessing or a curse? The question sounds very much like an O/L essay topic. It is certainly something that has been discussed over and over again, not just in school essays or inter-school debating competitions but in more mature and serious forums as well. Its abiding topicality, I offer, stems from the fact that the public by and large wish that it was a blessing instead of the curse they perceive it to be. We write even though we cover well trodden ground not because there is any pleasure in beating a dead horse but because the media is a critical element in all matters pertaining to the nation and a positive and strong media culture is a tremendous strength, just as a weak and servile media can precipitate disaster.
We have come to a point where believability is at a very low ebb, both in state and private newspapers; where readers frequently ask "Is that really true?" or dismiss claims made in newspapers with "paththara vala thiyena deval vishvasa karanna ba" (one cannot really trust what’s in the papers). The same holds for radio and television, but the print media even now is where people go to obtain comment and deeper analysis of the news and is different from the other media in that one can return to a newspaper for reference.
Corrupt journalists
I must hasten to point out that the problem is not one of the industry being flooded with incompetent and corrupt journalists. The issue is far more complex, or else would have been easily dealt with a long time ago.
Journalists operate in a field that has other key and extremely powerful forces at play, many of which they have little or no control over. The political affiliation and business interests of the owners, direct and indirect threats from persons or parties that stand to lose by exposure of wrongdoing and salaries that are comparatively low which makes journalists relatively easy to purchase for whatever purpose Add to this the fact that in a society that is less than perfect it is unfair to demand perfection from one particular sector. These are all contributive factors to the media culture we enjoy or rather are saddled with.
For this reason good journalism alone will not produce a media culture that can indeed play a positive role in national affairs. There has to be improvement from all quarters for us to get close to what could be called a decent media.
This does not mean however that journalists need to twiddle their thumbs while the rest of the social order gets its act together. There is work to do until there is no more work to be done, it goes without saying, and it is unlikely that there will be a situation where we can say collectively or as individuals that our work is done.
A senior journalist is reported to have said that if one went by lyrics and newspapers, singers and journalists are extraordinary human beings. He observed that the truth is to the contrary and claimed that newspapers are full of sycophants and hypocrites. Of course there are exceptions. Even in Sri Lanka we have had journalists who frequently put their lives on line and who even paid with their lives in the course of being true to their profession. We have had exceptional individuals who were faithful to the adage "facts are sacred, comment is free", editors who did not allow ideological preference to dictate overall editorial policy but gave adequate space to views from across the political spectrum; and those who diligently obtained "all sides of the story" before filing a report or writing commentary.
On the other hand, if one were to carefully follow the stories of a random reporter, one is more likely than not to discover that the particular individual is plugging a specific line or promoting an individual, a company, an organization or a point of view to the point of suspicion.
Truth suffers
What suffers in all this is the truth. What we tend to forget in our rush to extract momentary advantage for our pet concerns is that the truth that is pressed to the earth will rise again. No lie can live forever. While a case can be made in extreme situations for restraint, especially with regard to revealing military strategies against a real and identified security threat for example, in most cases delaying exposure acts against the public interest. It is imperative that the people get to know the truth as soon as possible.
When this is not done, people come to their own conclusions based on which decisions are made that can have and indeed have dangerous consequences. Although politicians may prefer the general public to remain ignorant, it has to be understood that an informed public is not a liability but a strength. An ill-informed public, conversely, will most certainly constitute an obstacle to progress in the long run.
In an ideal situation, the facts would be stated as properly and clearly as possible, with the particular newspaper and its staff reserving the right to interpret these as they see fit. In an ideal world, the facts should not be tampered with or given a slant that is coloured by political or other loyalties. In an ideal world the placement of stories and the coverage given to event and personality would be decided on the premise of newsworthiness. In an ideal world sensationalism would take a back seat. Suffice to say that we do not live in an ideal world. We can, on the other hand, strive towards the ideal, even given the constraints enumerated above.
Worst paid
You cannot improve the quality of the media without taking the necessary steps to improve the quality of life of the journalists. They cannot be put in a position where they are required to offer themselves up for purchase. This is necessary for them to do any kind of service to the public. Journalists are among the worst paid and this is well-known. This is why some of them end up as "plants" of political parties or stooges of various corporate interests. Decent wages is one way of protecting the weak-minded from succumbing so easily to offers of "compensation" from other quarters. While this may eat into corporate profits in the short term, in the long run it will go a long way in raising the standards of the particular newspaper. This, naturally, will result in expanding the readership base and attract more advertising.
Then there is the issue of content. What sells, we know, is that which is flavoured with the despicable, what is called kunu rasaya in Sinhala. That is a reflection of where we stand as a society and not necessarily the fault of journalist per se. On the other hand, there is a back and forth between demand and supply and journalists ought to be proactive in raising overall awareness to the point where something more refined is appreciated by the readership instead of being content in catering to the lowest common denominator. In other words, while there is no harm in bringing to light corruption and exposing the corrupt, the propensity for witch-hunting should be curbed. Political and other loyalties should be set aside in both appreciation and condemnation and this is what marks a good journalist or a newspaper.
We are far away from that point where we can say that our newspapers and our journalists in fact play an impeccable role in national affairs, a role deserving of the epithet the Fourth Estate. Even if our media at times attempts to define the priorities of the nation, such interventions are for the most part lost in a sea of invective, poor reporting and scandalously slanted portrayal of events and processes.
How can all this be turned around, one may legitimately ask. The quick answer is professionalism all around. While journalism is officially a profession, professionalism seems to be lacking in most who carry the tag "journalist". This is a reflection of inadequate training, poor remuneration and the manifest absence of interference on the part of the management of newspaper establishments. Of course owners have their interests and it would be silly not to expect them to insist that their interests are not targeted. On the other hand, is it not true that journalists often exercise a degree of self-censorship on account of loyalty to person, institution, political position etc. that goes beyond the set of holy cows that the management wants us to leave alone?
The government has a role to play too. Too often it plays a negative role, convinced that fostering a culture where criticism is appreciated will be akin to opening a can of worms. A responsible government should open itself to review for this alone will elicit constructive suggestions. The government has the power to inhibit good journalism by imposing censorship either through a "competent authority" or instituting regulatory mechanism that inhibit the industry such as raising taxes on newsprint for example.
If on the other hand, the government acts to facilitate a proliferation of newspapers then companies can pass on the benefits to journalists, making journalism a more rewarding career (in a material sense) than it already is.
I believe that if journalists are accorded dignity and respectability, through training and remuneration, then they would perform better. This alone would not be enough, of course. We can’t just blame the journalists and stop there. We often forget that as consumers, we have a role to play too. We can, as readers, as advertisers and in one way or another newsmakers, take a stand and this is part and parcel of the effort to raise the bar.
This is the information age. Access to accurate information is no longer a privilege. It has to be considered a fundamental right given the fact that information or the lack thereof can have a profound impact on the quality of our lives. Non-provision of information or the provision of misinformation should not be tolerated and all measures to ensure that justice is done to the public interest in these matters should be put in place. All stake-holders including the general public should do their bit in ensuring that the media is able to play and plays the critical role it can play in public affairs. All of us, therefore, have our work cut out for us, if we consider ourselves citizens who wish to contribute to nation building or even individuals pursuing self-interest and nothing else.
A perfect media culture will not fall from the sky or be granted by some generous politician, enlightened newspaper owner or conscientious editor. It is a product that can only be obtained if all of us without exception play our respective roles to perfection. If we continue to twiddle our thumbs and do nothing, rest assured, we will have to pay for it, sooner or later, one way or another.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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