Thank god I am no longer a journalist!

Not too long ago, in reaction to the then ongoing CWG mess, I had written how media was getting increasingly biased in its picks for corruption. It had an obsession with politicians, pulling their pants off at the drop of a hat, I had said. The fact was, my arguments went on, there were corruption in all walks of life and it is rare we see media picking these stories. The fact was media blatantly ignored corruption of other forms, by other breed of people.

I am happy a couple of magazines have proved me wrong. In a remarkably bold move Outlook and Open have given us insights into how some of the top journalists, bureaucrats and industrialists are conniving to settle political and corporate deals, in what is clearly a brazen case of corruption.

Everybody is writing and talking about it and I had refrained from commenting on it so far, until a friend prompted, I should. In either case it does make no difference except giving us the satisfaction of venting our anguish out.

While the act of two or three or four journalists may be a glaring manifestation of a creeping malaise that has afflicted the glamour-laden profession of journalism today, it may be worthwhile pondering over what may have caused this.

Globalization, competitive politics and glorification by society of political access as the altar of power are the three most compelling reasons for the new forms of corruption, and even their expose.

Globalization has brought with itself an amazingly high inflow of money into the media industry. Companies need visibility to connect with stakeholders and one of the best ways is advertising – ad spend by corporate sector has grown manifold in last 15 years, look at a Ficci or Ibef report and you would know. This has led to clamour for money – newspapers and TV channels need that desperately to run the show. Greed for profits too have grown manifold. One way this could be had if you wielded enough political clout or compromised – you would have seen how a competition of a news channel which was after CWG had special shows glorifying the Games. Anchors and editors by virtue of their proximity to political power have turned into major source of revenues for their channels and newspapers. You go to any length to achieve this and what we see is also linked to this aspect.

Competitive politics has meant there is a clamour among the political class to be visible – even if it means playing guitar in a music band under a Bacardi sponsored show! Resorting to wooing the influencer journalists is one way to achieve this, other than the age-old stunts like hugging a starving child sans emotions. Other than serving as a conduit for their magnification, most often undeservedly, journalists also turn into politicians’ glorified agents. What we see today is yet another manifestation of the same.

I, you and each one of us, are equally to be blamed for exalting politicians and politics to the level where they seem ahead of, even Gods. We glorify politicians to the extent of altering their DNA – giving them the maker of our destinies. So much so that even if you registered on Facebook as a Rahul Gandhi – and this is a truth – a barrage of followers start adoring you your page without bothering to verify if you are actually Rahul Gandhi! Check one such Rahul Gandhi on the Facebook and follow his followers and you would know.

I am a worried man today. For the corrosion in my past profession – journalism – has a huge implication for my present one – public relations. The current expose has given a bad name to the PR industry, which is itself an offshoot of globalization, and is beginning to get afflicted by the disease of money chasing.

It is a sad moment for many of us. We all suspected journalism, the fourth pillar of democracy, was cracking from within, causing immense strain on sanity. We prayed it was a misplaced suspicion. No longer.

Our worst fears have come true, unfortunately. And even if a minor manifestation, the present expose exposes our consciences to a barrage of disgust.

I take solace in one fact – I am no longer a journalist.