Indian Express chief editor Raj Kamal Jha's journalism class to PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi got lessons in journalistic ethics and values at a function in Delhi.

The event was organised to give away the Ramnath Goenka awards for excellence in journalism.

After PM Modi's speech, Jha spoke at length about journalistic practices.

While audiences applauded Jha over his speech, PM Modi was cold and expressionless.

Jha recounted an incident--when a Chief Minister praised an Indian Express reporter's work, Goenka fired the journalist.

"Criticism from the government is a badge of honour for a journalist", he said.

Jha, in his vote of thanks said, "You (PM) also said a few wonderful things about journalists that makes us a little nervous....we have a generation of journalists who are growing up in an age of retweets and likes.."

The speech was applauded among journalists as Jha spoke with conviction. Just when NDTV has been banned for a day, Kashmir Reader has been shut down and journalists who question government are being branded 'anti-national', Jha's journalism class was needed.

Good work, Mr Jha.

Unethical journalism: Praveen Swami's reports now sully Indian Express' image of fair journalistic practices

A sensational story about an 'Islamic state cell in MP' has brought back focus on Praveen Swami style of journalism--sensationalist, unconfirmed and questionable as it has nothing to do with real journalism and ethical journalistic practices.


The report "First Islamic state module busted, 5 held in MP', made claims but there was nothing to substantiate it. There were sweeping statements and wild sensational statements., based on 'highy placed police and intelligence sources'. 

Interesting, no police officer corroborated this version though police are generally eager to hold press conferences and claim success in such cases of busting 'terror cell or module'. The story had a joint byline Praveen Swami and Milind Ghatwai.

But there was no attempt to talk to MP police top brass or its ATS wing. Still, the newspaper then went ahead with the follow-up.

Local papers clearly mentioned that there was no confirmation that the arrested person had terror links but Express went miles ahead to issue judgment that it was a terror module.

Swami has been a controversial journalist and questions were raised on his journalistic practices when he used to work for the respectable The Hindu.

However, after questions were raised over how youth acquitted by courts, had been declared 'criminals' and terrorists, much before trial in similar sounding reports, his name got into disrepute.

Why he does it? Why the reporters on national security beat do it?

Apparently, the idea is to keep 'inventing enemies', keep focus on 'IM, IS' inks, demonise people, highlight minor criminals and term them as terrorists, and 'plant stories' with a purpose. 

Now, he is in Indian Express, and again the dubious practices have begun. Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association (JTSA) responded to the 'Praveen Swami fictions'.

The response was published in letters to editor column of the same newspaper. Later, it was carried on JTSA and other places too.

So you can write anything you want based in your home, without even the need to verify, cross-check, without the version of cops or the complainants or even the accused!

WHAT CARAVAN WROTE ABOUT THE COMPROMISED NATIONAL SECURITY BEAT

The Caravan had this to say about Praveen Swami's reporting:

Swami’s critics find this intimacy seeping out in his writing. His reporting relies heavily on generic unnamed sources—“investigators believe”, “sources said”, “according to police”—and there’s a belligerence and one-size-fits-all Islamophobia to his analyses that seems of a piece with the security establishment’s dominant worldview. In Delhi’s media circles, there are several widely circulated rumours about Swami’s relationship to the IB. One claims that the agency did him a great favour early in his career, and that he remains indebted to it. Another says the IB has a dossier with which it is blackmailing him. - See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/known-unknowns?page=0,2#sthash.LOQNEcXq.dpuf

Swami’s critics find this intimacy seeping out in his writing. His reporting relies heavily on generic unnamed sources—“investigators believe”, “sources said”, “according to police”—and there’s a belligerence and one-size-fits-all Islamophobia to his analyses that seems of a piece with the security establishment’s dominant worldview. In Delhi’s media circles, there are several widely circulated rumours about Swami’s relationship to the IB. One claims that the agency did him a great favour early in his career, and that he remains indebted to it. Another says the IB has a dossier with which it is blackmailing him.

Swami’s critics find this intimacy seeping out in his writing. His reporting relies heavily on generic unnamed sources—“investigators believe”, “sources said”, “according to police”—and there’s a belligerence and one-size-fits-all Islamophobia to his analyses that seems of a piece with the security establishment’s dominant worldview. In Delhi’s media circles, there are several widely circulated rumours about Swami’s relationship to the IB. One claims that the agency did him a great favour early in his career, and that he remains indebted to it. Another says the IB has a dossier with which it is blackmailing him. - See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/known-unknowns?page=0,2#sthash.LOQNEcXq.dpuf

Swami’s critics find this intimacy seeping out in his writing. His reporting relies heavily on generic unnamed sources—“investigators believe”, “sources said”, “according to police”—and there’s a belligerence and one-size-fits-all Islamophobia to his analyses that seems of a piece with the security establishment’s dominant worldview. In Delhi’s media circles, there are several widely circulated rumours about Swami’s relationship to the IB. One claims that the agency did him a great favour early in his career, and that he remains indebted to it. Another says the IB has a dossier with which it is blackmailing him. - See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/reportage/known-unknowns?page=0,2#sthash.LOQNEcXq.dpuf

Read the recent Praveen Swami report
Read JTSA rebuttal to Indian Express report
Read Caravan's report on Praveen Swami's journalism in CARAVAN

Indian Express report terms stateless Rohingyas as 'infiltrators'

Poor, persecuted, forced to flee, seen as INFILTRATORS

It is perhaps criminal to be poor. Even Indian Express is now resorting to similar journalistic practices.

In a recent report about Rohingyas, the newspaper termed their arrival as 'infiltration'. The tone is always different when it comes to similar group of persecuted people coming to India from other countries.

Either its Pakistan or Afghanistan, there is suddenly a humanitarian angle visible in the newspaper reports.

There is focus on their plight, need for support and how to help rehabilitate them. But when the most persecuted minority in the world, Rohingays, who were forced to flee from Myanmar, arrived here, they aren't seen as 'humans' or even 'asylum-seekers'.

They are straight termed as 'infiltrators' who can pose 'security risk'. Indian Express journalist Vijaita Singh in her report titled 'Rohingya Muslims infiltration on agenda' mentioned how the Rohingyas have been caught and are now put in jail in India.

Surely, we can expect our journalists to be similar in their approach towards all human beings, who have suffered persecution--rape, killings and genocide. Nepal remained a different kingdom for ages but its citizens are allowed a free entry.

Even persecuted citizens from Pakistan can come, but standards are different for Burma i.e. Myanmar, which was once part of India. Isn't this a totally biased approach? Persecuted people should be considered as human beings, not as 'infiltrators'.

From the headline to the report, lot of things are not one expects from a national daily. If mainstream English newspapers like Indian Express do it, then it is surely a cause of concern. 

Indian Express' disappointing 'idea exchange' with Chanda Kochhar

Indian Express dedicated half-page to ICICI bank MD-cum-CEO Chanda Kochhar but the brilliant brains of the paper failed to come up with a single hard-hitting question, instead it turned out to be a PR exercise--almost a textbook case of how journalists can get overawed by personalities and do injustice with their own profession.

They went ga ga over Kochhar being a woman and heading the bank but forgot that just two days back a woman became a widow because of the harassment of the bank's recovery agents.

The man committed suicide because of the ICICI bank's recovery agents. Isn't that woman's tragedy an issue that needs to be addressed? Shouldn't Kochhar be asked what the bank intends to do for that poor and illiterate woman who now has to raise up three children?

Chanda Kochhar is definitely a role model. But what happened to Indian Express journalists who simply wasted huge print space in their 'Idea Exchange' published in the Sunday edition.

Read this ridiculous exercise of Indian Express. It's frustrating how you forget common man's problems and fall on feet of the so-called high and mighty. The bank repeatedly gets chided for its malpractices but there was no query on this issue either.

Going ga ga over Nandan Nilekani

Avid newspaper readers might have noticed the unusual hype that is being created in most Delhi-based English papers ever since Nandan Nilekani has assumed charge of the Unique Identification Authority, a union government's project.

Not a day passes without Nilekani's photograph or stories about his style of working. It was understandable in the initial days but weeks after the decision came, Nilekani remains in the spotlight.

Among the other newspapers, Indian Express has clearly gone overboard. Day after day the reports tell the 'laymen' (readers) as if its a revolutionary change and Nilekani will do wonders. Photos of the techie in various moods keep getting published every other day.

It's true that he is an eminent software professional and was CEO of Infosys. But the project appears a fantasy. Anybody who is aware of ground realities knows that in a country where millions are homeless and tens of millions keep changing rented homes apart from nomads and destitute, it's a near impossible task to give unique identity numbers of every citizens.

Our bureaucratic setup makes it almost impossible for the poor and the lower middle class citizen to get his due rights and privileges. However, even if Nilekani is the best man to do such a colossal exercise, shouldn't we let him do work before we keep eulogising him for nothing?

Is it a PR exercise or the newspapers are simply making a fool of themselves by going to absurd lengths to promote and project him. I doubt that a person like him would want to have such publicity (for no reason), as it may also bring expectations that might be difficult to fulfil.

Journalists for the Elite: Indian Express' crisis & 'Is drug use not a crime for rich!'

Reading the Indian Express story 'Pune's morality police ranting over a rave', one wondered what the paper actually wanted to say.

The dilemma probably was that whether upwardly mobile, rich youth, many of whom were BPO employees [the greatest symbol of India shining] could be blamed for drug use.

The story (Or shall I call it editorial) on front page of Express, tries its best to blame the police for the raid and almost puts the Additional SP in the dock for 'daring to spoil the party'.

Soft on the rich, influential

Were they not having just some little fun! The whole story is written from the point that police wanted publicity and unnecessary brought bad image to Pune.

Isn't it in keeping with the line that when the 'sons or daughters of the famous and rich and well-connected' do an offence, it is just a 'minor slip'?

The fact is that all these youths were doing a crime, a heinous crime, an offence punishable. Poor youths are caught and face the law for minor delinquencies but when the BPO employees get caught, the magnitude of their crime is watered down and they are made to look like as victims.

Just like Fardeen Khan, whose father's infamous comment 'Boys do it' when his son was caught for the same offence. SP MP Abu Asim Azmi's son had also escaped the law when caught with drugs in Gulf. And Rahul Mahajan's case is recent example in the case.

Nobody says that they should get excessive punishment but they should not get any reprieve. These are educated youths and they must be made to submit to the law of the land. 

'Show me the man and I will show you the Rule', this must not be allowed to happen in this country. And if media becomes a tool in this, it is surely criminal.

Unfortunately, Express is not alone in this kind of journalism. Even channels that were quite excited initially later looked soft on these youngsters and sympathetic towards them in discussions. On Times Now, it was quite evident as the anchor didn't grill the lady who was fiercely backing the delinquent youths.

The Indian Express story can be read here.