| News gathering is fast becoming a treacherous operation.
Last week, we published the story of a looming conflict between the judiciary and
Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was published after elaborate verification. We are happy our facts
haven't been called into question. At the same time, questions have been raised about the
ethics of publishing confidential notings. It's a touchy issue. On issues like national
security and matters that could inflame communal passions, there is merit in abiding by
secrecy norms. However, on this subject, as with the Jain Commission report we published
in 1997, the public interest is better served by letting the facts speak for themselves.
When the head of state indicates that the selection of judges is flawed, it is a very
serious matter. We are glad that our story has generated a lively debate which can only
improve the quality of democracy. Of course,
information always has its partisan uses. That is a price investigative journalism has to
pay. Our concern is to highlight what we believe is news. We didn't exactly foresee that
the Jain Commission controversy would snowball into the fall of a government. In
publishing the President's notings our focus was the simmering conflict between two arms
of the state. It's a theme we first explored when former President Zail Singh came into
conflict with Rajiv Gandhi. We followed it up when former President R. Venkataraman too
encountered problems. Today's controversy is an unavoidable but unintended consequence of
India Today doing its primary job -- informing readers. We are disseminators of news not
political players.
That's why it's heartening that political players have
yielded way to cricket players by allowing the series with Pakistan to proceed without
fear of vandalism. The relief throughout the subcontinent is palpable. It's going to be a
gripping series between the two traditional rivals. In two cricket-crazy countries, life
in the next two months is certain to revolve around the TV sets. That may not be too good
for our work culture, but it was a cover story we definitely didn't have to agonise over.
(Aroon Purie) |
