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Usha Chowdhary: Sting Operations And Blackmailing Media

Tehelka, the name that sounded like a nuclear explosion all these years has finally ended up like a wet Diwali bomb. 

With Tarun Tejpal- Shoma Chaudhary case, many say that the pride of media has come down. But where is the pride? How media is supposed to function and how it is functioning? I’m writing this only to unleash my observations.

The freedom expression has sown seeds for countless media channels. Some were grown as plants, some as trees, but some have fallen down due to bad financial weather, whereas some grown as bigger as banyans. The adage says, nothing grows under the shadow of a Banyan tree. 

My auditor friends say that any media channel or news paper is bound to run in losses due to over head costs or in worst case scenario, a break even may be possible. But minting crores, buying acres of lands, gifting the staff with affluent three bed room flats and cars, getting into share market and playing big financial games, making politicians (either ruling or opposition) puppets, making industrialists and realtors their yes-men is indisputably impossible without blackmailing or intimidating.

As long as government keeps media on its head, media rules it and its people with own whims and fancies.  

But how can government officials dare to keep them in the place they should be? 

Every elected representative focuses on recovering his investment during elections through settlements and corruption. In the process, they are making media personnel as partners in the crime. 

We are in a society where government and media are collectively looting the system. Hence many get into media assuming it to be lucrative. But only the criminal minds can excel in this process and the rest of media channels find it hard to break even with the ads they get and the salaries they cut down. 

When probed in, only a few channels in India are flourishing despite running 16-20 channels with huge staff and system just by the support of corrupt rulers and fearful businessmen. Some realtors those may fear that media may put their image down by rolling some defaming stories tend to bribe with huge sum.

On a whole when only power is ultimate in society, the righteousness goes to dogs with wrong people sitting in right chairs. But the plight of every media head who believes in sting operations will fall prey for that one day and Tejapal’s issue will just be an example.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this blog are the personal opinions of the author. GreatAndhra is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog.  All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing on the blog  do not reflect the views of GreatAndhra and GreatAndhra does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. 

(Usha Chowdhary can be reached at [email protected])

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