Orissa’s editor-MPs

BY Eliza Parija| IN Media Practice | 22/05/2009

Few eyebrows were raised when former Doordarshan journalist, Ashok Panda, was declared the Biju janata Dal (BJD) nominee from Orissa’s Bhubaneswar-Ekamra Assembly seat.

After all, combining media and politics is nothing new in Orissa. It was also not unusual that Panda had company in six other editors who contested both the Assembly and Parliamentary elections from Orissa. And Panda, who belongs to the Indian Information Service (IIS) took voluntary retirement from Doordarshan followed the well-practiced tradition. It is of course a different story that Panda, a new entrant in Orissa politics managed a convincing win -- thanks to the swing in favour of BJD supremo, Naveen Patnaik.

The elections this year in the State had in store mixed fortunes for editors, media barons and media persons in Orissa, which has always had a close relationship with politics. Two of the editors, Bhratruhari Mahatab (editor of Oriya daily newspaper Prajatantra) and Tathagat Satpathy (editor of Oriya daily newspaper Dharitri), sitting MPs from the BJD, won the Parliamentary elections from Cuttack and Dhenkanal constituencies respectively. Both were seeking re-election from their respective seats.

On the other hand, Somuya Ranjan Pattnaik (editor of Oriya daily newspaper Sambad) and Ranjib Biswal (managing editor of Oriya daily Samaya), Congress candidates from Khandapada Assembly constituency and Kendrapara Parliamentary constituency respectively were defeated at the hustings. 

Interestingly, Dharitri, Sambad, Samaya and Prajatantra — four prominent newspapers of Orissa headed by politicians — are among the leading Oriya dailies in the State. Professional rivalry, especially between Sambad and Dharitri, two of the most popular Oriya newspapers, is well known. And the newspapers were used nothing short of a poll plank. During the election campaigning period, both the newspapers sported screaming headlines accusing rival parties. While the Dharitri mostly accused and challenged the Congress Party, Sambad covered each and every move of its editor-cum-political aspirant. Soon after the election results were announced, Dharitri predictably devoted sizeable space to its editor’s victory and his Party’s clean sweep. Conversely, Sambad considerably downplayed its editor’s defeat and that of his Party in the State. 

Incidentally, all prominent editors-cum-politicians are continuing their political legacy. While editor and publisher, Tathagat Satpathy is the son of former Congress Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy, Mahatab is the son of former chief minister Harekrushna Mahatab.  While Soumya Ranjan Pattnaik is the former Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik’s son-in-law, Ranjib Biswal is the son of the late Basant Biswal, a former Congress deputy chief minister.

The fight was not limited to print media alone and pervaded the electronic media too. BJD’s candidate Baijayant Panda, who is the owner of the Oriya news channel OTV, won from the Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency. Not surprisingly, the coverage of his news channel was largely in favour of the BJD.  The Channel devoted most of its prime time covering BJD chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his close ally, the suave Baijayant Panda.

The fate of other editor-turned politicians has been mixed. Debutant Kailash Mishra (editor of Amari Katha) and president of the newly constituted state unit of the Samajwadi Party was defeated from the Kamakhyanagar Assembly seat. Similarly, Pabitra Mohan Samantray, editor of Parjyabekhyak, who contested from the Badachana Assembly seat as a BJP candidate also lost.

Several other former, practicing and freelance journalists have also been known to have approached various political parties for tickets. Sanghamitra Pradhan, a journalist with Hindusthan Samachar who had contested from the Angul Assembly seat on a ticket from regional party Samruddha Odisha however, lost.

Orissa has always had a history of media persons joining politics and vice versa. Whereas three-time Congress chief minister J B Patnaik was the editor of Oriya daily Prajatantra, the late Pradyumna Bal who was the editor of the Oriya daily Pragativadi, was an MP. Kharabela Swain, BJP MP from Balasore, started Bishesh Khabar, a weekly in the 1990s before he switched to politics. Even if the weekly closed down, Swain continued his tryst with politics. It’s not known if he would again go back to his journalistic roots after having lost the elections this year.

While some editors have performed well in their political avatars, others have not been so lucky. Soumya Ranjan Pattnaik, editor of largest selling daily Sambad for example, became a Lok Sabha MP from Bhubaneswar in 1996 after which he has not won a single election. But the man who is credited for changing the face of journalism in Orissa for the better still believes that he has a calling in politics.

Unlike other states where newspapers are owned and controlled by industrialists and media houses, the trend has largely been different in Orissa.  Many also feel the newspapers and magazine are used as passports to political identity. 

Although Orissa readers on their part are reasonably aware of the editors and media owners’ political leanings, there has not been any noticeable disapproval of the same. By now, readers and the people in general have more or less accepted the dual role of editors and politicians. But in this bargain what definitely suffers is impartial, balanced and fair journalism in Orissa.