The Times of India has set new `standards` in journalism by offering to sell its editorial space to advertisers. Doesn’t this amount to a newspaper selling itself?
There has never been a more spirited and virulent debate in Indian journalism about press ethics - whatever remains of it - since the advent of page three journalism. And just like page three became de rigueur in leading journals, sale of editorial space will also eventually come to be accepted as yet another `milestone` in Indian journalism.
The Times stunned idealists and upset many media persons when it decided to make available its columns to advertisers through Medianet, its online company that enables all public relations agencies and individuals to post publicity material on the site after payment. The TOI maintains that this offer, valid only for the supplements, is only for `lifestyle` and `commercial` products, and that its staffers have the independence to choose what to publish and what not to. Publication in the paper is not guaranteed, unlike on the website. That is their bulwark against the abuse of editorial space.
This is not the first time editorial content is being influenced by advertisers. Indian journalism still continues to be the monopoly of a few influential families who have long usurped the power of an independent editor, an endangered species these days in Indian journalism. The Times of India doesn`t even have an overall editor today, but an executive editor, and departmental editors. Its editorial freedom had long been taken over by the management. The newspaper has regularly used its columns to promote its own brands such as Femina, Times Music and Indiatimes. So it will now blatantly brandish its new found freedom without any guilt. It has simply made the unofficial official. Ironically enough, this is the same newspaper that led the opposition to any FDI in the print media in the name of protecting `freedom and editorial integrity`. Whatever that means today.
Will this phenomenon one day creep into the edit page, a paper`s sanctum sanctorum? Will press releases start featuring in the op-ed section one day? Will CEOs start penning op-eds or maybe even the edits? Ethics, it seems, is getting marginalised with every passing generation.
Newspapers must realise that their readers are not morons. They will reject spurious editorial products.
Debarshi Dasgupta