Q&A: 'Media - Most Exclusionist Institution in India'

NEW DELHI, Sep 3 (IPS) - Palagummi Sainath, winner of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay award in the category for journalism, literature, creative communication and arts, believes that while India has a free press there is a growing disconnect between mass media and mass reality, arising from monopolistic trends.

In an interview with IPS correspondent Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Sainath who is widely respected for his reportage on rural issues, says that the ‘dumbing down’ process is actually pure business strategy on the part of media moguls. Here are excerpts of the interview:

IPS: How have you seen journalism evolve in India over the last 30 years or so?

Palagummi Sainath: The last 20 or 30 years have been really a process of growing concentration of media ownership. Normally, we look back at how media has been changing in technological terms, its spread and reach. But what you are also seeing is the rising clout of a very few owners that really diminishes diversity and marginalises the smaller voices in the media. The game has become far more expensive. So, the richness or diversity is dying even though the numbers are proliferating. The statistics show all sorts of growth.

IPS: What can be done to uphold journalistic traditions in India, traditions that say a journalist plays an adversarial role to those in positions of power and authority? Hopefully, not all journalists in India will dumb down their audiences and there will be some good guys.

I would be a little nastier than this. I would say that the media are the most exclusionist institution in this country. In the worst government, you have the representation of 'dalits' (so-called untouchables), 'adivasis' (tribals) in very important positions. Show me one 'dalit', one 'adivasi' in the mainstream leadership of the media who counts for something. That is why it shows in our content. There is an absolutely hysterical, abusive attitude towards reservation issues and quota battles. It is as elitist as you can get and it is getting worse.

For the complete text, visit http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39121.