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F Frog Books publishes The Rape of News Mumbai, 22 May 2003: Frog Books has published its second book, The Rape of News, compiled and edited by Sunil K Poolani, a Mumbai-based journalist. The theme of the book is: ‘Should papers sell editorial space?’ The book is the outcome of The Times of India’s announcement that it is marketing its editorial space in that paper and other publications the group publishes. As a result, corporates and individuals can pay money and feature in news columns or other editorial space. Is this ethical, the book asks. “Will — or should — other newspapers follow suit? Is this the end of the end of the ‘news is sacred’ concept?” Those who have featured (29 writers) in the book comprise media critic Sevanti Ninan, veteran journalist P K Ravindranath, Mid-Day chief editor Aakar Patel, Newsweek senior editor Vibhuti Patel and columnist V Gangadhar. Writing in the foreword of the book, Poolani says: “…as a journalist who has spent a decade and a half in the profession, I feel angry, dejected, disappointed, disillusioned, humiliated and raped to hear this news. Nothing more. Nothing less.” Wrote Vibhuti Patel: “I strongly believe that editorial and advertising should be separate and independent of each other and am deeply saddened that a venerable old newspaper like The Times of India should stoop to such crass commercialism.” Added Aakar Patel: “In the long term, this sale of news space is severely damaging to the credibility of news reporting and its delivery, and I do not think too many papers will wish to follow suit.” While Ravindranath said: “I have spent 21 long years of my life (1955-76) in the leader's flagship, The Times of India. Never during that long time had matters been so disgraceful as is being reported now.” R Jagannathan, senior associate editor, Business Standard wrote: “If advertisers push promotional material in the garb of news, the reader has no way of knowing which is which, and soon he may start distrusting news of all kinds.” And well-known media critic said: “Pushing advertising is deadly serious business. Maintaining editorial primacy is increasingly a losing proposition.” The Rape of News, since its soft-launch two weeks back, is getting overwhelming response from people from all walks of life. “In just three weeks the publishers sold 750 copies; this is proof that people do care for what they read,” sums up Poolani. For copies contact: spoolani@hotmail.com |
RAHA/30/May/2003
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