Eenadu - is it suffering from midlife crisis? Looking at the news reporting, anti government stand, analysis, focus this question keep hitting me always.
Let's look at one of the key events in Andhra Pradesh, starting with pertol and Gas price rise. On 6th June, Eenadu paper came out with two headline articles on pertrol rise. Both the articles theme was, YS Rajasekhar Reddy having gubulu and worried about the women blacklast, and votes in the coming elections. Having worried about the political impact YSR personally took a decision to subsidise gas cost increases 100%. Why Eenadu cannot say "it is bold and honest decision" (Did any state state in India took a similar decision? Delhi took 80%)
Then the paper picks up two states - Kerala and Bengal where the Government quickly reduced the state taxes to give a great relief ! This becomes now the theme of attack on Rajasekhar Reddy. Interlinking with Sonia Gandhi intruction to all state goverments to reduce the sales tax, Eenadu attacks YSR, and why Govt is NOT reducing the sales tax on petrol etc., We have close to 30 states in India and 90% of them did not announce any sales tax relief. Also to note is, high sales tax component in Andhra Pradesh is not YSR creation. But, again Eenadu theme is to imply as if the Government invented the sales tax.
Most of the poor people, badly impacted by the cost increases do not have a 4X4, Honda, Skoda or Toyota. They go by walk or bicycles. They do not eat in fancy joints. For them the real and direct impact is cost of a Gas cylender. By removing the direct impact, the AP Government took genuine pro-poor decision. The other raises in fuel will have only indirect impact but nobody can help in the prevailing situation when a barrel hits $140 (and keeping going north)
Today, across the world we cannot find a single popular govenment in the context of fuel and food criris. But there is some social responsibilty for a newspaper to bring up balanced view. But, of late a highly rated paper like Eenadu - started talking like political parties.
Coming back to Eenadu, this is not the first instance - in recent Telangana elections, it predicted doom and gloom for Rajasekhar Reddy all along. When Congress won (beating Eenadu's own expectation), the reporting was vague and confusing to acknowledge the victory.
Eenadu inspired many generations of Telegu people with it's journalism. It waged many genuine battles and always stood on people side. But since arrival of Chandra Babu Naidu Govenement, it slowly loosing it's touch (It is a fact that Eenadu was responsible for CBN loss in last elections). As hardcore fan of Eenadu - I hope Eenadu would become a good news paper as it was - not a base for larger political agenda.
If not, I will be convinced that Eenadu is suffering from genuine midlife crisis.
7th June 2008
--------------
2 comments:
Its well written article ithout losing any objectivity..What i feel is , generally media is anti congress if not anti congress.It was allways less harsh and more accomodative on non congressparty ruling..Of course eenadu crossed the line much more arrogantly and iin the process degraded journalism values more than any other single paper could do..its a sad commentary on journalism in the country...
But we also have to see congress fighting back with its own brand of news paper or media tools.Its hitting the oppsition with the same stick with which it received blows
we are missing likes of jawahar lal Nehru very badly
Sashi, thanks for your feeback. Sad part of the story is Eenadu is loosing it's credibility. In the end, is it not the case that we have a vaccuum of a credible newspaper in the state than a new political party?
-- unknown Indian
Post a Comment