The nation’s in-your-face conscience keeper, the ubiquitous mass media, both print and electronic, seem to have been hit by a sudden attack of paralysis when it comes to discussing some senior journalists’ extremely cozy relationship with lobbyists and influence peddlers. The media persons, who go overboard describing every minute detail of scandals involving politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, sports administrators, players and what have you, have lost their voice completely now that some of their own tribe have been caught on tape promising to act as messengers for a lobbyist for some of the country’s top corporates, even deliberating on the choice of ministers for the Union cabinet.
It is understandable that the media houses implicating conversations of whose journalists have been taped by some investigative agencies will remain silent about the entire affair but how about the others? They have also got the ‘silence’ contagion, is it because their journalists are also in the same boat, only their tapes have not yet been made public? Or is it that they want to present a united front to safeguard what is left of the honour of their ‘noble’ profession? Whatever be their reasons, this conspiracy of silence is totally condemnable. The media persons, celebrities or otherwise, owe an explanation to the public, their readers and viewers who keep them gainfully employed by buying newspapers or paying to watch television news or by simply paying for the goods advertised in their newspapers or over their channels.
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