Trouble with journalists is narrow aperture and high shutter speed

UN-EDITED FACEBOOK DEBATE ON JOURNALIST'S ROLE



Harcharan Bains›Velamur Narayanan Mon at 8:46am

The trouble with the journalist is that he is allowed a very narrow aperture on a petty transit point through a high shutter speed - and he likes to believe that he sees the whole landscape. There would be nothing wrong with this, except that the journalist wants us to share his tunnel vision and take it as a a revelation of the cosmic grandeur. A journalist is esssentially a microscopist with no concern or time for the total picture. Those who love to confuse a vignette with vision should join the profession. They will go far

Velamur Narayanan on Tuesday
Iam not sure what provoked such a diatribe on journalism. My own views are harsher than yours, both about myself and about journalism. Long ago I ceased to be a journalist. The trouble with me now is how to cope with facebook. My comp-illiteracy far exceeds ignorance of other subjects. My tunnel vision looks at light however distant. here I miss the light. Bless you

• I still believe that a journalist should be recognisable only through his invisibility from his work-- like that of a playwright from his play. You don't see Shakespeare or his opinions or philosophy anywhere in his plays. (More--below)
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×Rajiv Lochan on Tuesday
Harcharan Bains, how are you going to separate morality from the entire issue of objectivity. The one drives the other inevitably. If it is someone's professional duty to push falsehood as truth then surely it is a matter of morality .
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
I agree Rajiv ji that a part of the reason for lack of objectivity is or course the lack of morlaity. BUt the whole issue is larger. While it is not easy to be objectiive without being honest, it is possible to be honest and yet remain professionally subjective -- even incompetent . And the lack of objectivity of the dishnest is very often a matter of his choice. A dishonest professional can choose to be subjective even if he has the ability to be objective.
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Tue at 9:22am
What we attribute to Shakespeare is always actually attributable to one or the other of the characters in his plays .The great master is always absent from the scene. If that doesn't happen, you will have great playwrights, but no great plays. You will have great journalists, but no great journalism- and that is happening now. We have big names but no big deeds.
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Tue at 6:08am
The trouble with the journalist also is that he wants the luxury of talking as if he were the conscience of the race. He wants to grab the role that actually belongs to a saint, a poet, an artist or a philospher - and he wants to do so without having to undergo any of the rigours involved in saintlihood, poetry, art or philosophy.
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×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Shakespeare was never invisible. the very fact you are quoted just one name. Why did you not quote the names of the characters he constructed? - because they were all his creation. If we go into history of literature, it is said that despite being a contemporary and having authored brilliance, Ben Jonson was not as celebrated because he did not have "William Shakespeare" as a name. I am sure that your have reminded you of your preparations for the MA English
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
How sad that it should require an encounter -- pleasant or unpleasant -- for one to speak one's mind. No, my relations with friends in the media are quite cordial, and all of them have always been kind to me. But they ahve their views about governments -- ost of which I share-- and I ahve my views on their profession -- most of which are not shared by most of them. But it is a nice friendly chat.
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Tue at 6:08am
A journalist would be a great professional if he perfects the art of his job first -- which is merely to report. For this, he has to remove his massive presence off the page. But it is a sad day for journalism when by-line out-weighs the "story."

To Satinder Bains
• My dearest son, media of course has a great responsibility -- and is performing it most creditably and honourably --in defending the country against all the possible internal and external dangers. At least the Indian media -- poor folks -- have to look after each and every little thing that the country needs and is not getting. Most importantly, they also keep us informed on who is to blame for all this mess. (Politicians, of course-- who else in this world otherwise full of saints!) And for all this, if I was Sukhbir Badal, I would hold a massive ALl Punjab Rally ( if Rahul, I would make it All India) to propose and pass a vote of thanks to the great profession that has been guarding our frontiers, looking after our economy, fine tuning our adminsitration, upgrading our educational system, running our canals, diagnosing what ails agriculture, stitching clothes for the Economically Weaker Sections, fighting for the underprevileged, fighting unemployment, fighting drug menace, fighting female foeticide, fighting swine flu, fighting Rathores of this world, fighting the farmers cause on power, fighting the PSEB's cause against the farmers --again on power --, fighting maladmnistration in sports, fighting all the weaknesses in tendulkar's game everytime he fails to score a hundred for the country, fighting corruption outside newspaper offices, fighting .... oh, my son why did I bring you in this world where you have a billion jobs to perform, ten billion fights to wage,. And what do you get for all this ! Media Advisors who have the cheek to advise you rather than the men they are employed to advise ! Any surprise then that two thirds of the folks around you would rather be media advisors than media ! I wholeheartedly sympathise with you. But Please remember you had picked up this prfession against my saner advice -- and you had picked it up not becasue of any selfish reasons like seeing your name in print or getting a kick out of being close to the pwoers that be or to earn a good social standing or salary. You had picked up this profession for the reasosn that Jesus had mounted the Cross. And I am glad you have almost outshone the original messiah in your selfless sacrifices for the casue of the pooer and the down trodden and the suffering in this society ! This country has alwayys demanded to know what you can do for it. It is time now to ask this country what it can do for you. And who will dare ask such an honest question than you from beihind the curtains of the Freedom you think is above national security.

And don't let my evil example lead you. Stay away from the corridors of power for that is where all the sins lie. Other than that, this world is a clean heaven to live in.

And talking about dog-bite-dog in your clan, I don't believe it becsue I have never read it in any newspaper nor seen it on any channel. Don't tell me that it true but you have not dared to write about it in the columns of your newspaper. And please don't tell me I should trust the Bible, the Gita, the Qura'an or Guru Granth Sahib more than I trust these Oracles of New Delphis ! I don't want to mount a Cross which even Jesus dared not challenge -- the cross manufactured by opinion makers!

Enjoy your stint away from active fight, and come back rejuvenated with more way of distorting the truth or telling just one side of it -- the side that suits your particular story on a given day! You are having a lean period becasue unlike otehrs more competent warriors in hyour force, you have still not mastered the fine art of telling a lie in a way that truth dies of shame !
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Wow Mr. Media Advisor. I am just overawed that unlike others in the corridors of power, your blinkers are off. You could list so many symptoms of what ails our system. I must grant you that despite such a realisation about the weaknesses ... U still found time to pinprick the journos

My dearest son, media of course has a great responsibility -- and is performing it most creditably and honourably --in defending the country against all the possible internal and external dangers. At least the Indian media -- poor folks -- have to look after each and every little thing that the country needs and is not getting. Most importantly, … Read More
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Wow Mr. Media Advisor. I am just overawed that unlike others in the corridors of power, your blinkers are off. You could list so many symptoms of what ails our system. I must grant you that despite such a realisation about the weaknesses ... U still found time to pinprick the journos.
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Harcharan Bains›Velamur Narayanan Tue at 5:59am
The trouble however is a journalist can not be happy with a work in which his moral arrogance has no place, or one in which he is not allowed the luxury of talking as if he were the conscience of the race. He wants to grab the role that actually belongs to a saint, a poet, an artist or a philospher - and he wants to do so without having to undergo any of the rigours involved in saintlihood, poetry, art or philosophy. A journalist would be a great professional if he perfects the art of his job first -- which is merely to report. For this, he has to remove his massive presence off the page. But it is a sad day for journalism when by-line out-weighs the "story."
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Harcharan Bains›Velamur Narayanan March 2 at 10:44pm
I would be proud of my achievements in life if I could become even a faint, distant resonance of your being and your style! Nothing I do will ever touch anywhere close to the sublime peaks you could appear on all of a sudden - almost at will. That to me remains the most beloved aspect and scale of human intelligence.
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Velamur Narayanan March 2 at 10:41pm
Deeply touched. If ever there was one person with whom I can discuss anything without his having to agree with me or me with him, it was you in Chandigarh. my father used tosay, the silliest thing to do is to try and convince anyone of your point of view.The other person would be doing the same thing to you.
Karl Popper says, any genuine search for truth starts with everyone starts a debate withthe confession:" I may be wrong and you may be right." Then there is space created for each to move towards the other and both towards the truth.
When one seeks endorsement, debate is endless or there is no debate. Good sense is a casualty and bad taste a certainty.
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Harcharan Bains›Diwan Manna March 2 at 10:26pm

And what a fall is there my countrymen! We cannot start any discussions these days, except by prefacing them with "I agree".No one seems to believe we we agree unless we loudly proclaim we do, and that too only if we say nothing else. I have often seen myself drawn into endless debates with people on issues over which I have had to repeatedly cry out: I AGREE. Agreed?

• I still believe that a journalist should be recognisable only through his invisibility from his work-- like that of a playwright from his play. You don't see Shakespeare or his opinions or philosophy anywhere in his plays. What we attribute to Shakespeare is always actually attributable to one or the other of the characters in his plays ... … Read More
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›Jagtar Singh Tue at 2:47am
That was not meant for you bhaji. But yes, total vision always defies reporting: it is more to do with understanding while reporting is and should be confined to "narration" of things without an opinionated sequencing imposed on it. A reporter's job is simply that of a photographer -- see a vignette and report it as honestly as the camera does, without pretending to "educate" the viewer or the reader. The trouble however is a journalist can not be happy with a work in which his moral arrogance has no place.
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Harcharan Bains Mon at 10:16am
Mumkin ho to sooli pe charhaana ya rab/ Ya naare jahannum main jalaana ya rab./ Maashooq kahei aap hamaare hain bazurag/ Na cheez ko wo din na dikhaana ya rab/ --Josh Maleehabadi
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Harcharan Bains Mon at 10:11am
Dil leke muft kehto ho kuchh kaam ka nahin/ Ulti Shikaayatein huin, ehsaan to gaya/ Daag
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×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday

Diatribe, sir? I must then come to you to refine my expression all over again. In any case, as you know, I always believed VNN was much bigger than the journalist in him could manage. And you kept breaking all bounds around you. No, you were always too good to be classified as a journalist. You are too good to be classified -- in … Read More

×Chitleen K Sethi on Tuesday
...I totally agree..
we all ought to maintain our own standards of work..
but i will not blame journalists alone..when newsmakers become totally shameless and the news pushers ready to stoop to any level to get the news in... we are all rolling in the same dirt.
not too many days ago sukhbir badal 's media advisor (whoever the gentlemen might be) send out pictures of sukhbir "returning" the stolen things that Patiala police had recovered to their owners. The pits was when there was a picture of sukhbir returning a kidnapped child to his parents!!! other than of course a gold set to a woman.. and the stolen car back to the owner. If journalists write shit..its mainly because it suits everyone to have them eating (and drinking) out of their hands..
As regards "invisibility" of certain professions is concerned....well i have lots to share. there are men on the fringes of public life who think it valid enough to send press notes complete with pictures (at least three poses) while they are lying in hospital beds recovering...or even worse when the chief minister or the deputy chief minister visits their humble abode on the death of a relative.
Why blame an underpaid journalist for a mere byline.. which over the years everyone stops noticing??? No??
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
We have moved into times of intellectuall honesty and brilliance when the most forceful and perhaps the only response to a perceived accusation is a counter-accusation. Thats a truly delightful art, and one that has been perfected over the years by the street-smart clan. And it is perfectly legitimate as it guarantees one the luxury of running away from the topic in hand. There is an even safer and more credible way to respond to any discomfort of conscience: call it a social phenomenon , if not a global one. Who is bothered about my sins if i can prove everybody else is a sinner too. The minor problem here is one of conscience which insists on judging me by what I do, and not by whether others also do the same -- or even worse. Great journalistic response. Sums up the very best in journalism these days.
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
And to think I was only talking about the skills of being a good journalist as a professional; I had not even begun to talk of the morality aspect yet. About the journalists being "underpaid", well, I agree that is a good justification for murder of fairplay and objectivity. And how sad we can not blame that on governments -- and how nice that we will never blame that on anyone else!
×Satinder Bains on Tuesday
I understand any media advisor in any government has the same job and same tactics to keep the morale of government high. This is what the media advisors are meant for. But i think media has greater responsibility than the media advisors. We are called watch dogs but unfortunately most of our journalists are merely playing dog bites dog game. They dont even deserve to be presented ina dog show.
×Satinder Bains on Tuesday
I wish to add that present day journalists are shame for the profession. In my times I have never seen a journalist touching feet of politicians and bureacrats, calling them for a lunch or dinner for the sake of story. In the modern day journalism, the social and moral values have vanished. I dont want to speak beyond it.
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday

All abuses accpeted in all humility and honesty. I plead guilty to all the charges brought up and those left out because of some inability to give full expression to anger!

We have moved into times of intellectuall honesty and brilliance when the most forceful and perhaps the only response to a perceived accusation is a counter-accusation. Thats a truly delightful art, and one that has been perfected over the years by the street-smart clan. And it is perfectly legitimate as it guarantees one the luxury of running … Read Moreaway from the topic in hand. There is an even safer and more credible way to respond to any discomfort of conscience: call it a social phenomenon , if not a global one. Who is bothered about my sins if i can prove everybody else is a sinner too. The minor problem here is one of conscience which insists on judging me by what I do, and not by whether others also do the same -- or even worse. Great journalistic response. Sums up the very best in journalism these days.

And to think I was only talking about the skills of being a good journalist as a professional; I had not even begun to talk of the morality aspect yet. About the journalists being "underpaid", well, I agree that is a good justification for murder of fairplay and objectivity. And how sad we can not blame that on governments -- and how nice that we will never blame that on anyone else!
×Kamal Anand on Tuesday
Satinder jee, what about doctors, lawyers, Engineers, etc, in todays society we have same kind of people in the all walks of life than why to blame journalist only.This is all due to change of priorities of life.
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Mr Harcharan Bains, before being appointed as Media Advisor, you were a a teacher at the PAU's department of Journalism, Languages and Culture. It is needless to count the alumini of that department, who have contributed in creating benchmarks in the field of journalism.
One of the definition of Journalism (the classical ones) was about it recording history as it was being made. Journalists do not create history. Please spare some moments and enlighten the people about what history is being made in contemporary times.
One of the duties or tasks of a journalist was to hold the mirror to the society. If the face of the tribe where you belong to ( means the decision makers) looks so ugly ...how is a journalist to be blamed.
×Satinder Bains on Tuesday
I agree with Mr.Sarabjit Pandher that one of the duty of Journalist was to show mirrir to the society(to be presice to show mirror to the rulers of time). But unfortunatly, most of journalsits are not looking at the mirror not showing mirror to others. They make a hole into the mirror and peep through it. Unfortunately, we the journalsits are not ready to accept that we have lsot our values, lost faith in the people and lost our conscience. Mr.Pandher will agree that a honest journalsit who wants to fight the system cant survive. Now you can blame the political system for it, if not ready to take it on ourselves.
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Dear brother Satinder, value is a very relative term. I wont single out Journalists or politcians. We are in a situation where everything is driven by a profit motive. Earlier, the mandate was ... "profit at all costs" ...now its is "profit at any cost ...where profit is mine and you pay the cost". In such a situation, why does one expect journalists to remain uneffected by the overall atmosphere. The question is who created this scenario .... can by any stretch of argument or imagination be journalists blamed. Their crime is they were the last victims.
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
No, I am not going to ask anyone to turn the face of that mirror inwards once a week! And my views on the media have nothing to do witih my views on other things, including the "the ugly faces of the tribe I work with." For all I know, those faces may be uglier than anyone in the media would care to tell them to their faces. But at the moment I was only talking about WHAT I THINK is the principle task of a reporter. (To report -- okay report ugliness only, if God blessed one with a vision to see that alone1)

But I have always believed that we use a counter-allegation only when confronted with a percieved allegation which we find hard to answer per se. It is only then that we waste on bad-mouthing others the time that we can more usefully devote to speaking about the merits of our own case.
As for students from the PAU creating becnhmarks in the filed of journalism -- none more so than Mr. Sarabjit Singh Pandher , I must grant -- was that even an issue? Was I discussing the "Contribution of PAU to the field of Journalism?" The day I do that, I will take deep pride in belonging to that university although I had no hand in whatever benchmarks studetns from there have set.

May I humbly remind that the point of discussion in my post was just this: "the need to remove the reporter's personalitry from the report -- to focus on the reflection in the mirror rather than on the frame around it.I repeat, I had not even begun to discuss the personal characters of the modern day journalists, becasue that is not a subject fit for my tastes.
Besides, may I humbly venture to suggest that the mirror which a journalist is supposed to show to society would do better job of reflecting if the holder gets out the way and does not insist on obstructing the viewers vision by wanting his own presence to be noticed first. ( Do I sound like saying "remove the reporter from the report?" -- Well I AM saying that , and that is not just in the sense of the by-line. Remmove his prejudices, his/her likes or dislikes and things like that from the reproduction of facts .) And I honestly don't see what is the big issue with that? If I want to see truth reflected in a mirrror which someone is holding, must I see that someone too?
And just a minor point: a mirror would probably remain much more clear when hands that hold it are also clean.
That said, I would request my other friends also to return to the theme. But if we must discuss the filth on the faces of the politicians and those whom I work with or for , we can start a new discussion any time.. But spare this discussion the ignominy of being upstaged by other issues, may we?
Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
During the freedom movement, the leaders of the day carried an aura, which was reflected in the media then. Where the hands of the journalist more blessed then? Why is the difference now? If a journalist is dealing with muck ... what do expect? Who worked more overtime to destroy itself... the ruling elite or the media? How has the media prevented the political system from improving itself.
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
Satinder, if we want to reduce the whole debate to who is the dirtiest of us all, then let me sign off by saying that I am willing to own up to my filth, and I choose not to talk about that of others, if any. I honestly don't think I was talking about values at all; that is another subject, and a much bigger one, and we can talk about that any time you choose to. . My original point here was confined to the need for "objectivity" -- or in other words, to keeping the personal whims, views and prejudices of the reporter out of an honest reproduction of facts, whatever those be. I don't think I ever talked about the moral standards of the reportes. But I did talk about professional skills and the need to focus on making journalism less subjective. Any problems with that? If yes, my dear son, I will defend with my blood your right to do what you want to do with yur journalism. My only prayer will be to be allowwed to hold on to my opinions on what is good professiionalism -- if such a prayer can indeed be granted amidst such rabble rousing .
×Randhawa Mohanpal on Tuesday
The issue here was news/article should not be influenced by personality of Journalist/reporter be it good or bad .
Am I right !
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
I am not even hinting at comparing the dirt content. All I sought emphasise was that as it is pervasive ...why single out media or journalists. Ours is a system which is leaking from the top. Journalists and their profession is the latest victim of the system that is decaying. I am ready to debate to any extent to oppose any attempt to heap all blame on the journalists.

I can see that my participation has made you uncomfortable. I am signing out.
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
may i just repeat. I was not talking about any filth at all. That my discomfort --real or presumed -- can make you sing thrills me .
×Rajiv Lochan on Tuesday
Harcharan Bains, how are you going to separate morality from the entire issue of objectivity. The one drives the other inevitably. If it is someone's professional duty to push falsehood as truth then surely it is a matter of morality .
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
I agree Rajiv ji that a part of the reason for lack of objectivity is or course the lack of morlaity. BUt the whole issue is larger. While it is not easy to be objectiive without being honest, it is possible to be honest and yet remain professionally subjective -- even incompetent . And the lack of objectivity of the dishnest is very often a matter of his choice. A dishonest professional can choose to be subjective even if he has the ability to be objective.
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Harcharan Bains March 2 at 9:22am
What we attribute to Shakespeare is always actually attributable to one or the other of the characters in his plays .The great master is always absent from the scene. If that doesn't happen, you will have great playwrights, but no great plays. You will have great journalists, but no great journalism- and that is happening now. We have big names but no big deeds.
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Harcharan Bains March 2 at 6:08am
The trouble with the journalist also is that he wants the luxury of talking as if he were the conscience of the race. He wants to grab the role that actually belongs to a saint, a poet, an artist or a philospher - and he wants to do so without having to undergo any of the rigours involved in saintlihood, poetry, art or philosophy.
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×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Shakespeare was never invisible. the very fact you are quoted just one name. Why did you not quote the names of the characters he constructed? - because they were all his creation. If we go into history of literature, it is said that despite being a contemporary and having authored brilliance, Ben Jonson was not as celebrated because he did not have "William Shakespeare" as a name. I am sure that your have reminded you of your preparations for the MA English
×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
How sad that it should require an encounter -- pleasant or unpleasant -- for one to speak one's mind. No, my relations with friends in the media are quite cordial, and all of them have always been kind to me. But they ahve their views about governments -- ost of which I share-- and I ahve my views on their profession -- most of which are not shared by most of them. But it is a nice friendly chat.
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March 2 at 6:08am
A journalist would be a great professional if he perfects the art of his job first -- which is merely to report. For this, he has to remove his massive presence off the page. But it is a sad day for journalism when by-line out-weighs the "story."
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×Harcharan Bains on Tuesday
My dearest son, media of course has a great responsibility -- and is performing it most creditably and honourably --in defending the country against all the possible internal and external dangers. At least the Indian media -- poor folks -- have to look after each and every little thing that the country needs and is not getting. Most importantly, … Read More
×Sarabjit Pandher on Tuesday
Wow Mr. Media Advisor. I am just overawed that unlike others in the corridors of power, your blinkers are off. You could list so many symptoms of what ails our system. I must grant you that despite such a realisation about the weaknesses ... U still found time to pinprick the journos.
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Harcharan Bains›Velamur Narayanan March 2 at 5:59am
The trouble however is a journalist can not be happy with a work in which his moral arrogance has no place, or one in which he is not allowed the luxury of talking as if he were the conscience of the race. He wants to grab the role that actually belongs to a saint, a poet, an artist or a philospher - and he wants to do so without having to undergo any of the rigours involved in saintlihood, poetry, art or philosophy. A journalist would be a great professional if he perfects the art of his job first -- which is merely to report. For this, he has to remove his massive presence off the page. But it is a sad day for journalism when by-line out-weighs the "story."
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