Guest Column: A case of gagging the press

Joginder Singh, former CBI director, remarks on the unfortunate incident of Bangladeshi court sentencing UK journalist on grounds of making "derogatory" remarks about the tribunal

e4m by Joginder Singh
Published: Dec 6, 2014 9:53 AM  | 4 min read
Guest Column: A case of gagging the press

As long as media sings praises of  individuals or organisations, such people love it. We must realise that media has a job to do. For several reasons, including any defamation suit, whatever they report is based on some documents or facts. However, it is a reality that whatever media reports will always have detractors. There is advice galore both from the media and people who make news.

The Prime Minister  of our country , in the last    week of November, 2014 said,  “Journalism should be like a honey bee, and not a housefly, as housefly sits on filth and spreads it around and journalists should be, like bees, productive, but also capable of retorting with a sting when needed. He added, "It would be wrong to say that newspaper only informs us and delivers news, newspapers shape our perception. There was a time when newspapers used to look for news. Time has changed. Today news look for newspapers…Indira Gandhi introduced us to democracy. She put locks on newspapers, and turned the country into a jail. That is when people realised, what democracy is about.”

About his idea of journalism,  the PM, compared the claims of "sabse tez" (fastest) and "sabze sacchi" (truest) news with those of people selling "pure" desi ghee. "It means something, somewhere is wrong.”

A   special Bangladeshi court on 2nd December, 2014  jailed a prominent UK journalist to a token one-day sen¬tence on contempt charges for making "derogatory" remarks about the tribunal and for ques¬tioning the three million official death toll in the country's 1971 in¬dependence war against Pakistan. The International Crimes Tri¬bunal of Bangladesh also fined David Bergman Taka 5,000 (USD 65). If he fails to pay the fine, he will face another seven days in prison.

It added, "He (Bergman) is to suffer simple imprisonment till the rising of the 'Court and pay fine of Taka five thousand only, in default to suffer seven more days imprisonment. The judgement said Bergman, currently working for Bangladesh's New Age newspaper, deserved the punishment for de¬meaning the court by his "irrele¬vant" criticism of the trial on his personal blog. It said the journalist had crossed the limit of his profes¬sional ethics in the name of free¬dom of expression.

The judgment came, nearly 10 months after a SC lawyer filed the contempt petition, saying Bergman made "relentless efforts to justify that the tribunal was absolutely wrong in mention¬ing three million deaths and the number of 200,000 women raped in 1971.”

This on the face of it is nothing short of gagging the press.  It only proves that if  media is to avoid criticism or contempt of any Bangladeshi Court , it  should  say nothing, do nothing, and thus   be nothing. Obviously Bangladeshi Tribunal  criticised what it could not understand. It has been rightly said that, “Any fool can criticize, complain, and condemn—and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving.” 

Fortunately, In India, judiciary is more understanding and does not take notice of such difference of perception or facts, which are the essence of democracy, and have not taken roots in our neighbours like Pakistan  and  Bangladesh.

Criticism is never agreeable, but it is necessary, as it fulfils the same function as pain in the human body; it calls attention to the development of an unhealthy state of things. If it is heeded in time, danger may be averted; if it is suppressed, a fatal distemper may develop. Of course, journalists have also been criticised for turning things upside like a critic once said 'A dog bites a man'—that's a story; 'A man bites a dog'—that's a good story...”

The secret of successful journalism is to make your readers so angry they will write half your paper for you. At the same the Mighty are also afraid of the Media exemplified by Napoleon who once said, “I fear three newspapers more than a hundred thousand bayonets.”

The author is former CBI Director.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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