Curbs on the media would not work out

By O.J.George

Kerala, iconising Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna Pillai, cannot have Pravda (Truth-Russian), Izvestiya (News-Russian), Granma (Cuban) type newspapers and their way of reporting, controlled by the Big Brother.

Kerala is a place where anyone can talk and walk for any number of hours on all conceivable subjects. The writers know the extent of liberalism available to them, and they don’t cross the borderline. A few Smart Alecs break the golden rule once in a while, and they are outrightly condemned.

The latest missive from the government is to its own departments to size up the dimensions of divulging information to the media. The persons responsible for the respective departments should secure prior approval for divulging information. Perhaps the departmental heads and information officers can give out the programme details of ministers and party functionaries!

In actual practice, curbs on the media would only boomerang on the authorities, for diktats are double-edged weapons.

When official sources refuse to divulge pure information, there would be speculation bordering on hearsay and untruths.

Would it be enough if the newspapers and media report information supplied by so-called worthies like N.Madhavankutty? He had said on television channel something like this. ‘Neither me nor the party was convinced by the explanation of Sebastian Paul regarding media syndicate’. His professional background and practices are not worthy of emulation, and if someone follows the advice, coming from them galore, the atmosphere would be vitiated.

There is something more than meets the eye with regard to their motives. A party or the government, guided by similar elements would be hollow.

The world would be a poor place to live in, if people have to savour only the information supplied by such elements with vested interests. They have a mind-block, limited by the me-only attitude. Nobody worth the salt can be made an obedient servant in the media echelons.

The people enjoy uncontrolled dissemination of information. Deviations from moral, ethical, legal issues in reporting should be dealt with in the regular way of the society.

Various authorities in India have tried to gag the Press one way or other, but they have on and off backed off in the face of public outcry.

And when there are officials like K.Sureshkumar who could take on the office of the Chief Minister, there would be no shortage of views opposed to the stymied information being given out by censored sources.

Of course, government sources who divulge information in an official way should be responsible for the take.

To gag them in toto would be meaningless and the offshoot would be chaotic.