NEWS: Irreverent Internet journalism is India's new crusader

[Frederick Noronha <fred@bytesforall.org>]

India-Media-Internet

Irreverent Internet journalism is India's new crusader

by Hindol Sengupta, India Abroad News Service

New Delhi, Mar 17 - Internet journalism, once dismissed as a nerd medium by
traditional Indian mastheads, is fast reviving anti-establishment reportage
and gaining an independent identity through irreverent expose of sleaze in
government and society.

On Tuesday, a small Web site in the Indian capital rocked the government by
exposing bribery worth millions of rupees in defense deals, caught in a
secret video camera during an eight-month undercover sting operation.

"The Tehelka episode represents the maturing of online journalism in India,"
said Singapore-based Internet expert Madan Mohan Rao.

Two reporters of Tehelka, which means "sensation" in Hindi, posed as arms
dealers trying to sell night vision goggles, and caught numerous top ranking
bureaucrats, Army officers and politicians, apparently asking for and taking
money to push the deal on a secret video camera.

This the second Tehelka expose in 10 months. In May last year, it revealed
match-fixing in Indian cricket in a similar operation, and analysts say the
Web site epitomizes the growing power of the Net in India and revival of
investigative journalism through it.

"Internet journalism is the future, the new lease of life, the new hope in
Indian journalism," said Bhaskar Rao, chairman of the Center for Media
Studies.

The Tehelka expose has rocked Parliament, disrupted government, and led to
the resignation of the defense minister, two prominent politicians and the
suspension of four senior civil and military officials of the defense
ministry.

And earlier, Tehelka's match-fixing revelation led to life bans for former
cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin and test player Ajay Sharma.

"We have pushed the borders of journalism. In this way, we are police,
prosecutor and journalist," said Aniruddha Bahal, one of the Tehelka
reporters who led the defense deals expose.

Analysts agree, saying traditional media has increasingly become cozy with
the establishment over the years, partly due to laziness and partly fearing
losing special favors.

"They (the traditional media) are really bothered about profits, which are
no doubt important, but it has meant increasingly cozying with the
government and taking public credibility for granted," said Bhaskar Rao.
"There is a void in constructive criticism of the establishment."

This is the void that upstart online news organizations are filling. "What
Tehelka has started to do is an example for all (Web) sites to follow, if
they want to draw public attention and gain credibility," said M. K. Venu,
who quit his job as financial editor of The Economic Times newspaper to lead
e-indiabiz.com, a business news portal.

"Can you ever imagine any newspaper in India doing what Tehelka is doing?"
asked Venu, adding, "They are far too lazy and inclined to maintain the
status quo policy of never doing anything to upset the establishment,
fearing stoppage to favors."

Nearly 2,000 dotcoms, all needing journalists to fill news sections, have
mushroomed in India during the last year. Higher salaries and, often, stock
options, have lured journalists away from newspapers, who for years paid
most of them a pittance.

Now the same newspaper hacks are donning a new avatar as "content managers."
Analysts say a hit combination of new technology, new attitude and an
unshackled atmosphere is what makes Net journalism so appealing, though it
is also pointed out that there are any number of news Web sites which have
been affected badly in the past years as the Internet business slumped
worldwide.

India currently has an estimated 4.5 million Internet users, projected to
double every year for the next four years. This means an approximate 100
million users by 2008. The numbers have meant international Internet portals
like Yahoo!, Lycos, Alta Vista and MSN launching Indian portals and tying up
with Indian content providers.

And as the market grows online journalism thrives. "The Web as a serious
news medium has certainly arrived in India," said Madan Mohan Rao.

But some remain skeptical. "Two exposes by a Web site do not mean you can
write off the newspapers and television. Remember the Tehelka tapes gained
prominence only after they were highlighted by the traditional media," said
Ajit Bhattacharjea, director of the Press Institute of India.

"Also, it is good if they use the new technology for public service, but if
they fall to the temptation of probing private lives, it will be
unfortunate," Bhattacharjea added.

--India Abroad News Service