Media and Corruption
Worth reading piece by Minhaz Merchant
The AgustaWestland helicopter scam represents media's mea culpa moment. It has ripped the veil off the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, armed forces personnel, and arms dealers. But at the heart of this nexus lies the media.
Co-option of journalists occurs in several ways. Individual journalists in the AgustaWestland case, for example, wrote favourable stories on the helicopter deal.
Middleman Christian Michel, now a fugitive from justice, had been given a six-million-euro (Rs 45 crore) budget to "manage the media".
The money was well spent. Between 2010 and 2013, few critical articles appeared on the AgustaWestland deal, though a large dark cloud of scandal hung over it. The irregularities leading up to signing the contract have been spelled out in detail in the verdict delivered by the Italian court of appeal. The staggering level of corruption in the deal, with kickbacks estimated at 30 million euros (Rs 225 core), would not have gone unnoticed had the media done its job. It didn't.
Impact
The malignant impact of compromised, PR-driven journalism was underscored in the recent four-hour interview by the Financial Times with Vijay Mallya. Gentle questions were lobbed at the absconding businessman, allowing him to play victim and paint Indian banks and the Indian government as the culprits.
A similar PR job had been done for RK Pachauri, the former head of TERI, when he was in the midst of defending himself in a case of sexual harassment. The polarisation of Indian media into Left and Right silos has worsened matters. Political parties and corporate houses take advantage of the ideological bias and financial weakness in the media. Individual journalists and media houses are increasingly vulnerable to being compromised.
In the end, whether or not an individual journalist succumbs to inducements (in cash or kind) depends on the balance of the journalist's integrity and vulnerability. The 20-odd journalists who were allegedly corrupted by Christian Michel's hush fund know who they are. A cursory trawl through the articles written on AgustaWestland during 2010-13 is revelatory.
Credibility is the principal currency journalists possess. Lose that and you lose everything. Reputations built over decades can be damaged irreparably within days. When the full details of the AgustaWestland case emerge, some well-known bylines will have nowhere to hide. more
The AgustaWestland helicopter scam represents media's mea culpa moment. It has ripped the veil off the nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, armed forces personnel, and arms dealers. But at the heart of this nexus lies the media.
Co-option of journalists occurs in several ways. Individual journalists in the AgustaWestland case, for example, wrote favourable stories on the helicopter deal.
Middleman Christian Michel, now a fugitive from justice, had been given a six-million-euro (Rs 45 crore) budget to "manage the media".
The money was well spent. Between 2010 and 2013, few critical articles appeared on the AgustaWestland deal, though a large dark cloud of scandal hung over it. The irregularities leading up to signing the contract have been spelled out in detail in the verdict delivered by the Italian court of appeal. The staggering level of corruption in the deal, with kickbacks estimated at 30 million euros (Rs 225 core), would not have gone unnoticed had the media done its job. It didn't.
Impact
The malignant impact of compromised, PR-driven journalism was underscored in the recent four-hour interview by the Financial Times with Vijay Mallya. Gentle questions were lobbed at the absconding businessman, allowing him to play victim and paint Indian banks and the Indian government as the culprits.
A similar PR job had been done for RK Pachauri, the former head of TERI, when he was in the midst of defending himself in a case of sexual harassment. The polarisation of Indian media into Left and Right silos has worsened matters. Political parties and corporate houses take advantage of the ideological bias and financial weakness in the media. Individual journalists and media houses are increasingly vulnerable to being compromised.
In the end, whether or not an individual journalist succumbs to inducements (in cash or kind) depends on the balance of the journalist's integrity and vulnerability. The 20-odd journalists who were allegedly corrupted by Christian Michel's hush fund know who they are. A cursory trawl through the articles written on AgustaWestland during 2010-13 is revelatory.
Credibility is the principal currency journalists possess. Lose that and you lose everything. Reputations built over decades can be damaged irreparably within days. When the full details of the AgustaWestland case emerge, some well-known bylines will have nowhere to hide. more
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View all 49 comments Below 49 comments
Please try to under stand the limitation of the journalists in collecting the information. more
Jul 12
This is not the only incidents but many more. Just recollect the past couple of years Head lines you will find right from the Ministers in central Govt. to the Ordinary pion having crorers of rupees. Moreover if the RTO officers and their relatives are concern, if it is to be investigated black money to the tune of Indian Budget will be shorter to the effect. The Minister of Surface Transport expressed his views on the same which are self explanatory, but the SOLUTION is unanswered till date. more
May 14
The process is very slow in unearthing black money. I am afraid by the time the entire scam is brought out the term of Modiji will be over, who knows in next election Corrupts will once gain the power. Unless vote bank Politics is washed out, we will always have doubt. more
May 12
How much of public time, money and effort are wasted on these elected characters' actions in addition to their looting. Everyone involved in such cases should be banned for life from politics and public looting in the pretext of ex-MLA and ex-MP. Even their retirement benefits should be stopped and all, repeat all expenses including the expenses for wasted Parliament time should be recovered from the oll gotten wealth of self and families. more
May 11
