When you fail to control the L & O, why intimidation to journalists
- Imphal Times Editorial :: January 22 2020 -

It is not the first time that media houses in Manipur are intimidated by state actors for publishing news articles related with armed insurgents group.

Before Imphal Times was re-launch in January 9, 2013, when members of our team were working in different media houses, we have seen reporters and editors going to the street and protesting against such threat many times.

Saying so, reminding the media houses about excessive reporting or perhaps reporting press statement by outlawed which appear more like encouraging their (UG’s) activities is in one way good.

But those in the government , particularly the state Home Department should understand the challenges being faced by media houses in the state many a time.

In conflict zone , to be in this profession is more like working between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Intimidation to curtail the freedom of speech has never been succeeded in the history of democratically set up nation and we in the Imphal Times felt that it will never succeed .

It is also right on the part of the state actors to remind the media houses about the damage that could bring by publishing press statement of certain outlaw armed group.

But saying so those is the government should know the kind of threats being faced from the so call armed group for not publishing their story.

Complaining about such threats is even more dangerous as the armed group easily find out the person / editor who lodge the complaint and ultimately he will be the target.

Well, the advancement in information technology has made today’s world a ‘Global village’ – the term first coined by Canadian-born author Marshall McLuhan.

Man born at the extreme corner of Far East Asiatic countries knows, cry and pray for the kind of disasters that happen in Middle East countries or in Latin America.

Installation of internet technologies to cell phones which every human being can afford makes the people of our Earth- whose circumference is estimated at about 40,075 Kilometer staying at a communicable distance.

Now every human being equipped with cell phone can now talk or stay in touch with any of their friends or relatives staying thousand miles away.

Point bringing here is about the changes in the theory of mass media in relevance to today’s journalism.

The very concept at which the older generation considered ‘proximity’ as a characteristic of news is somewhat losing its foot.

Professor M.L Stein, the then chairman of Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach, Carlifornia in his book “Shaping the News” in 1974 wrote that people are more interested in what happens in their neighbours.

The one time presumption that ‘a dog fight on Main Street is of more interest to our readers then fifty thousand foreign troops killed in battle somewhere’ seems to have no relevance in today’s society.

Readers are now interested about happenings at distance places if the subject matters is his or her interest.

However, another characteristic of news - ‘Prominence’ on the hand is becoming a matter of more interested subjects for almost all readers.

People now want to know what had happen to their leaders, celebrity or the bureaucrats irrespective of where they stay or which country they reside. Every news readers are eager to know the story of successful personality.

Points bringing up here are not to lecture on what is news and what should be reported but this is an attempt to make some of our critic to understand on why the newspaper especially the kind of ours often published story about real heroes or events that happen far far away from our state.

Sometimes a mere insignificant event at which some people are of vested interested are often left of and the result is not always good for we in the media fraternity of Manipur state in particular.

The other kind of pressure that the media persons sometimes remain helpless is their intentions to get publish their story.

Manipur or say Imphal is not a safe place for even VIPs who are escorted by security personnel days and night.

It is an open secret that almost all the politicians including MLAs or Ministers or even the Chief Ministers have linked with the UGs , the only thing we don’t have is the proof.

So, what would be the security of those working with the media if in case, some of the individuals or rebels force us to publish stories of their interest.

Being taken up this profession, we always stand with our ethics and there is no question of compromising ethics while publishing stories.

But when the government said that this should not be published and this should be published then where is the freedom of speech provided under the constitution of our country.

Government machineries can invite news editors and can discussed about the content on objectivity reason but dictate the media. Calls of bandh or blockade by any organisation are in some way an essential news items for media houses living in conflict zone – because it is for the safety and security of the common people that the government machineries cannot guarantee their safety.

We have PCI guidelines, local code of conduct and this should be respected.

Bottom line is that media should not be harassed at any cost for any reason because we chose this profession not merely to earn for living but with full intention to serve our nation.