Covert Campaign by School lobby to oust Indian Diplomat intensifies.Full Report
KM Special Report Media Monitor Abdul Khadar, a Gulf Malayali in Muscat working for a trading firm finds time to read a Malayalam Newspaper even during the busy business hours. Photo by KM
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CPJ Media Award Winning Journalists Journalists Deserve Better Treatment From Gulf based Social Organisations
In any part of the world journalists, who play an important role in molding public opinion, get due respect in society. They come across many type of people and organizations with different temperament and spirit. It is quite impossible that everywhere they will be offered a red carpet welcome - many a times, powerful people want to hide their nefarious activities from the scrutiny of public criticism and media attention, but want to project their positive side to the media. Journalists often face quite embarrassing situations, which are normally neglected as part of routine life.
In the Gulf region, journalists do not get as much respect as they are treated in many other parts of the world. Even though the media is gradually emerging as a powerful force in the Gulf countries due to more media freedom given by the governments, it appears that the society at large is still not prepared to give due respect to journalists. Even the behaviour of some of the Gulf based Indian community organisations and their leaders need much to be desired. No professional journalist would like a larger than life image or expect to get undue respect - often signals that such gestures are meant to influence him.
Kathakali for VIPs and Sponsors
Prasad Panicker, Editor of Times of Oman, a leading English daily from Muscat popular among the Indian expatriate community received an invitation to attend a 'Kathakali' programme organized by a group of Keralite art lovers. The organizers approached him with folded hand seeking "good" coverage for the kathakali show, because unlike other high profile show organizers in the city, they did not have sufficient finance to give big advertisements or other promotions. As it is a routine event, which will appeal to the Indian community readers, the editor gave a six-column report. Due to the importance that he attached to the event, Instead of sending an ordinary reporter to cover the show, the editor himself attended the Kathakali programme. Several big wigs of the Indian community including the Indian Ambassador attended the show.
As usual the organizers are always after the VIPs and their effort is to please the moneybags who sponsored the event. Since they were busy arranging things and meeting all the VIPs around who come in suit and tie, nobody noticed the presence of our young editor, who patiently watched the Kathakali show till the end. The young journalist always keeps a low profile in public places.
The organizers ended the show with a vote of thanks praising the Indian ambassador, his wife, the sponsors, a car driver who transported the artist from different places to the venue, a graphic designer who designed the invitation card and many others! The editor was quite embarrassed because even when the organizers did not forget to acknowledge the contribution of a graphic designer (who is working in the same newspaper) for his valuable contribution in designing the invitation card, they conveniently left out the Newspaper or its editor who was personally present on the occasion. One can dismiss it as a non-issue, but the editor was apparently upset with the way the so-called literate Keralites treated a senior journalist in a public meeting and his sentiment was echoed in the popular Citylight column. If it is the fate of the editor of a newspaper, one can imagine the way an ordinary reported is treated by the so called cultural organizations who often lack the basic courtesy of inviting, let alone given decent treatment, journalists for their high profile functions.
That was not an isolated event. It is the common policy followed by some of the community associations and cultural show organisers to treat Indian journalists rudely. KM has been following the cold war between journalists and some of the Indian community organizations, especially the two linguistic wings representing the Keralite community here. We spoke to various journalists in the town about what they feel about their experience with the Indian community associations.
Shooting Journalist with abusive language by Telefilm Artist
Some members of the same cultural show organizers were involved in a telefilm shooting in Muscat. When the National Award Winning Malayalam Film Producer Priyanandan brought a team to Muscat for shooting a tele film or serial, another Muscat based journalist had a bitter taste of the rude behaviour of cultural show organizers. One of the social club members came to his house and invited to visit the shooting site. The shooting scene had a deserted look and the hero, the Malayalam pulp TV serial actor Sreenath and a few local artiste including the wife of the person who invited the journalists were engaged in shooting.
The hero, Mr. Sreenath, a Malayalam film actor, who turned to TV serials after he was rejected by the mainstream film industry, was sitting with a couple of local artists. The journalist approached the team, introduced himself and asked Sreenath whether he is free to have an informal chat so that a report can be written about the film shooting and the role of local artists in the serial. He agreed for an interview and when the conversation was progressing smoothly one of the local artist suddenly interfered in a furious manner apparently because he did not like the way the journalist approached the "star" directly without going through the organizers and he did not like some of the questions that were asked. It was another matter that the journalist was there only because he was invited by the relative of an artist to visit the shooting site and arrange an interview with the actors/ actresses and director. The junior local artist was furious because the journalist went directly to speak to the actor without seeking "his permission. " The show organizers logic appeared like this- we have spend lot of money to bring the actor and director to Muscat. How can a silly journalist go and interview him, without their "permission?"
Later only the journalist realized that the local artist represented a major business group (heading its travel division) which is said to be sponsoring the telefilm. After interviewing the actor, the journalist hanged around to speak to other team members who spoke very gently to him. However, before leaving the location without meeting Priyanandan, when the journalist asked the "local artist" in a very friendly manner -- Hallo dear, what is your name… let us be friends, came the most arrogant reply. "I don't have a name. Who are you to ask me all these questions?
Knowing very well that he is speaking to a journalist, he went to the extent of calling him a "Mairan" - a substandard abusive word in Malayalam. Even his boss, the richest Malayali businessmen who has come up from a humble beginning, is said to be friendly and soft-spoken to even his enemies. An arrogant staff like him can do much damage to the corporate image and reputation of the company, which was obviously sponsoring the event to improve its public image! What could the journalist do in such embarrassing situation? Just kept his temper and leave the place peacefully.
Later on, even the people who invited the journalist to the shooting scene said that the fellow had to be treated like that because he asked the "wrong questions". What was the question - how many films did you act? What is the first film? Any New films/serials you are acting? "What about your family life"? "Everybody in Kerala knows his career history. His son's picture was on the cover story of a film magazine (giving the name of a substandard pulp magazine) and every Malayali knows who is his wife, came the justification from the other side. Did the show organizers or the actor expect the journalist to know by heart the entire life story of a third rate pulp serial actor. In fact the journalist did not ask any embarrassing questions like the reasons for divorcing his beautiful wife or why he is not getting any significant roles in films? The artist did not realize that the journalist went to meet him simply because he was invited to give a news coverage of the shooting and not because of his importance or larger than life image.
Meet the Minister without my permission? No way?
When a journalist from the Times of Oman met the Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in a relaxed mood, he tried to wish him and speak to for a few minutes to get one quote for a report that he intended to do. Accompanied by the Indian Ambassador and a Defence Attache in the Indian Embassy, the Minister was in a mood to speak to the Indian journalist. Even the Indian Ambassador spoke to Mr.Fernandes and was willing to allow an informal chat at the Al Bustan corridor. However, the Malayali Defence Attache would not allow the journalist to speak to the Minister. And the embarrassed journalist had to leave the place quietly before the surrounding people noticed the artificial drama going on there. While some of the embassy staff and the Indian Ambassador himself are accessible to the press, some junior level offices are not allowing journalists free access to the Embassy. In fact the Indian Embassy should set a standard for the social clubs which are functioning under its guidance.
New Breed of Self Proclaimed Journalists?
When the Indian Defence Minister was in Muscat, many journalists were surprised to see a new breed of journalist equipped with a video camera entering the media scene here. A self proclaimed social worker came from nowhere to raise "serious" questions and all the journalists were stunt to witness him asking questions, pretending himself to be a senior journalist representing the leading Malayalam Channel!
Thanks to its popularity among the Keralite population here, there are now many people who claim that they are the "exclusive" representative of the channel here. The fact is that one person is appointed as the local agent to canvass classified and commercial advertisements for the channel. Another "exclusive representative" is conducting another entertainment programme for the channel. They are neither reporters nor journalists, but only the local agent to collect advertisements. The channel has appointed hundreds of such agents in different parts of the world just to sell their space and increase advertising revenue.
There is a funny manner in which such journalists have been moving around seeking exclusive news for the Malayalam channel. Unaware of the basic principles of journalism, the channel representatives approached the Times of Oman News editor, asking for "exclusive news" to the channel. In fact, the Channel representative wanted the Times of Oman to give it the exclusive news pertaining to the expatriate community, which will be printed in the next day's edition one day in advance! "Do you expect us to give all our news to the channel to be telecast one day in advance?" asks a senior journalist in the Times of Oman. In fact the channel used to get news from various journalists in town because it pays a reporter the salary less than the monthly payment of a housemaid. That also after a six months delay. If the social club or private individuals are willing to give a certain amount of money the channel will air any substandard programmes and present it to the public as their own genuine programmes. (More on how a journalist was replaced from the Asianet Channel through a high level conspiracy with the help of the a Malayali officer in the Ministry of Information later).
Some of the marketing and advertising staff in newspapers and TV channels also do this type of "reporting" and the impression that they give to the outside world is that "they are the only professional journalists in this part of the world." In fact they attend press conferences under the pretext that they are reporters and not advertising professionals. Those who work in the media know the exact role of the two different category of people. They normally take some press releases and approach an "original reporter" to get the pieces printed the next day. Thanks to this bad trend set by a few Indian advertising professionals, social clubs believe that it is not necessary to call reporters to get their press releases and photographs printed in the paper. They still believe that the advertising executives in tie and coat are the real decision makers in a news media organisation. Such new breed of journalists in fact spoil the public image of genuine journalists and damage the reputation of the profession. .-keralamonitor.com Continued
