Opinion: Modern Journalism is 'Yellow Journalism' ?

Journalism or the fourth pillar of Indian democracy. The word 'journalism' in its own sense is so powerful that it alone can bring about societal change. Journalists, are often known as people who would go to places no one dares, to bring to you every facet of the truth. Before we talk about the changing strength and roles of journalism, let's understand what makes journalism so powerful. Journalists speak to and influence a large populace.

 Any society was shaped into what it is today by disseminating information to the general public, creating awareness and public opinion. Imagine a day without news- no information on events happening around oneself could make one anxious. There is a general tendency or if we simplify it, hunger in people for information and journalism is what fulfils that need. Hence, a society largely relies on journalism to lead them in a direction. 

Talking about the role of journalism in shaping India, Indian journalism has a very interesting and extensive history which began with Hicky's Bengal Gazette in 1780 to what we see around us today- print, broadcast and digital media. The Indian press was the backbone of the Indian Freedom Struggle- "Pen is mightier than the sword" as believed by our freedom fighters as the power of their pen can challenge the political establishment.

In contemporary India, journalism has brought about a huge societal change. At times, responsible journalism was used to bring justice when it was denied by the administrative machinery. Talking about Jessica Lal's case, the campaign led by NDTV defeated the dirty play of power and politics. Previously, many scams such as the 1992 Indian stock market scam were brought to light by exceptional journalists. But the question that arises, has the essence of journalism in modern India changed in an attempt to meet previous standards? This is where we compare modern-day journalism to 'yellow journalism'.

What is yellow journalism?

According to Wikipedia, "Yellow journalism and the yellow press are American terms for journalism and associated newspapers that present little or no legitimate, well-researched news while instead using eye-catching headlines for increased sales. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism."

With the above definition, you may find similarities between today's journalism and what we call yellow journalism. Newspapers and broadcasters now present news with the sole purpose of increasing sales and skyrocketing TRP's. The very ethics and values of journalism are endangered. You may have observed that channels/newspapers that practice fine journalism hardly mint money, In fact in the media market, their names are not often known by many. 

As students of journalism, the very first thing that we are taught is ethics and values that define and are the pillars of good journalism. News values are something that decide whether a piece of information is deserving enough to be called 'news'. Credibility and accuracy imply that the presented news should not only be truthful (for truth is subjective) but also be accurate and credible, present not only both but 'all' sides of a story. 

There have been instances where certain stories were exaggeratedly covered by the media, ignoring some very important issues. The most recent example would be the coverage of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death when media ran campaigns for justice, introduced a murder angle and committed defamation, both libel and slander for months to reach a conclusion like suicide. Let us remind the purpose of journalism- Inform, educate and empower the common man, making them aware of their rights and surrounding and at times, fuel social or political change.

The modern ways of news reporting mostly consist of the journalist's bias. Their version of the truth or truth that favours them or a particular group that they favour is what constitutes news.

 News that is incredible or too good to be true is usually wrapped with inaccurate facts, or in most cases, false or made-up information. Those who practice journalism must preach humanity in the sense that they must be aware of the implications and consequences of what they write or publish on the human race.

Journalism is a powerful tool that has to be used with utmost caution and responsibility, addressing millions and directing them towards a purpose naturally implies that the truth be told without wrapping it in sensationalism, no matter how uninteresting it is. Converging and business and journalism will bring nothing but loopholes in information dissemination which in the long term is not very healthy for a democracy.