Al Gomhuria, p.6, (10-3-2008)
Inquiries
By: Abdallah Nassar
During my 10-odd-day visit to India, I was keen on checking the Indian press and its coverage of Indian and world issues.
Although it is the year of parliamentary elections and the opposition is leading campaigns against the ruling party, governmental, independent and private newspapers abide by impartiality and objectivity.
Newspapers fiercely criticize the government and the ruling party and have reservations about the reform program which pays insufficient attention to the increasing numbers of the poor.
Yet, they abide by objectivity. They do not attack officials personally. They only criticize policies and make proposals for amending them. Projects are propagated moderately without exaggeration. As a rule, advertisements do not cover more than 60% of any newspaper. One chief-editor of an Indian newspaper said to me: "This rule is observed very meticulously because we cannot encroach on the right of the reader… and if we have more advertisements, we consider the matter. We increase the number of pages if it is economically possible and strikes a balance between revenues and expenditures."
Over about two weeks, I did not find in the Indian press any insult or compliment campaigns for any person, including officials and businessmen. The Indian press respects the reader and abides by impartiality and objectivity without insult or abuse.
The businessmen's influence on newspapers is limited to publicity. Chief-editors in several states told me that regional newspapers care about the state affairs side by side with the international affairs and abide by all the press rules. Breaking these rules is considered a crime and is dealt with firmly.
Newspaper budgets are declared at the beginning of each year, along with their revenues, any support or assistance they get from the state government, rules of spending, plans and programs implemented and plans failed.
The next day the Indian Minister of Finance declared the new budget, the newspaper approached the issue speaking about the winners and losers. Even the pro-government newspapers mentioned its negative aspects very courageously and impartially.
The newspapers discussed the positive and negative effects of the new budget on various categories of the community: civil servants, breadwinner women, old people, investors, foreign investments, software projects and their relation to duties and taxes.
Newspapers did not publish false news or criticize anyone unjustifiably. For example, the newspapers welcomed the cut of the tax on small cars and motorcycles as considered important means of transportations for the majority.
India came out with a surprise, a car for not more than $2500. The car which uses less fuel was welcomed domestically. It will sell well because even the ministers in India use domestically-produced small cars. Noticeably, ministers' cars roll on the streets without processions or motorcades. I asked one minister why he was using such a small car which he gets into difficultly for his huge body, he said: "In this position, I serve the people and I cannot act but this way. On weekends, I can use my private car which is probably more luxurious. In this country, our target is to reduce expenditures as much as possible as there are people in need of every rupee. One dollar now equals 40 rupees… it is the money of the poor people in this country and the unemployed youth whom we should provide legal means to earn their living. Our target is to raise hope and optimism so that all Indians may participate in building their future."
I asked him about his relation to the press. He answered: "We do not hide any information. Sometimes, incomplete or false information is published. This does not raise our anger. Rather, we correct the information which the newspapers publish on the next day."
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