Beyond News
Author: Shakti Vrat, Sanjeev Shekhar
Publisher: Partridge, Rs399
This book describes the corporate-politician-journalist nexus, and the stranglehold that it has on society
Journalists Shakti Vrat and Sanjeev Shekhar’s Beyond News could not have come at a better time and, indeed, is a must read for anyone who is interested in the role of news and how it shapes our society. Though the title gives us the idea that we will be going beyond the daily news, in effect the book though is very much about news, and the many forces and factors, pulls and pushes that make up the final product that we, as viewers and readers, consume either through our television sets or in our morning newspapers. This larger-picture view is important to understand and appreciate so that one can consume the news in a critical and informed manner. In other words, this books shows us why one must not just blindly assume that anything and everything that comes up on our news feed is the full and complete gospel truth.
We have all heard about the concept of “paid news”, wherein media outlets are paid for publishing favourable stories but this book gives us the insider view of how deep and widespread this problem actually is, and how it hurts the credibility of the press as society’s fourth estate. The book especially focuses on the corporate-politician-journalist nexus, and the stranglehold that it has on society. Equally, the book also deals with the power equations and professional hierarchies within the newsrooms — and how journalists struggle to keep their commitment to the profession while navigating through office politics and editorial pressures.
In this context, it might be worthwhile to mention that journalism was once considered to be the noblest of professions. Those who joined this profession did so because they were committed to the cause and genuinely believed that they could make a difference through journalism or that they could leverage the power of the Press to affect positive change in society. Journalism was not just a job that paid the bills (in fact, more often than not, it didn’t); instead, it was a mission, a response to a higher calling.
To be fair, this aspect of journalism has not completely died out. Even today, many youngsters come to the field because they truly believe that they can wield the proverbial power of the pen to become change-makers in society. However, sooner than later, reality strikes — there are compromises to be made on one’s principles, professional ethics are routinely thrown out of the window, and the practical problems being part of an industry that has seemingly lost its way becomes a burden that is increasingly too heavy to bear. This is the story that Beyond News tells us.
It is in the fitness of things, therefore, that the story is told by two professional journalists — Shakti Vrat has been in the profession since his 20s and has worked with leading newspapers such as Nav Bharat Times while co-author Sanjeev Shekhar has been in the field since 1993. He has worked with Hindustan Times, Star News and Channel 7, and, therefore, offers a beautiful blend of both print and electronic media — for only those who have been inside the newsrooms and worked there for many years could have offered such a detailed and nuanced view of the industry.
Beyond News avoids the clichés and stereotypes that are commonly associated with journalists. Especially, in today’s age wherein television journalists have become like film stars; the common man often assumes that journalism is a glamourous profession. But while there are surely many perks of the job, such as the access to the powerful, contacts with the rich and the power to mould public opinion, what is often forgotten or ignored is the hard work that goes into journalism. On paper, one story may have only taken up a few column or inches of space but the fact is that to put even a few hundred of words of paper, several hours of hard work and toil is necessary. Additionally, the book also looks at journalists working outside the power-hubs of Delhi and Mumbai. This is an important element as these journalists play an important role in bringing us stories from the ground but are usually ignored to favour their celebrity counterparts sitting in TV studios in the large metropolitan cities.
Finally, Beyond News also offers a heart-rending glimpse into the personal lives of journalists who almost always bring their work home with them. Unlike some other professions, you cannot practice journalism only for eight hours a day in the office and do nothing for the rest of the day. Journalism, in that sense, is an all-encompassing phenomenon — and it impacts not just the journalist but his or her family too. Kudos to the authors for telling this oft-forgotten tale!
Overall, the book is well-written and tightly edited. It has a gripping narrative pace that keeps one hooked till the end.