But, more recently, new policy guidelines have been issued on the uplinking and downlinking facilities of TV channels, which have been seen as a threatening move. Earlier, the vice-president, Hamid Ansari, had regretted that the Press Council lacked the authority to punish those who deviated from the norms. As if taking off from there, the new chairman of the Press Council, Justice Markandey Katju, has said that he has written to the prime minister, seeking “more teeth” for the council so that he can use the “danda” to discipline erring journalists, as he had said in a TV interview.

These are not his only controversial comments. Among the others is the somewhat sweeping observation that he has “a poor opinion of most media people” and does not “think that they have much knowledge of economic theory or political science or literature or philosophy”. Much of this may well be true. It cannot be gainsaid that there has been a falling off of standards. Moreover, since this decline has seemingly affected all walks of life – for instance, the decision of the Delhi and Bombay universities to ban well known books is a relevant example – it is not surprising that journalists, too, are guilty in this respect.

But, what is curious is not the charge so much as the across-the-board generalization. It is doubtful if Justice Katju has had the opportunity to interact with a cross-section of media personnel. His opinion is obviously based on what he has read in the newspapers and seen on TV. Although few will claim that their contents are unexceptionable, there haven’t been too many instances of readers or viewers who have chosen the kind of terms – “irresponsible”, “wayward” - which the former Supreme Court judge has used. It has to be remembered that the readers and viewers include academics and scholars, and not only the hoi polloi, but that not many of the former have been so scathing. It may not be out of place to suggest, therefore, that the judge has been somewhat hasty in forming his judgment.

It isn’t only the haste which is surprising, but also the seriousness of the aspersions that he has cast. For instance, not only does he believe that the media ignores the interests of the people, but also that “they are working positively in an anti-people manner”. How ? By diverting attention from the grinding poverty of millions to film stars, fashion parades and cricket, which is also Baba Ramdev’s pet peeve. According to the judge, cricket is the “opium of the masses”.

What this comment reveals is that in addition to jumping to conclusions, Justice Katju wants newspapers and TV channels to provide uniform, monochromatic coverage, which blacks out everything except what he considers is the overriding reality, which, in his view, is poverty. Since India is primarily a poor country, it is only this aspect of the national life which must be shown. Cricket, and certainly Formula One racing, are out. Showing these is anti-national.

There is an obviously untrue story about TV in the Soviet Union, which goes like this: all the channels were showing the dictator praising himself and if anyone switched to any other channel, he was peremptorily told to go back to the other ones. In a media world envisioned by Justice Katju, there will be a similar unvarying focus. What is clearly evident is that the judge hasn’t had the time to study the norms and compulsions which guide a profession which are vastly different from those of his own. Unless there is some understanding of what guides the owners and managers, it will be advisable for those in a position of power to reserve judgment.

Not all of these compulsions are laudable ones. There will be considerable business calculations behind them. But, the most important ingredient of the content of the programmes is the preference of the readers and viewers. Again, their choice may be perverse and an attempt has to be made to change it. But, it cannot be done overnight. If a channel tries to do so on its own, the viewer will simply use his remote. This is why Doordarshan is not the most favourite of channels and why information and broadcasting minister B.V. Keskar’s ban on Hindi film songs on Akashvani made people turn to Radio Ceylon in the 1950s and '60s. (IPA Service)