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Ramnath Goenka and Ramoji Rao: Who's the ideal margadarsi (role model)?
Business and Media have nothing to do with each other. Try telling that to Sobhana Bhartia, Uday Kotak, Saharashree Roy, Aroon Poorie, Sharad Pawar, Srini Raju, Subash Goel, Girish Sanghi, Ramoji Rao or the late Ramnath Goenka.
For these business barons, media is just another business venture, just like cement or running a bank. They had other businesses to run and a newspaper or a television channel was all about profit and loss. Forget the old time talk of a newspaper being a harbinger of social change and a defender of truth and freedom. Bullshit. It's all about money, honey.
A newspaper is not just about ink and newsprint. It's about hundreds and thousands of people who eke out a living. Naturally, a newspaper has to make money. It has to pay for the land on which the press is located, spend on buying the printing equipment, buy newsprint, pay electricity bills, and of course, the salary of its employees. Naturally, all these require money. Which is possible only if the owner of the newspaper has some business other than his dream of a newspaper to start with.
If a newspaper does not make money, it has only one choice – shut down. When bad times dawn, the same fire breathing political leaders and armchair social activists who talk about freedom of speech will not pay the salary of newspaper employees. Ask employees of Udayam (now in limbo), Andhra Prabha, Indian Express and Vaartha. They will tell you about heartless owners who do not pay salary for months on end.
Being the owner of a newspaper or a television channel gives an aura of respectability. Even if the owner is a crook like Girish Sanghi. He used the power of the written to hijack the paper from its original owners, and walk around like a messiah. Hobnobbing with political class, he soon wormed his way to Lyuten’s Delhi and got a membership of the Rajya Sabha. Today, no one questions this man on why he does not pay salary to his employees. Or why he lobbies for builders who violate all rules and regulations. Why? He is a newspaper boss and an MP too.
It’s a sad reflection of our times when political parties start handing out tickets to crooks in the guise of media bosses for having supported them in ‘their’ cause. There are people like Rajiv Shukla and Chandan Mitra who made it to Parliament based on their political affiliations. Whoever said that ‘politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel’ said it right. But then not everyone is a scoundrel.
The late Ramnath Goenka was a man who was an exception to this rule. A colossus, he stood up for what he believed in. For him, fighting the establishment was a passion. One, which got him into the bad books of ruling elite, more often than not. But Ramnath Goenka stood by editors, who were fine men of letters and ethics like BG Verghese and Arun Shourie.
Instead we have men like Venkatram Reddy of Deccan Chronicle who owns expensive cars, over a dozen race horses, and a number of failed businesses including one called Annapurna Foils. It always helps to deal with bankers and politicians if you are the owner of a newspaper. Reddy Jr had briefly stepped into the shoes of his late father to serve out the reminder of his Rajya Sabha term. When he does not get something done his way in his business, he wears the hat of a newspaper owner. Nobody dared ask him why his name does not find mention as the publisher of DC. That's another story of how a newspaper belonging to a Tamilian family was ruthlessly hijacked by Reddy senior.
Now, a debate has erupted on the role of Ramoji Rao, Margadarsi and Eenadu. It’s about a thin line that divides on where the role of a businessman ends and that of a newspaper editor starts. Should one keep newspaper business and other ventures separate? Can an attack on one be construed as an attack on the other? Can a businessman-newspaper owner hide his othher businesses under the cloak of being a defender of the freedom of press?
Let us have your comments at vikram.apmedia@gmail.com
For these business barons, media is just another business venture, just like cement or running a bank. They had other businesses to run and a newspaper or a television channel was all about profit and loss. Forget the old time talk of a newspaper being a harbinger of social change and a defender of truth and freedom. Bullshit. It's all about money, honey.
A newspaper is not just about ink and newsprint. It's about hundreds and thousands of people who eke out a living. Naturally, a newspaper has to make money. It has to pay for the land on which the press is located, spend on buying the printing equipment, buy newsprint, pay electricity bills, and of course, the salary of its employees. Naturally, all these require money. Which is possible only if the owner of the newspaper has some business other than his dream of a newspaper to start with.
If a newspaper does not make money, it has only one choice – shut down. When bad times dawn, the same fire breathing political leaders and armchair social activists who talk about freedom of speech will not pay the salary of newspaper employees. Ask employees of Udayam (now in limbo), Andhra Prabha, Indian Express and Vaartha. They will tell you about heartless owners who do not pay salary for months on end.
Being the owner of a newspaper or a television channel gives an aura of respectability. Even if the owner is a crook like Girish Sanghi. He used the power of the written to hijack the paper from its original owners, and walk around like a messiah. Hobnobbing with political class, he soon wormed his way to Lyuten’s Delhi and got a membership of the Rajya Sabha. Today, no one questions this man on why he does not pay salary to his employees. Or why he lobbies for builders who violate all rules and regulations. Why? He is a newspaper boss and an MP too.
It’s a sad reflection of our times when political parties start handing out tickets to crooks in the guise of media bosses for having supported them in ‘their’ cause. There are people like Rajiv Shukla and Chandan Mitra who made it to Parliament based on their political affiliations. Whoever said that ‘politics is the last refuge of the scoundrel’ said it right. But then not everyone is a scoundrel.
The late Ramnath Goenka was a man who was an exception to this rule. A colossus, he stood up for what he believed in. For him, fighting the establishment was a passion. One, which got him into the bad books of ruling elite, more often than not. But Ramnath Goenka stood by editors, who were fine men of letters and ethics like BG Verghese and Arun Shourie.
Instead we have men like Venkatram Reddy of Deccan Chronicle who owns expensive cars, over a dozen race horses, and a number of failed businesses including one called Annapurna Foils. It always helps to deal with bankers and politicians if you are the owner of a newspaper. Reddy Jr had briefly stepped into the shoes of his late father to serve out the reminder of his Rajya Sabha term. When he does not get something done his way in his business, he wears the hat of a newspaper owner. Nobody dared ask him why his name does not find mention as the publisher of DC. That's another story of how a newspaper belonging to a Tamilian family was ruthlessly hijacked by Reddy senior.
Now, a debate has erupted on the role of Ramoji Rao, Margadarsi and Eenadu. It’s about a thin line that divides on where the role of a businessman ends and that of a newspaper editor starts. Should one keep newspaper business and other ventures separate? Can an attack on one be construed as an attack on the other? Can a businessman-newspaper owner hide his othher businesses under the cloak of being a defender of the freedom of press?
Let us have your comments at vikram.apmedia@gmail.com
11 comments:
The story is incomplete one. The headline doesn't reflect the stuff you provided. Go for a revision with a better comparision between Ramnath and Ramoji
Siddarth
MCJ
OU, Hyderabad
When Ramoji feels that he has right to publish misdeeds of politions(of his choice), politians also has right to point out loop holes in his other business. No body has given power of atorney on behalf of AP public to Ramoji to talk about corruction of only some people of his opposite political party. If he want to fight on corruction of all political parties every body appreciates him.
Dear Vikram, what you wrote is a curtain raiser to an interesting and serous discussion. It is not conclusive. Ramnath Goenka seems to be a Hero, but the reality is not so. He has tried to protect his business interests of his Jute mills and ass such Indian Express had a nickname of JUTE PRESS.
When A.R. Antulay did not give Cement under a subsidised quota for the construction of Express Towers in Mumbai, Indian Express started writing against Antulay and saw to it that he was removed. fter a prolonged legal battle, Antulay came out with clean hands. However, his political career was lost. The Editor of those times, later confirmed the folly. Do we still believe that Ramnath Goenka is a holy person ? He might have given freedom to his editors, but, has he acted fairly ?
This is a debatable point and atleast it is time for us to come out with the truth.
Regards.
It is unfortunate that you chose to bracket Indian Express with Vaartha and Andhra Prabha. Express has delayed salaries, but never once defaulted. Maybe we are not the best paid but still we are paid what is our due and we respect our owners for that.
Andhra Prabha, is another story altogether, what purpose it serves its owner is anyone's guess.
Vaartha as anyone knows is a bad paymaster and has regularly defaulted on salaries.
Secondly The Indian Express, never had any other business interests maybe that was singularly the reason that the paper could stay independent.
Serving Express has been a pride for most of us here. Forget the maudlin few who would be unhappy even if they were paid in gold every month.
Eenadu keeps a scanner on corruption when congress is in power. It plays kind of soft scolding/advisory role when TDP is in power.
Ennadu first brain washes and prepares people for an opinion(in the due course itmay do some impartial looking critical analysis) and then publishes the same opinion. Ennadu generally talks about some distant ideal personalities like Gandhi and then proves that Eenadu's opponents are worthless compared to Gandhi.
This site is exactly doing the same thing as Eenadu does except the place given to TDP by Eenadu is given to congress by this site.
Never focus on the motives of the government taking undue interest even when no body has complained.
Ultimately it's the paisa that's running politicians, industialist, media barons, websites also.
The basic problem is everybody is selfish and values are eroded, partly due to capitalism and partly due to our backward socio politicalculture.
Vikram,
its a well drafted one...looks like ppl need to surf through this blog for a proper understanding of Article 19 1 (a) aka.. making money with the same article
cheers
Doubble zombie
vikram,
It’s a timely exercise. a deeper look at the kind of media that goenka led will give us a chance to know the kind of media that ramoji is now leading. goenka's journalism was anti-establishment, an opposition role played by media in the larger interests of the people. that is what the media is expected to do. but take a look at ramoji's media. it is not anti-establishment and in favour of people. but it is anti-congress and in favour of ramoji and his interests. ramoji's personal news takes the prime slot, even if it is a press note. others statements, if they are against his interests, are either ignored or buried in last columns. his 'journalists' get the first news, no matter if other journalists are pushed out or prevented. his media had no history of fighting for the rights of the journalists, which reflects freedom of press. on the other hand, he has emerged as the biggest exploiter of the journalists and the cruelest suppressor of their rights. a man who cannot write a single line, continues to grab the respects from the world as editor, while the real editors suffer in guise. what an exploitation it is!? we know, n ram is an able editor, we know arun shourie an able editor, we know narla venkateswara rao as an able editor, a b k prasad, nanduri ramamohana rao, c raghava chari, pothuri venkateswara rao, m v r sastry, k ramachandra murthy, and a galaxy of writer-editors. but where does ramoji rao stands when he is to be considered as editor?
the basic point is, if ramoji was to be right and rajasekhar reddy was wrong, why ramoji is not revealing the transactions of margadarsi and prove the critics wrong? why is he not showing the data either in the paper or channel to prove his sincerity and honesty? why is he beating around the bush to justify himself? why is he only talking about his sincerity and his ability to pay to the depositors? if he is able to pay to the depositors, why is he now trying to sell assets, if he was right, honest? why is he using media to speak about his other business activities? naidus, raghavulus and kcrs should realise that there are hundreds of private finance company owners, who are ready to declare that they are honest, if ramoji rao's statements are to be accepcted. are they now ready to allow such other private finance companies to do their business just basing on their statements?
French queen Marie Antoinette was not so bad - after all, she is merely supposed to have told starving peasants "If you don't have bread, eat cake". In any case, it has to be granted that cake is routinely eaten by human beings all over the world. But Sonia Gandhi's pet dog Jairam Ramesh asked leaders of Left Parties to eat dog food if they did not like Palaniappan Chidambaram Chettiyar's bullshit budget. Business Standard's Mumbai edition (Friday, March 2, 2007) has reported this incident in "Chinese Whispers" on Page 14. We must welcome this very practical suggestion because Left ( kept) parties also wag their tails and support this dog-forsaken government which believes in eliminating poverty by killing the poor systematically. So hence forth all of us should eat dog food which we rightfully deserve. Looks like people get the food and governments they deserve. Ordinary food like bread and milk are meant only for the pet dogs of foreign pedigree residing at Pali Hill, Napean Sea Road and Malabar Hill... But let us first feed some dog biscuits to the cheating Chettiyar from Kandanur ... live on TV... After all, the Chettiyar family must lead by example... Samir Jain's TIMES NOW TV must cover this grand event live just like Times of India's Mumbai edition (Friday, March 2, 2007) has carried exclusive photographs of the cheating Chettiyar's ancestral house in Kandanur, Sivagangai, on Page 19. Since the cheating Chettiyar is also a lawyer representing Coca Cola India, the company may even start a special brands of premium dog food called ' Thiruvalluvar' and 'Thirukkural'. And rightly so... Because the cheating Chettiyar has used Thiruvalluvar as a marketing tool and mascot for his doggone budget. Samir Jain can, of course, be expected to purchase 2 per cent stake in the new venture and promote both the brands as usual in all Times Group publications. Other guys who must eat dog food and lead by example are Jairam Ramesh, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Manmohan Singh... A dog food carnival should be organised in a five-star hotel... Rashtrapati Bhavan should also include dog food in the menu... Talk of eating humble pie... All government bureaucrats should also eat dog food... Once they have eaten enough dog food and sodomised each other doggie style, they are likely to become common man's best friends... After all dog is man's best friend... Once these fellows become common man's best friends, may be, they will learn to appreciate useless things like farmers committing suicide, malnutritioned children, falling water tables etc... It would also be a nice idea to make dog our national animal - 3 dogs and Ashok Chakra!!! After all, in India all of us quietly, loyally and faithfully obey our bosses' bullshit orders like dogs. Dogs bark once in a while, but we always wag our tails. We also backbite each other with dogged determination... So what if you have to pay too much EMI on housing loans? Who asked you to stay in flats? You can always stay in kennels. Soon HDFC and ICICI Bank may start lending kennel loans. Others who don't get these loans can always be street dogs or stray dogs because Public Distribution System is in a very bad shape and is already being dismantled. But that need not worry you because several rich women like Maneka Gandhi are always busy setting up several NGOs for the welfare of street dogs and strays. So you will get to pose with nude celebs like Pamela Anderson at the local Lion's Club, for photographs which will be carried in the media... You can also complain to the Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) whenever your bosses violate your animal rights, since human rights simply don't exist under our banias, bullshitting bosses and politicians. So simply eat whatever you are given by your masters like press barons, banias, bullshitting bosses and politicians, just like you publish all press releases and plugs fed to you by corporate communications and public relations pimps without any complaints or indigestion whatsoever. If you can digest bullshit press releases everyday, dog food should not be too difficult to digest at all. You will surely get used to it. In fact, over a period of time, you will not only enjoy it, but also prefer eating dog food. But if the Samir Jains of the world insist on feeding you dogs called PRESStitudes and WHORE nalists with pure vegetarian food, do not run to SPCA or PETA to complain, because these are all run by rich vegetarian Gujarati, Mar wadi and Jain Saffron-loving banias who are determined to make you eat vegetarian food, especially when they know you don't enjoy it. So BON APPETIT!!! Who knows? In this dog eat dog world, eating dog food may just ensure that life's not such a BITCH after all!!!
Subbugaru
Express might be paying its staffers late, but you cannot dispute the corners it is cutting. For example: it has not paid gratuity due to P. A Victor Paul who quit some years ago, nor to Mazaj Panjatan who is still slogging and feels shy to ask. See if you can put in a word through V-asu and they get paid. Then EXpress will redeem some of its sheen.
Mr Siddarth why are you faking as MCJ student of OU. Its fakery. I have never seen u there. No siddarth at all in MCJ.
Its unfair to say that the Indian Express does not pay salaries to the staff months.
Thwe truth is that the employees may get a little les than others, but it is paid to meet their requirements.
Also, you are writing so much about the misdeeds of DC in manipulating its circulation figures. Why dont you probe the exit of a senior official of DC management some two months ago. There will be lot of fodder for your next column
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