Speaker raps media

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) What is news today is often what the market decides, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said today, reminding the Fourth Estate of its limitations and its plumetting credibility among the people.

''Unfortunately, if I am not misunderstood by my friends in the media, in the era of globalisation and market driven economy, in many instances, journalistic ethics is being decided by market,'' he said at a book release function this evening.

''I am not referring to the ownership of the newspaper as such but now-a-days one knows generally which paper is supporting which political party. With some honourable exceptions, large sections of the media are aligning themselves to one political formulation or the other, thereby affecting their objectivity and credibility,'' he said.

Competitive journalism, both in the print and electronic media -- sensationalism, lack of concern for objectivity and presentation of views in the garb of news -- was ''eroding the people's faith in the Fourth Estate'', he added.

The Speaker regretted that the media took little note of normal parliamentary proceedings and more interest in ''unfortunate disruptions''.

Speaking up for the legislature, he said nothing should be said or done that affects the very institutions on which parliamentary democracy thrives.

''If uninformed publications and motivated criticism affects the functioning of the Legislature and create doubts and questions in the people's mind about the efficacy of the legislature's work, then I feel great injustice is or will be done to the functioning of one of the most important organs of the State in a Parliamentary Democracy''.

Pointing out that there is no alternative to Parliamentary Democracy in the country, he said it was the ''duty'' of all to ensure that the Parliament's and the Legislature's role was properly recognised and no attempt was made to interfere with their discharge of duties.

The Speaker, however, praised the media's role in exposing black sheep among legislators and pointed out that Parliament had taken stringent action, including expulsion, against such members.

While saying that he was all for a free press, Mr Chatterjee said the freedom of the press should not be ''construed as the freedom for a market-driven competition for space and sensationalism''.

''The Editor's view that 'the support the Press has given the Judiciary before and during its activist role is probably reflective of the essentially urban middle and upper propertied class character of its professionals, ownership and readership' is worthy of note.

''The contours of democracy, obviously, cannot be limited to the views and perceptions of these classes alone,'' he said while speaking about the book.

The Speaker said he saw ''no reason'' why for the purpose of exercising their own freedom as contemplated by the Constitution, there ''should be any tension and disharmony among the different organs'' of State.

Mr Chatterjee was speaking after releasing a book titled 'Courts Legislatures Media Freedom'. The book, edited by K N Harikumar, has been brought out by the National Book Trust.

Former Chief Justice J S Verma, senior advocate Fali S Nariman, eminent historian Bipan Chandra and Mr Harikumar were among those present on the occasion.

The Speaker's comments came on a day when the Lok Sabha took up the Bill on the issue of office of profit, in which he too is facing disqualification for being Chairman of the Sriniketan- Shantiniketan Development Authority.

As dictated by propriety, Mr Chatterjee did not preside over the proceedings when the bill came up for discussion in the House.

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