Audacity of hope

The ruthless sacking of employees across the media sector reveals the signs of ominous, black clouds engulfing freedom and courage of millions of journalists. Take for instance, the overnight slashing of around 650 employees and four eminent editors across esteemed publications and websites owned by a rich business baron. This treatment was meted out to people who served the companies loyally for years, worked like dogs and didn’t complain even when the group’s fortune dived and there were no increments or promotions.

The reason- management says- cost cutting- cut the excess flab- free market economy- hire and fire policy. To top it all- there is also a need to increase the profit margin- it has to soar and soar like a vulture till it swoops down and sucks blood out of common human beings. It doesn’t matter whether the bunch of journalists are left philandering in a market crippled by economic woes and plunging rupee, with no fresh recruitment or opportunities whatsoever. Instead of showing empathy to the rest of the lot in the organisation, the editors are now strictly instructed to threaten them with more job losses until they become completely docile and submissive. And with hardly any union presence, they are left with no choice but connive at everything and carry on with their daily drudgery.

Moreover, journalists don’t want to protest lest their next job prospects are hurt by it. The entire industry is slowly devoured by a big shark.  It is crippled by vested political and economic interests of media owners and leading journalists. And we dare not write about these issues.

Perhaps, we can avoid this state of beings by establishing more independent and autonomous private bodies for alternative journalism run by strong editors.  These organisation should become a sort of platform and legal ground for fair diversity and competition among the private outlets. There should be more equitable distribution of wealth, more concern for the well-being of journalists working for their passions. It should be less about cut-throat competition, ego-wars. People outside should have the right to know what they want without any interference from commercial interests. The organisations should be more liberal and progressive in their outlook. We also need to form unions to voice our opinions without fear.

Meghna Maiti