Indian Media VS Internet Hindus

Internet is one of the greatest equalizers. The world has become smaller and more transparent. Events can be recorded and ideas written by anyone to be spread around for quick dissemination. Anyone with a cell phone can be a reporter. Anyone with a computer can be a writer.
I remember when India had Akashvaani to depend on for any news. Since it was controlled by state, we heard what the government wanted us to hear. In case of India, even the media liberalization did not do much good because the media was essentially toeing the pseudo-secular line drawn in the sand by the non-BJP establishment. The Daily Pioneer remains the only fair national newspaper.
As I said, people with cell phones and Internet connections have sent out to the world pictures and information that the Chinese or the Iranian government did not want anyone to hear about the goings on in Xinqiang or the post election protests (in Iran).
In the meetings with Indian students, Rahul Gandhi’s handlers have kept the media out lest the truth got out. Unfortunately for them, our cell-phone reporters were hard at work and showed the world what Rahul, the man is like. This happened in Bihar and Gujarat. Maybe that is why Congress won only four seats in Bihar.
The liberal establishment would love to silence people like us from expressing our anger but in the cyber world where anyone can express himself or herself, American styled first amendment right is now afforded to all the citizens of the world. There are answers to the likes of Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi all over the place. The advent of the new age of reporters and Twitter reporters has left the establishment shaken up. They tried to brand people like us “Internet Hindus” as if using the word Hindu would make it anything sound dirty.
The intrepid Rajeev Srinivasan has raised this point like only he can. In the article titled “India is finally seeing the birth of alternative journalism”, he says- And then the western media picked up what bloggers and Twitterati were saying. This hit the uppity journos where it hurt the most. They fulfilled their greatest ambition — getting their coveted fifteen minutes of fame in the New York Times or Washington Post; but, alas, it was via a commentary on their (lack of) journalistic ethics and on the harsh judgment of the Internet readers.
As a result, Vir Sanghvi, for all practical purposes, fell on his sword, shutting down his impugned column. Barkha Dutt tried the opposite tack: brazening it out and proclaiming innocence. This did not work; NDTV’s credibility is damaged and her ratings have plummeted (according to TAM data for December). An attempt at self-defense on TV boomeranged: she appeared shifty and guilty as charged, Nixon-like.
The article can be read at: http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/column_india-is-finally-seeing-the-birth-of-alternative-journalism_1493314
The image is from: http://worldcultures.wikispaces.com/