"MURDOCHISATION" OF INDIAN MEDIA!

Rupert Murdoch vis-a-vis world media.

Before more and more about Rupert Murdoch, We Indian must think in right perspective-Are Indian print and electronic media except a few are following the path of Murdoch to destroy the credibility , independence and freedom of press in media of India? Some print and electronic media in India , particularly Bennet, Coleman&company Ltd (BCCL), publishers of the Times of India, Economic Times, Maharashtra Times and owner pof electronic channels are "Murdochisation" their print and electronic media.I will explain all these things in this very blog itself. Rupert Murdoch  is media "moghul" in the world or "power broker" through his empire! Murdoch is known for his chain of newspapers, news magazines, electronic news channels , entertainments channels, spread over throughout the globe. His empire is$82 billion media and entertainment channels. Interestingly Murdoch had a small Australian centre-right newspapers Thereafter he expanded his media empire in Australia his home country and in the process he launched the centre-right paper-The AUSTRALIAN in 1962. He had inherited a small newspaper from his father Keith Murdoch. Successfully, Murdoch started his media ventures beyond Australia and had bought newspapers in United Kingdom in 1960s and United States in 1980s. From there Murdoch started the role of devil of the pieces. He got notoriety following his media publicity to crush trade unionism in Britain. Murdoch succeeded in dismissing 6000 employees following a strike in 1986 in Great Britain. In this misdeeds Murdoch has full support of the then Prime Minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher, who is known for trade union bashing.His long journey of dubious reached him to the height in media world and today at the age of 80 years, Murdoch is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of his News Corporation,(founded in 1979) having revenue (year to May 31, 2011) US$ 32.55 billion and gross profit is $11.88bn, employees-51000and personal net worth $7.6bn,. Murdoch owns 127 newspapers throughout the world besides electronic channels like Star news, Fox News, and other entertainment channels, according to information from various news websites and newspapers, news magazines throughout the world including Indian newspapers and news magazines.Rupert , in his credit, has many misdeeds as tales to tell!

Murdoch is considered friends of almost all the top leaders of various political parties and governments throughout the world, particularly Europe and America. He is thoroughly conservative, pro-capitalist and anti-liberal, anti-trade unions, and finally a retrograde personality in media world. His role in different big wars in middle east and South -East Asia as well as anti-Muslim attitude have destroyed the credibility of media in the world. Murdoch always started campaign against Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other progressive countries like Vietnam, China, France, Germany and sided with colonial European countries like England, Israel, US etc. All these things reflected in his print and electronic media in the last several years.His print and electronic media virtually started campaign against progressive countries. It was his print media and electronic media, which had started a campaign against progressive US President Barack Obama's birth certificate and his father's Islamic faith. It is Murdoch responsible for creating hysteria that behind every terror acts, there is invariably a Muslim hand! Many columnists of The New York Times, The Economist , Indian news magazine-The Frontline have exposed the evil designs of Rupert. A new York Times columnist Rank rich has described the Murdoch media empire as "Islamophobia command centre" a comprehensive report of the Frontline says and adds that the Economist wrote, that it was for the first time since the powerful" East India Company"was brought to heel in the 19th century that political power over an influential private enterprises in Britain(has) been so brutally enforced"powerful .It further predicted Rupert empire fall!

More over this small story of Rupert is not enough to explain his conduct in the media world, which has become shame both for print and electronic media in the globe. His recent involvement in publishing and broadcasting in his channels and news papers, news magazines the private lives of people is highly  immoral . And his involvement and also his journalist staff as well as his management have put Murdoch in serious troubles-but shamelessly he is defending himself and his publications and at the same time closing down his one of the important Newspaper--"News of the World", responsible for phone hacking scandal. Murdoch and his son had been interrogated intensively for the crime by the committee of the British  Parliament.They both faltered!

Sadly Murdoch's invasion in the shape of spreading its network in India has started giving ominous signal for print and electronic media in the country besides threat to culture, civilization, unity and integrity, and secular credentials of India.Besides spreading its tentacles in 1991 after looking its market prospects Rupert-controlled Star(Satellite Television Asia region) group in the of wake economic liberalisation policy and subsequently allowing world media to enter India after vehement opposition, now the Rupert owned Star India Group is one of the biggest media conglomerates in the country (in terms of turn over).It claims largest number of viewers around 170 million every week for its  32 channels in eight languages including Star plus, Star one, star Gold, Channel V, Star Jalsa, Star Parah, Star World, Star Movie. Star utsav, and joint venture channels such as Asia net, Sky News, FX, Fox crime, Star Vijay, Star News, ESPN and star Sports among others A front line report says.and adds thatDaya Kishan Thusssu, professor of international communication at the university  of Westminster has said ," Mudrochisation"of Indian media as a process "which involves the shift of media power from public to private-owned, transitional, multimedia corporations controlling both delivery system and the content of global information networks." For the first time in India, BCCL,publishers of Times of India, Economic Times, Maharashtra Times are market leaders in their categories, has broken" Lakhsman rekha" in 2003  that existed between marketing and editorial departments. BCCL , surprisingly, started paid contents""service called media net", which sent journalists to cover product launches or celebrated related events for a fee. It violated blatantly journalistic ethics but regretfully BCCL management claims that is acceptable given that such "advertorials".Interestingly it also introduced "paid news" syndrome, which involves paying newspapers and broadcasters for positive coverage. It is big menace for Indian journalism. Press Council of India is sitting over the matter and nothing tangible has come out. BCCL has also introduced "private treaties:" scheme, which allows giving space to corporates in exchange of quality shares. All these action of BCCL is  " Murdochisation of Indian Media by BCCL".the Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N Ram has rightly said,"This is disturbing trend. Investigative journalism has been given a bad name by the invasive spy camera." Similar concern were voiced over " Murdochisation "of Indian media and recent trend on freedom of press and expression as well as "undeclared censorship" by owners of media houses for serving their enlightened self interest and also virus of "paid news"  by eminent journalists including P Sainath,India Today group editor Aroon Purie.According to Thussu and others, the channels in Star group led the the way in developing content that is sensationalists and emphasis urban, westernised, consumerists concern with a particular emphasis on sex and celebrity culture as well as three Cs (crime, cricket,cinema). All these developments in the wake of Murdoch , going berserk must be controlled by the people of India and the union government. Is this not ominous sign for India media?