Letters: A sorry state I

If a journalist of T N Ninan’s standing deigns to interpret and paint the acts of top editors like Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi as a professional aberration for which “just say(ing) sorry” would constitute sufficient redemption in the eyes of his professional colleagues, then it must be the true reflection and measure of the prevailing journalistic standards in the country (Weekend Ruminations, “Just say sorry!”, November 27). In such circumstances, it would be too much to expect Mr Ninan to “name and shame” (as a recent editorial in Business Standard exhorted Ratan Tata to do) the “rotten elements” in the top echelons of his profession.

But in his bid to close ranks with his beleaguered colleagues, Mr Ninan seems to have erred in taking the reader for granted. Both, the journalists “caught” on the tapes and their apologists in the mainstream media who have wantonly blacked out the 2G tapes story, have betrayed readers’ trust, and have a lot to account for. And if the groundswell of public opinion in the non-traditional media is any indication, nothing short of a complete purge of the tainted elements along with an abandonment of the cult of private treaties and paid news will help restore the credibility of the profession in the eyes of discerning readers.

Dhruv Rao, Gurgaon