Letters: Media and the message

This refers to the editorial "In need of a strategy" (April 21). The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government seems to be taking its anger out on the media because of the former's failure to combat effectively the Opposition's onslaught on the land acquisition Bill. It is bad that the inconvenient media men are called 'news traders' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

True, the fourth estate is not totally free from gonzo journalism. But it is equally true that paid news is patronised by our leaders and political parties. Still, if the government thinks that it is getting a raw deal from the media, it has many ways to publicise its viewpoint. But it must avoid painting the media with a broad brush.

For their own credibility, while the media needs to be objective and fair, the government of the day must get used to taking the bad with the good from the media over its policies and programmers. It will be bad for the democracy if the media and the powers that be agree to a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" deal.

Tarsem Singh Hoshiarpur

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