This has reference to the currently much debated post of a blogger, ckunte, who was made to tender an apology for statements made against Barkha Dutt and NDTV, blaming her/the channel for airing content that directly led to loss of lives and putting operations into Jeopardy.  (the cached article here)

What REALLY shocked me was the overwhelming response towards the option that said “Time has come for traditional media to understand they can’t do this”. Over 83% of people voted for this.

As writers, mustn’t we be aware of the distinction between Democracy and Slander/Libel?

Democracy is all about freedom of speech and expression. To express about events,  actions taken by people, decisions  and choice of actions … pretty endless list.

The expression “shoddy reporting” in itself is not really bad or out of tune. It’s done all the time.

Actor X has done some lousy acting, Director X has done some pathetic direction, Politician M has taken a lousy decision. All accepted, permitted, and even encouraged. But, calling politician X an embezzler and a cheat are not done. Not on hearsay, not without any platform or basis of concrete proven evidence.

Bloggers, please understand that you play a role in influencing minds, moods, messages and manifestations.

Blogging about current events is like niche reporting. What you write, has the power to sway people’s minds for or against people, organizations, events, and so on. And when you blog about popular people, events, etc, its your prerogative to either exalt them or rubbish them. That’s opinion.

When someone comes into a limelight, they deserve to be put under the scanner and ripped apart, in praise or criticism. And you doing that is fair contribution to these “limelight” people who by coming there, attain power to sway people, incidents and so on.

Please do criticize. And go whole hog. Its your role and even responsibility to do so. But when you do, remember that the definition of the entity that you’re criticizing, is under the scanner.

And if the junta that’s reading you is fairly smart, so is yours.

The Long and Short of things.

I hope bloggers wake up to understanding that democracy is NOT libelous slander.

I have read a lot of posts that the Traditional Media does this too, all the time. And that when they’re sued, they come up big time talking about freedom of expression and so on.

So we bloggers are supposed to be like them, now, is it ?