At last the cricket scam has subsided. Weeklies brought out dozens of cover stories.Dailies published scores of headlines. What would have happened if the press had shownsimilar enthusiasm in the Jain hawala case? Some pressmen described Manoj Prabhakar asbeing dubious. But that did not stop them from publicising his video. Perhaps somepressmen might have considered Vineet Narain dubious too. Should that have stopped themfrom publicising his videos?
The cricket scam is based mostly on accusations. The hawala scam was based onconfessions. Had the Jain hawala case received the same treatment as the cricket scam,this is how banner headlines would have read.
diary nails 40 leaders in hawala scam!
New Delhi: In a case involving foreign funds passing to Kashmiri terrorists, the CBIstumbled on a sensational diary...
devi lal took money from jain
New Delhi: Speaking on camera to video journalist Vineet Narain, Devi Lal admitted takingmoney from the Jain brothers...
jain gave me money: sharad yadav
New Delhi: Sharad Yadav, appearing in Aap Ki Adalat on Zee TV, said he had received moneyfrom the Jains...
supreme court to monitor hawala probe
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today insulated the CBI from the government. It directed CBIofficials to report progress in camera to the court...
advani, scindia, others chargesheeted
New Delhi: The CBI informed the Supreme Court today that six leading politicians...
chief justice says judges pressurised on hawala case
New Delhi: Chief Justice Verma stunned the court by alleging that judges were beingpressurised in the Jain hawala case. However, he did not name...
delhi high court throws out hawala case
New Delhi: Justice Shamim ruled that in the Jain hawala case, monitored by the SupremeCourt, there was no admissible evidence...
There would have been more sensational headlines. But the hawala case was buried. Truthwas buried. The media's conscience was buried. Why? In a recent TV programme, theanchorman asked: "Do pressmen bend before politicians?"
Vinod Mehta, on the panel, replied with refreshing candour: "Yes, pressmen do bendbefore politicians."
I didn't say that, Vinod. You did.
Bashing leaders is out
Because it ain't cricket!
The press in fact is about
Protecting one's own wicket!
