Scanning through Google News before class, I noticed a piece about the “Indianisation” of the Catholic Church in India. I didn’t have time to read the whole thing before lecture started, but I kept it in a Mozilla tab because the issue of how the Roman Catholic Church, known for its inflexibility in many respects, has been adapted to other parts of the world (as with the frequency of marriage among African priests) interests me. However, when I refreshed the page later, the article, “Going the Desi Way”, had disappeared — it still shows on Google, but nowhere else. What’s more, the URL now carried a message that was on every page of the site:
Subsequent to the notices issued by the Mumbai Police to the Publisher and Editor of Mumbai Mirror and in view of the sentiments expressed by some activist NGOs pertaining to the contents in the November 12- 18 issue of Mumbai Mirror Buzz magazine, we have requested the venders and distributors of the magazine as well as our own sales colleagues to stop sales of this issue, and to return the undistributed material back to us.
One last bit of Googling explained it all: the publisher of the magazine has been charged with violations of the Indian Penal Code and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, as well as the Press and Registration of Books Act for failing to publish the names of printer, place of printing and name of publisher in the magazine. The arrest is being viewed as part of a general morality campaign to change the popular perception of Mumbai. Apparently a college professor also has filed a lawsuit against the newspaper.
I don’t consider a sex survey under the headline “Mercury Rising: How hot is Mumbai?” to be an example of journalistic greatness, and suspect that the recently-launched Mirror may be deliberately courting controversy to gain readers. The main objection to the insert, after all, was not to the survey itself — which was featured in the Mirror’s sister publication, The Times of India, to little objection — but to the pictures that were published with it. I don’t think Woodward and Bernstein would have gotten tripped up like this in their pursuit of unwanted truths.
At the same time [insert standard defense of freedom of press and attack on prudery of authority figures]. I oppose having governmental machinery come down on the press for such cases, not least because it only gives rise to more attempts at pushing the envelope once the publisher is released, the fine paid and business back to usual.
Well, it happens all the time. Those outside the press don’t even know how much it happens behind the scenes. Threats of libel actions, freedom of information acts, threats to withdraw access etc.
The UK is having a similar mini-crisis right now when it was revealed that G Bush planned to bomb Al-Jazeera’s offices.
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/164
It was revealed that G Bush planned to bomb Al-Jazeera’s offices? Yeah. I saw that post on Pickled Politics and thought it was you being all British and ironic like. Sunny, do you have any other sources than the Daily Mirror or the others stories you linked? (The same Mirror that had to fire an editor over a faked story?)
links to other articles on it
I looked at the Google links, Ananthan. Well, the first like 20. Nice sources. They are reports and opinion pieces based, on, what exactly? If lots of sources pick up on one item and run with it, that constitutes proof? What are they teaching in schools these days.
Woodward is a phony and one of them.
They had a thing on NPR today morning about the whole “Bush expressing an interest in bombing an Arabic languaga TV station” thing.
They are reports and opinion pieces based, on, what exactly? If lots of sources pick up on one item and run with it, that constitutes proof?
MD, this strategy sounds oddly familiar – where have I seen this before… 😉
here is the cache, you see googles got a google memory
Click Here
Anyone who has read my long time commenting on this forum knows my skepticism of much that is reported in the media is not partisan, and arises from my own personal experiences. Asking for rock-solid proof in such an explosive (sorry) story is a sign of good sense, and you all know it! 🙂
My mother once called me and said, “when were you in New Orleans?” “Never” “But I was googling your name (ed note: she’s desi, what did you expect) and found an article quoting you from a meeting in New Orleans.” “Uh, a reported interviewed me in Chicago about a poster being presented at a meeting in New Orleans. I didn’t go, the resident went and presented it.” “Oh,” says nosy ma.
*PS – I am a nobody and this is the only time I was ever interviewed for a small, very small, medical type journal.
Yes. It is the same Mirror talking about the same president who swore up and down that Iraq had WMD
Ahh, now that is funny Nara. So, the president lied (I assume that is what you are getting at), and the Mirror has a proven track record of firing someone for a made up story, so, um, what exactly is your point? Assuming there is a point, other than striking a posture.
Here’s a brain teaser: How do we know now that there are no weapons in Iraq? Seems easier to verify with that nasty horror Saddam gone, no?
The world is down one nasty dictator! Well, I can’t find it in my heart to feel too bad about that, kiddos.
This President is majorly fucked. Just like Clinton was in his second term. Social security reform, tax reform…all gone. 38% approval rating–we are in Carter territory. His legacy is Iraq–and just Iraq. And maybe the budget & trade deficit.
And is it any wonder that desis are overwhelmingly democrat? 😉
MD, I am actually with you on the whole Iraq war. I think the ends justify the means in this case. But, I disagree with your initial argument, that because they fired an editor over a fake story once , nothing in the paper can be believed. The venrable NY times (yes, the one which employed Jayson Blair!) also gets it wrong from time to time.
P.S. i think even if the president did say it, he was only joking.
and No the President did not lie intentionally.
Well I think your president and my prime minister lied or “exaggerated” if you want to use the word, intentionally, to build a case for war. But that is a side issue for now.
The Mirror got busted over those pictures admittedly, but its not as simple as that. The govt knew they had the pictures and for two weeks said nothing, until they were published, and then denied all evidence or knowledge. That aside, people believe or don’t believe what they want to. So maybe the Mirror has an agenda, but why would the UK govt stop the media from reporting the rest of that memo?
I don’t doubt for a second Bush wanted to bomb Al-Jazeera. Whether he significantly went down that road is another matter. But I bet more than one person entertained the idea in this administration, given that Al-Jazeera was the only media challenging the western media’s coverage of events inside Iraq. The bigger scandal is how the western media went along with the lies, and one they’ll be talking about for decades. Until then, I think this makes a good story. And one that has more credence than, say, Fox News or what CNN might come out with IMO.
The US government lied about using phosphorus and napalm in Faluja – the Pentagon has now admitted both. I don’t see MD rushing to disbelieve everything else that the government says …