Caught offering to publish scripted political interview as ‘news' for Rs. 86,400
“First we'll do one interview on TV on HCN [Herald Cable Network] and after that episode next week, we can carry the same kind of write-up [in the Herald] … how it appeared today, no ... for the HCN thing you have to make a payment of 50,000 [rupees] … and this particular size for Herald, it will be 86,400 rupees … Only you will have to prepare from your side which kind of questions you will like to answer comfortably …”
Paid news is no stranger to Goa, only this time it's drawing unfriendly attention. Those are excerpts from recorded conversations between Tulshidas Desai, marketing manager of OHeraldO (the Herald) and Goa-based journalist Mayabhushan Nagvenkar.
The journalist was pulling off a sting posing as Bernard Costa, a would-be candidate in the State's Assembly polls to be held early next year.
Sales pitch
The Herald's marketing manager is making a sales pitch when the journalist calls up and asks how much it would cost to have an interview of himself dressed up as news. The Herald claims to be Goa's largest-circulated English daily.
“Ya, but can you send me a quotation?” the journalist posing as a candidate asks Mr. Desai. “A rough quotation [of what it costs]?” Mr. Desai knows an ethical line is being crossed and is wary of leaving a trail. “This is like an editorial kind of thing, no,” he says. “I can't mention on the paper, you know … .”
Money for interview
In the conversations, the marketing manager appears to confirm that Raymond D'Sa [an aspiring candidate from Cortalim in south Goa] paid Rs. 2 lakh to get his ‘interview' carried in the Herald of October 20, the morning of the conversation.
Mr. Nagvenkar: “So Raymond's interview was [for] two lakh [rupees].” Desai: “Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya …” But “you are not going to say advertorial, [above the interview], no? asks the journalist. No, Mr. Desai [who first mentioned ‘advertorial'] reassures him. It would be just like Raymond D'Sa's interview. “Today how nothing is mentioned no? Like that only … .” However, Mr. D'Sa, when contacted by The Hindu, flatly denied having made any payment for the interview.
Since these audio recordings went public, all hell has broken loose. Except in Goa's media, which remains stoically silent on a scandal which broke just after the Election Commission of India handed out the first-ever verdict in Indian electoral history disqualifying a sitting legislator for improper accounts and indulging in “paid news.”
Keywords: OHeraldO, paid news, Goa newspaper, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, money for interview
It was very shocking to know that the Aldona MLA is being caught Red
handed while distributing cash on 1st March at 6.00 pm. It is not new
to him and to the Aldonkar. This policy shows that he can never win
election without using cash to pay for the locals and that too konly
for some close associates will benefit will get it. Previous Election
Farmeena Khaunte and Kundha had given him good fight and infact he was
doubtful to win but the power of cash worked miracles in Aldona. Can
Dayanand Narvekar win on his own ? Will He win this Election as people
are fed up the way Aldonkars are up to. There is absoutely no
development in aldona since Dayanand Narvekar is Election. People
have to come up clean and vote for change.Dayanand Narvekar was very
well prepared while distributing cash with his bouncers and Goondas.
He had placed bouncers and Goondas till hundred meters to safeguard
himself but the truth came and message was out that he is being caught
distributing.
I appreciate The Hindu for persistently chasing the menace of paid-news. I have read the referred 'article' titled "People will vote only for Congress: Raymond" on the 20/Oct edition of OHeraldO online. It smells and tastes like the correspondent has been given both the questions and answers by Mr. D'Sa. The questions posed to the aspiring MLA are dumb and self-flattering, giving credence to the article being planted as paid-news. What does Mr. D'Sa say about the mining issue? "It is too serious an issue to talk". How do you solve serious issues if you don't discuss in public forums? Is he a beneficiary of illegal mining?
This Paid-news is in TV Channel and also in the Print media . Goa's media is stoically silent. How PCI could take any action against the TV Channel unless the Electronic Media is also brought under PCI . The Editors Guild condemned PCI's Chairman Justice Katju as uninformed when he expressed his poor opinion about the media and pointed out that most of the media people have poor intellectual level. They have vehemently opposed his suggestion to empower PCI to take action against the Electronic as well as Print Media and asserted that the existing powers of PCI is enough. I would like to know the response of the Edittors Guild to this Saga of paid News. Politician is punished by ECI. Why don't there be a Media Council with powers to punish the media by stopping Government ads, imposing penalties and canceling the Licence. Justice Katju is fully justified . Let the Editors Guild and Big bosses in the Media allow follow up action on PCI's report on paid news . Media is not above Law .
Who says Judge Katju was in error (in his assessment of media)?
Temptation for easy money is the root of all problems
It would have been more interesting if the name of the political party to which Mr.Raymond D'Sa belonged was indicated.Maybe libel laws prevent the publication of the name.In any case from all this two things are quite clear.Firstly, "Advertorials" (a very apt neologism)are here to stay. They will be refined so well that no charge can be leveled against the publishers nor the interviewee. Secondly,the Silence of the Congress Government (and not the Lambs) speaks volumes.Is that an oxymoron or what?
Kudos to the journalist who is exposing this malaise within Indian media. Quite a shameful act by the Herald.
This is fantastic stuff. As always the police will take prompt action - as on other cases - on the whistle blower! Nevertheless I am encouraged by the election commission's last action to hope that some punishment will be given out to Raymond D'Sa and HCN.
This should be investigated as a top priority. The roots will go much deeper. An example should be made that would suggest that this sort of behaviour would not be acceptable from publication houses and news organizations. Kudos to 'The Hindu' for bringing it up.
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