As the BJP was routed in Delhi, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has accused the media, in particular television channels, of an open bias in favour of the AAP and against the BJP.
What was broadcast in the name of opinion polls and surveys in the past few days was not only a deliberate misinformation campaign but also a gross violation of journalistic conduct during elections, the RSS mouthpiece Organiser said in an editorial.
After “demonising” Narendra Modi before his victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the media made a U-turn, the editorial said. “The same media, unable to find any fault with the policies of the Centre, was in full praise… of the NDA government’s initiatives.” However, “the moment the Delhi election was announced, their tone and temper has changed. Not only through daily TV bulletins but also through their Twitter handles and Facebook pages, they have almost started campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party.”
Organiser attributed the bias to the advent of the 24X7 electronic media which fostered the culture of “Breaking News.” “What we are witnessing in the last few years in India, especially since the last general election till the latest Delhi Assembly elections, is ‘breaking’ of news to favour or oppose a particular political disposition. This approach has shaken the very foundation of the role and ethics of journalism.”
Acknowledging the media’s right to question the establishment and making informed public opinion with plurality of views, the editorial said “activism” had crept into the media rather than “journalism.” “With [its] own agenda to fulfil, the basics of ‘objective reporting’ are missing. What the electronic media are trying to be is either a spokesman or adversary of one or the other political outfit. In the process, they are either hiding important information or distorting facts.”
The editorial said the media made a similar attempt during the Lok Sabha election, creating a “hype of the Kejriwal phenomenon in Varanasi [where Mr. Modi contested].” In the past few days, “another pet project” that the media seemed to have adopted was making the former Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader, Nitish Kumar, a national figure.
