There are moments when I wonder whether it would be useful to start a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section as an independent blog in the Readers’ Editor vertical. The reason is that some questions keep coming though they have been addressed in my earlier columns. The purpose of the section is to provide generic answers to the most frequently asked questions, so as to spare people the effort of typing out the same old answers when they are posed repeatedly.
My initial reservations against such a move arose from the existence of two guiding documents that I referred to in my very first column on September 24, 2012. I wrote: “the Terms of Reference defines my role and the Code of Editorial Values defines the role of the editorial team. Readers’ concerns, complaints and suggestions shall not be evaluated in an arbitrary fashion, but within a rigorous framework set out in these two documents, as they provide for an institutional framework for a mutual dialogue between The Hindu and its millions of readers. My job is to see that this dialogue takes place for mutual benefit.”
There is a remit for my job. It would be breach of the remit if I were to venture beyond. For instance, one of the readers asked: “Could the Readers’ Editor become an ombudsman not just for the editorial content but also for the organisation? The Readers’ Editor, therefore, will also have the opportunity to comment on the whole political economy of the media organisation s/he is part. After all, the content of the newspaper, to a larger extent, is the inevitable product of the bigger political economy of the media organisation one is part of.” If I were to do this, I will be indulging in overreach.
Looking beyond facts The next issue where I exercise caution is the opinion section. Unlike news, opinion pieces have a subjective element, and the newspaper does not incise these subjective readings because the section is meant to initiate dialogue and to look beyond facts. Let me explore three recent cases.
First, is an article in the Comment section by Suchitra Vijayan, >“A lonely fighter lost among patriarchs” (February 8, 2014). One of the counter insurgency instructors of the Army, Col. Radhakrishnan Pattah, took exception to the writer’s criticisms of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. He launched a counter attack: “Those who do not know anything about insurgency, terrorism and organised violence, but having degrees in Law can by all means bring in logic against it. But to give wrong interpretation of the law is unacceptable.”
The second article against which questions were raised was >“Giving the AAP a fair chance” by Gargi Parsai (January 30, 2014). The objection was to the sentence: “The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi too is now harping on ridding India of corruption.” One of the readers felt that it was a compromise of truth when the author claimed that Mr. Modi was harping about ridding corruption only after the AAP government was formed and wondered whether this statement could stand scrutiny on factual accuracy.
The third article that triggered a spate of mails was >“Reforms in the house of God” by A. Srivathsan (January 13, 2014). He argued that the need for state intervention in temple management was realised during the temple entry movement, which stressed the importance of treating temples as public spaces. His main question was: if temples are collective cultural assets and a part of a larger heritage, can they stay outside the purview of reforms that further public interest? But the responses did not reflect on the core of his arguments. They were merely angry retorts.
Salient differences May I request the readers to make the distinction between news and opinion. And also bear in mind that not all opinions have the endorsement of the paper. The Hindu’ s opinion is reflected in its Editorials. The lead article and the comment articles are the opinion of the writers. The New York Times blog, “The Learning Network,” is one of the tools dedicated to journalism literacy, and its exercise titled ‘Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion’ explains the salient differences.
According to the blog, a fact is considered something proven to be true and an opinion is a personal belief. It further states that those writing an essay, review or opinion article are trying to persuade readers to accept their views based on their professional or personal experiences.
The three articles we looked at are considered opinions of a section and they should be seen as such. And for those who do not agree with the arguments, there is space in the “Letters to the Editor” column and in the “Comment” section of the webpage.
readerseditor@thehindu.co.in
