"You left journalism a profession. We made it a branch of commerce,"

~Jones to Morley.

Journalism-this word has a great significance since time immemorial and Andhra Pradesh is no exception. A look at the history of Telugu journalism proves as to how big it played in uplifting the standards of women besides throwing light at burning issues and barbarious acts in the society. Thanks to Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu, who with his Vivekavardhini journal, told the Telugu world that ill-treating women is worst of all evils. Not just him, there were n number of veteran journalists who contributed so much to the society. But, what is the situation today? What has happened to journalism in the state? Why certain newspapers are pin-pointing at each other? These are the questions that would engage any average man's mind who's apparently shifting from Telugu newspapers to English dailies.

Recently Sakshi newschannel carried out a news based on a call list of a CBI official and dragged the names of certain newschannels including ABN and TV9 and similarly Andhra Jyothy reacted and gave counter stories. This is just a small instance. Earlier, reporters of Sakshi newschannel reacted vehemently when the CBI defreezed the accounts of a media group reportedly not to target the journalists but as a part of their investigation. And the issue caught the attention of the national media. India Today (Which is considered to be one of the pillars of Indian journalism) has reported that journalists in Andhra Pradesh are vertically divided into two groups. So, this is the impression our scribes are leaving behind.

The report said: The journalist community in the state is vertically divided into two groups over whether or not these developments amount to gagging the press. One group represents journalists belonging to Sakshi and the other the rival media groups - Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy, who have been prominently highlighting the CBI inquiry against Jagan and how he had floated Sakshi with ill-gotten money. The scribes belonging to the other print and electronic media, too, have joined one group or the other, conducting debates for several hours. (India Today dated May 21, 2012).

Journalists in Andhra Pradesh, aware, awake! Do not forget the goal of journalism, which is the upliftment of the society. Throw the focus on public issues and the problems faced by the public. Let us stop throwing mud at eachother.

(AW Phani)

(Note: Issued in the interest of the public)