"Sir you left journalism a profession and we have made it a branch of commerce."
-This line was an apparent extract from the dairy of a famous journalist.

Media for communication as we broadly call has different branches through which news gets disseminated. Be it the traditional medium like harikathas or the modern media such as  print, radio, television and web, sending information through a systematic and ethical process without losing the balance is what journalism in broader concept.

Caught in the rat race to fill the pockets, a few professionals who are entering the prestigious fourth estate are unfortunately trying their best to transforming this field into a branch of commerce a.k.a advertisement. You might have so far come across in Bollywood flicks such as Page 3, the way people try to publish their photographs on page 3 of the newspapers by hook or by crook.

What if that Page 3 tradition crawls into all other pages? Can we then call that journalism has been taken for a royal toss by a few so called professionals? Although it's a rhetoric question, not to forget that it's also an obvious one.

Some facts:

• There are two complaints of paid news that were being checked by the Press Council of India

• In 2013, the total number of complaints of paid news are nine

• According to the Information and Broadcasting ministry, in 2011-12, there were 11 complaints against some newspapers for paid news

• So far Press Council of India Committee observed over 100 confirmed cases of paid news

• As many as 61 persons admitted that they paid money to the print and electronic media for paid news

The trend of 'paid news' seems to be fast catching up these days. Reasons could be many over the same. A person running a stores next your office might enter into a deal with you to publish his name and address at the end of the article so that he will pay you more. In the name of uniqueness and creativity, you might even fool around your boss and go ahead with the indecent game but it does surely effect the profession to the core.

We don't mean that fourth estate is like that. We are just highlighting the possibilities and the alleged trend that's fast catching up only because of those who wish to earn some extra bucks at the cost of their ethics and the noble profession. As an entrepreneur if you wish to earn more with innovative ideas, people will surely welcome it. But as a professional journalist, if this is what runs on your mind then you are just doing injustice to the profession, which has been looked upon by many as next to God for journalism changed the lives of scores and even altered the condition of the society. That's the reason why Press is called fourth estate and why pen is mightier than sword! We have immense respect towards journalism and anything that could make people think, understand and act!

(AW Phani)

Image source:  Outlook India

note: issued in the interest of the public