See, that question came to mind at 11PM when I was going to sleep. Usually I get very little time to browse defence PK after seeing twitter, FB, whatsapp and then SMSs & emails which are vital. I do answer in every forum when I wait for son's tuition to be over or waiting for someone in some office and like that situation only.
Coming to topic, my personal opinion is Journalist job has its own occupational hazard. Just leave aside left, right, center or ideology for some time. What can you do, if tomorrow a Naxalite kills kills Arnab Goswami? Chances are that they will kill him if they get a chance. The same what we are doing now. Police, CB, CBI investigation etc. What you do when you catch one? 10- life time imprisonment or hanging? Will it stop? No.
We will have only TV debate and on that basis of debate our vote share will be decided.
Do you remember the infamous "Chabirani" murder case in the 80s in Odisha? There was JB Pattnaik's Govt. There was a Minister called Basant Biswal who was water resources minister. Chabirani and her husband were journalist. He exposed the corruption of Mr. Biswal's Khas people in Jagatsinghpur Biridi block. The goons of Mr. Biswal went after the journalist and found him along with his wife on the river bank while the couple decided to permanently leave their home as they felt there was no safety for them. When attacked the husband ran away and his wife was caught. The wife was brutally, raped and murdered. The description of that murder was so revolting that the then PM India Gandhi had to intervene and ask JB for action.
Then came Anjana Mishra rape case, both in the same time of JB Pattnaik, though Anjana Mishra was not a journalist.
There was no ideology at that time.
Journalists are no saints as per my experience. They regularly get their haftas from BDOs, contractors even JEs and Asst Engineer lever Govt. officers. They keep their mouth shut and open as per the situation
.Not all but many. They will not come to any news briefing until they ar sure that they will get money or liquor.
Now suppose I am an businessman or a contractor or an supplier. And I have muscle power. If some one have an evil eye on my income, then surely I will try to harm him. If I know that, that man has got more power than me, I will just keep quite and try to buy him through money or else what can I do?
I have also got personal experience. If I give advertisement to only one paper, next day all other come with an offer and a veiled threat.
Now if the murdered is caught in this particular case and if he is found out to be a Sanghi
, then also what can you do? Brand all sanghis as intolerant, fasicsts, murderers? If it is found that he shot her because a relative of him was killed by Naxals to which she endorsed, then?
Frankly speaking we are now divided. There are news debate going on in NDTV and India today channel. When a sanghi journalist will be killed, Times Now and Republic will debate it and NDTV will remain silent.
Now to my conclusion. Journalism is good, Freedom of thinking very good. Because of it only we are a happy country (I am happy). But it has its occupational Hazard.....life threatening is one of them.
Now to sleep, cannot blabber much. Subh morning walk toh jana hai.