New Delhi: Let me begin by wishing all our viewers and netizens a happy new year! 2014 is not just any other year. If for China it is the year of the horse, for India is it the year of the voter. A general election year is an opportunity for the Indian voter to reaffirm their tryst with democracy. For the Indian media, it is a chance to commit itself once again to the holy covenant of journalism: to be fair, independent and honest. We live in an increasingly polarized polity: the mantra of the netas and their followers is: if you are not with 'us', then you must necessarily be with 'them'. At the IBN 18 network, we are with neither side in the political debate: the only voice we hear is that of the Indian citizen. For much too long that voice was barely audible: the explosion of television news media in the last decade has provided a platform for public concerns to be taken to those who govern us. That will be our ceaseless effort in 2014: putting journalism first, we will aim to put news above noise, sense above sensation and credibility above chaos. All the time, holding those in positions of power accountable. We don't claim to be judges nor jurors, we are newspersons for whom truth is not always black or white, but is often found in more complex shades of grey. We also don't claim to be infallible: in a 24 x 7 wheel we will make mistakes and you the viewers have every right to point them out to us. But the emphasis will be on getting it right, even before getting it first: winning with integrity is critical in a cluttered news environment.
Unfortunately, competitive pressures have meant that a section of the news media has lost its moral compass and edged towards prejudice and partisanship: a general election year is as good a time as any to revisit the first principles of our profession. There will be pressures: individual, political, corporate. We would like to assure our viewers that we will always resist any attempt to unfairly influence the editorial process from anyone. One of the strengths of the IBN 18 network is that we believe in pluralism of thought: an essential prerequisite in this context is the right to dissent. You will hear in our studios pro and anti Narendra Modi voices, those which criticize Rahul Gandhi and those who feel he deserves a chance, those who are drawn to the Aam Admi party and those who reject its politics.
Sadly, we have become a more intolerant society. Any opinion contrary to our own leaves us feeling outraged. On social media, I often see irate, and dare I say, malicious tweets, describing us as 'paid media'. My standard answer to such ill informed voices is: yes, we are 'paid' media, we are paid for telling the often inconvenient truth. Journalism is not public relations: our agenda is the single-minded pursuit of truth. We do not wish to demonise anyone nor will we be cheerleaders of any individual or group. We are not bhakts or chamchas as those aligned would like us to be: a culture of sycophancy has no place in journalism. Neither are we serial cynics. A journalist's weapon is informed skepticism and constant inquiry: we will not be carried away by rhetoric or promises but will determinedly question everything we hear and match it to the ground reality.
We also strongly believe in the idea of the constructive power of journalism. Negativism alone cannot sustain the news. Over the years, we have created a slew of special programmes; Real Heroes, India Positive, Superidols, Senior Citizen awards - designed to showcase an India beyond the darkness of sloth and corruption. We also believe in the power of citizen journalism, giving a voice and a sense of empowerment to many citizens who have stories to tell.
Last year, the big story was the dramatic assertion of peoples' power: the street protests over the Delhi gangrape are a good example. The IBN 18 network's agenda for change has been relentless in this context and we are proud to have played a small part in keeping the focus on the issue of womens empowerment long after the forest of cameras had moved onto the next story.
The biggest story this year, of course, is almost certainly be the general elections. Scarcely has an Indian election attracted such huge interest. Our catchline has been elections = IBN. This is not just rhetoric: we have been firm believers that elections provide the ultimate test of a news network's credibility. Our track record has won us several awards, but most importantly, your trust. Everything we do in the next few months will be imbued by an unshaken belief in the genius of Indian democracy. We would like to give you a ringside view to the festival of elections with robust reporting and informed opinion: the decision on who you wish to vote for is with you the viewer, as indeed, is the remote button. So whether you watch us on television or web, be assured we will be there with you all the way. Let the race to 7 Race Course Road begin!
Once again, I wish all of you and your near and dear ones a year of joy and fulfillment. And keep watching us as we watch India and the world around us!
Warm regards,
Rajdeep
(IBN18 Editor in Chief Rajdeep Sardesai shares some of his New Year thoughts with our viewers and netizens)
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