Dear Members,
I think we are looking at the issue in a very micro aspect while the questions were raised at a macro level.
The fact is that media is making numerous such mistakes everyday in every vertical of reporting - business to sports. An insurance company claimed an innovation about a week back which one of our client had implemented in 2011. The media reported it without checking on facts.
We as PR professionals are also taught to find out spin angles which can project the news as being the first/ only/ best/ latest of it's kind etc.
I think we should analyze the situation at 2 levels.
1. Whether the media has enough time and resources to do due diligence of each and every fact thrown at them. Are they absolved of all responsibility once they are able to show a source for their story?
2. As PR professionals, do we have enough resources to do the same kind of due diligence required. Do we have the will/ strength to ask our clients to verify the claims being made by them?
In the example being cited, there is obviously a lot that doesn't meet the eye. Can we expect a story like that to pass through desk and editor without being stopped?
Can the media which is dependent on advertising revenues from political parties/ corporate be independent? Isn't the media biased?
Coming back to questions which were asked...
Is it ethical for PR professionals to exaggerate facts into such dramatic stories? - No. In this case the exaggeration seems to have come from a "source" and not though a PR professional it seems.
Does media not have the responsibility to cross check any PR item fed to them? Yes. It's a part of their job. However, depends on the time and resources on hand.
Does this episode teach us few lessons? - I have definitely learnt a few lessons from the discussions.
Does this impact the credibility of PR and media as well? Yes. Absolutely.
Do we not have collective responsibility to our readers and viewers? Yes.
Regards
Anand
On Mon, Jul 1, 2013 at 10:41 AM, V Jagannathan <v_jagannathan@yahoo.com> wrote:
Why should one get touchy when there is some negative press about Narendra Modi!!
Will it backfire on Modi if he gets more media exposure?!
Jagannathan
From: sri venkat <ahvenkitesh@gmail.com>
To: prpoint@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 1, 2013 9:28 AM
Subject: Re: [prpoint] Modi's Himalayan Miracle - Fact Vs Fiction
I have never understood why the media is obssessed with Modi? Can anyone clarify. There are more items covered on Modi than Sonia Gandhi who is clearly a more important person.
To me looks like media feels any story of Modi is going to increase readership and viewership. So essentially anything Modi is essentially media manufactured news.
Venkat
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