Sunny’s Bollywood venture

According to an online communique released by Daniel Weber, the CEO of Sunlust Pictures,Sunny Leon, the adult superstar signed a Bollywood Multi Picture Deal.According to him,she got the offer for Big Boss season 5 when Endemol, an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, contacted her in February of 2011. She negotiated it for 8 months.
The communique said,her next adult film called Goddess and releases Jan 17.Sunny is out of the BB5 house on January 10.When asked whether he was surprised by the fact that Sunny’s presence in Big Boss season 5 had made a huge impact, Daniel said,”I was amazed at the effect she has on a entire Country,I have never seen anything like it.” According to him,Sunny has always loved Bollywood and growing up in a Punjabi house she was watching Bollywood all her life. When presented with a chance for BB5 and now films, she felt it was a great chance to get into the industry.When asked that is the the porn industry in west dying and performers working there are on a lookout for new markets? he replied, “its changing very fast and unless you keep up you will be out of work just as fast. We own a production company and create our own work so we feel the impact a bit less. Every Entertainment Industry is a hustle these days.”

Resist any self-interest

According to Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), Professional electronic journalists should no Pay news sources who have a vested interest in a story. Accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage. Engage in activities that may compromise their integrity or independence. But the grapevine has it that some journalists of local news channels of Calcutta take money from police and influential people. They don’t think that journalism is a mission and we are not here to merely make a living. RTDNA guidelines says Professional electronic journalists should operate as trustees of the public, seek the truth, report it fairly and with integrity and independence, and stand accountable for their actions.

Pic Courtesy: Edwart Visser

They should know that as a professional journalist we should resist those who would seek to buy or politically influence news content or who would seek to intimidate those who gather and disseminate the news.Resist any self-interest or peer pressure that might erode journalistic duty and service to the public.Recognize that sponsorship of the news will not be used in any way to determine, restrict, or manipulate content. Refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence news judgment and content inappropriately.But unfortunately most of them are reluctant to learn anything from these guidelines.

‘Correct and clarify mistakes’

A Jadavpur University professor and a retired engineer were arrested for allegedly circulating cartoons depicting chief minister of Bengal and the supremo of Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). Later,they were granted bail.Indian Government wants to tighten its grip on social networking sites. UPA government at the center wanted social networking sites to remove ‘abusive’ comments and images of Indian politicians like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. After initial reluctance , Facebook, a popular social networking site, ultimately removed the objectionable comments and images. But those who believe that it’s a big blow to free speech and privacy must know you can not or should not write defamatory or obscene or threatening messages, mail or picture. I personally follow the guidelines of Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)such as:

Social media comments and postings should meet the same standards of fairness, accuracy and attribution that you apply to your on-air or digital platforms.

•Information gleaned online should be confirmed just as you must confirm scanner traffic or phone tips before reporting them. If you cannot independently confirm critical information, reveal your sources; tell the public how you know what you know and what you cannot confirm. Don’t stop there. Keep seeking confirmation. This guideline is the same for covering breaking news on station websites as on the air. You should not leave the public “hanging.” Lead the public to completeness and understanding.

• Twitter’s character limits and immediacy are not excuses for inaccuracy and unfairness.

•Remember that social media postings live on as online archives. Correct and clarify mistakes, whether they are factual mistakes or mistakes of omission.

•When using content from blogs or social media, ask critical questions such as:

- What is the source of the video or photograph? Who wrote the comment and what was the motivation for posting it.

- Does the source have the legal right to the material posted? Did that person take the photograph or capture the video?

- Has the photograph or video been manipulated? Have we checked to see if the metadata attached to the image reveals that it has been altered?

• Social networks typically offer a “privacy” setting, so users can choose not to have their photographs or thoughts in front of the uninvited public. Capturing material from a public Facebook site is different from prying behind a password-protected wall posing as a friend. When considering whether to access “private” content, journalists should apply the same RTDNA guidelines recommended for undercover journalism. Ask:

- Does the poster have a ‘reasonable expectation’ of privacy?

- Is this a story of great significance?

- Is there any other way to get the information?

- Are you willing to disclose your methods and reasoning?

Don’t behave like lumpens !

As professional online news researchers, we should always use advance search engines and subscription based online archives rather than popular search engines like Google and others.In any from of journalism plagiarism is not acceptable.Already Radio and Television Digital News Association provides some guidelines regarding these Netty-gritties.They should know how to honour the intellectual property of others, including text,video and audio materials.Online journalists should also respect the dignity, privacy and invasion of privacy is acceptable when necessary in the public interest.

Photo Courtesy:Robert Bidgee

According to veteran journalist Deborah potter, the best journalists are life-long learners.They’re good at their craft but they never think they know it all. But, in calcutta, some journalists think that they know everything and don’t need any further training or workshop.They think that they are from the Mars.They write or broadcast stories against corruption, nepotism,pubic nuisance, atrocities against women but in personal life, they behave differently.They violate traffic rules,take undue advantage from the police and politicians.Here, I would like to mention an incident.Few years back, I was returning home by last train from Sealdah railway station.Very few people are there in the compartment. I had noticed that three of them whom I recognized as TV journalists working for a local TV station.Suddenly I noticed that they openly consumed alcohol from a plastic bottle. A middle aged lady who sat beside them blowed her nose into a handkerchief. I told myself, look, they behave like lumpens. According to experts, journalists enjoy the same kind of privileges where manners are concerned.Always treat people the way you like to be treated.We should brake the notion that those of us in media are arrogant,highhanded and disrespectful.

Media have the right to criticize government policies

Conspiracy, staged incident are the pet words of Mamata Banarjee, the chief minister of Bengal and the supremo of TMC, the ruling party. She and her party leaders alleged that rape to farmers suicide every incident that has happen in Bengal a section of media is hand in glove with the opposition party to malign her government by providing ‘false’ stories.

Pic Courtesy:Petr Kratochvil

Recently the library department of Bengal has issued an order asking government and government aided libraries across the state to stock eight newspapers to spread ‘free thinking’. Ironically, among the listed newspapers Sangbad Pratin is known as an unofficial mouthpiece of TMC.The owner of Sakalbela and kalam (yet to be published) is known as the close confident of Mamata Banarjee.After an uproar, five more newspapers are incorporated into the list. But,Ananda Bazar Patrika, The Telegraph, Bartaman, market leaders in news are still not on the government list. Officially, the government says that the circular issued to promote local and small newspapers.But experts believe the real fact is that Mamata doesn’t like criticism even constructive criticism. She patronizes some newspapers which blindly support all policies of the government.
Media outlets in Malawi, a small African country get regular threats from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leaders to criticize government policies.
According to Committee to protect Journalists (CPJ), 179 journalists in prison world wide, 595 journalists murdered since 1992, 908 journalists killed since 1992, 14 journalists killed in 2012. In Iran 42 journalists were jailed as Iranian authorities have reinforced controls on major media after the disputed presidential election results in June 2009. Eritrea,China ,Vietnam, Syria,Turkey where intimidation is still going on against journalists.
The first journalist who criticize the government policies was John Peter Zenger in the year 1735 in The New York Weekly Journal. He was jailed by the government but jury acquitted him.
On the other hand, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters san frontiers) compiled and published an annual report where media in less developed countries like Namibia, Mauritius,Ghana, Benin, Mauritania enjoy huge press freedom and openly criticize government policies.
Similarly,the new government of Bengal should remember that media only exercise their right to criticize government policies.