Journalism at its worst – once again

Media Watch: Whom did Ric Charlesworth say his team would defeat India 10-0?
When was it?

Nobody knows, nobody cared to know, but Ric was unnecessarily dragged into a media controversy for which only the media to be blamed – and the legend having no clue of what is being played out on his name in an alien soil. .

Last week, on the eve of Indian team’s departure to Australia-New Zealand Tour, Indian media has widely reported so. These reports also mentioned the reaction of Indian chief coach Harendra.

It was journalism at its worst. Nobody who wrote volumes had any reliable piece of information, or quote, still all went bullish.

Harendra and his team in Press Club of India for a lunch on that day. Some one from an agency wrote the first story that was hardly four or five sentences.

In India, Agencies are holy cow. If they take out a release, everyone react to it. This is not active journalism but reactive in its ugly phase.

What was discussed in the press club was totally informal. Harendra’s too was a casual comment taken out of context.

It seems when Ric was India, while dwelling on the need for India to pull up its the stocks, he opined otherwise any team will beat them with big score. This was closet to what has happened. When someone mentioned this to Harendra, he joked which has become a serious quote without his knowledge. If a coach or team stays with media for about an hour, here and there some saying, comments, jokes will sprout out. It is unethical to pick a word or a phrase and assign to a personality. It is unfair.

It is better we leave Ric to do his job in Australia. His only regret in life will be opting to come to India! Let us not punish him unendingly for this noble intention.

If a tabloid does such things, we can understand. It is unbecoming of national dailies to lower their reporting as has happened in this case.