Convulsions in pop press

One of the most tumultuous occurrences in the history of British media took place this year when some journalists working at the highly successful tabloid, News of the World , were accused of using underhanded means for news gathering.

But the ripple effects of that accusation were soon to reverberate around the world, with undeniable long-ranging impact, both on the style and nature of tabloid journalism.
From a small but persistent story in some of the mainstream newspapers (especially those not owned by Rupert Murdoch), it grew till it had scalped journalists, editors, a former media adviser to the present Prime Minister, at least one minister — and even looked like it had permanently singed Prime Minister David Cameron as well. It became bigger with every passing day and it soon seemed that the credibility of every British institution was at stake — as not just the press, but the politicians and the police were besmirched. For those of us who were following it on a daily basis, it was disturbing to think that many of the institutions we had held up as immune to bribery and corruption turned out to be extremely vulnerable.
Questions were also raised whether the term “free press” had become impossible to use in the UK. The only reassurance was that the very media whose ethics were being questioned became ferociously forensic and transparent in the reporting of the story. Ultimately, what seemed to have been a disaster on all fronts, has turned out to be a significant triumph of British probity. Everyone, including the politicians and the police, decided to help uncover the truth, no matter how high the price. And though not all the dirty linen has been put out in the wash, most of the evidence that has come forth has been enough to raise eyebrows at how complicit society appears to have become.
Who can forget that fateful moment when Mr Murdoch, the apparently unstoppable media mogul, was publically castigated by the select committee on media, an interrogation that was telecast around the world? Of course, he denied knowledge of any of the alleged malpractices in his organisation, but tellingly his son, James Murdoch, had to quit from some of the bodies which were seen to be involved in murky dealings, even though he, too, claimed innocence.
In the competitive world of tabloid journalism, where the number of readers are closely fought over — and the lives of a small pool of celebrities are examined by the tabloids on a daily basis — it was perhaps only a matter of time before this “expose” took place. As the press reported on itself, the entire episode showed how divided the media actually can be about the ethics of liberal and good journalism. Perhaps it is an essential debate, especially about issues of privacy. Illegal tapping of phones, sting operations etc all come under this ambit, though there are many who might still believe that the end justifies the means.
In the slugfest that has followed, celebrities and common folk, too, took their revenge on the tabloids, suing for large sums of money as details tumbled out of how their privacy had been invaded by eager journalists keen to “break” an “exclusive”. This kind of prurient, voyeuristic, relentless stalking had become a trademark of the tabloid press, and needed to be re-examined. It had begun to worry not just the victims, but even members of the press as well as the readers.
Serious newspapers such as the Guardian are firmly on the other side of the fence — fighting for values that seemed to have been wiped out from the process of news gathering and reporting. Sometimes this has led to an all-out war between those propagating the old style of journalism and the popular press, but in a world where the Internet also contributes to the hype generated by tabloids, these kinds of distinctions are essential to maintain as they provide a firewall.
The Leveson inquiry, which was eventually set up by the government to look into the entire issue, became a game-changer as well. Again, since the Murdoch empire spreads far and wide, it is ironical to see that this in-depth examination of the press, the politicians and the police was viewed with a great deal of interest by friends and foes alike. The high standards set by the Leveson inquiry offer an example of what should be done, not just in the UK, but all over the world. In India, where far too much influence is exerted on the press by the powerful, there is indeed an urgent requirement for a similar inquiry to be set up to find out if the media is sticking to its self-imposed guidelines or whether it requires a stricter scrutiny.
However, despite the arrests of journalists, indicting of police officers and even the severe castigation of some of the main players, the jury is still out on whether this will change the way the British tabloid press operates forever, or whether it has sounded the death knell for tabloid newspapers. Frankly, both are fairly unrealistic expectations.
While the inquiry and the investigation into tabloid reportage has shone a light on the “dark arts” practised by some of the journalists, one hopes that the arrests and the punitive measures will ensure a general cleaning of the system. It might be a while before anyone takes the risk of indulging in any malfeasance, but there is always the fear that the pressure of keeping up with competition might force some of the editors to fall down the slippery slope once more.
But the hard reality is that tabloid journalism has not been affected in the least, and indeed it continues to flourish in the UK. After shutting down the NOTW, the Murdoch group immediately launched another Sunday tabloid. This meant that many of the sacked journalists could be re-hired, and the group could retain some of their loyal readers.
With most readers turning to the virtual world for news, information perforce has to be consumed swiftly: therefore it has to be delivered in bite-size packages accompanied by large-format pictorial displays. Here of course it is the tabloid presentation that wins over the reams of wordy analysis offered by most mainstream papers. Meaningless gossip about the royal family and a staple diet of Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham et al is what sustains these tabloids, and there is little doubt that the mass readership in the British hinterland is still loving it. Till that interest remains, the tabloids will continue to dominate the British press — and indeed, often even set the agenda on popular issues.