[IMC Bombay] NEws Mastheads

[nity68@vsnl.com]

hello yashodhara/abhijeet:
i rarely post too. but you're right. this one does get to you. i agree 
that the reporting may not change. but at a time when religion is 
willy nilly being equated to communalism, symbolism matters a 
hell of a lot. Christian Science Monitor may have named itself so in 
a completely different context. Just as saffron as a colour has been 
hijacked by the loony Hindu right, various other religious symbols -- 
especially when used in public -- convey and are meant to convey 
affiliation to the loony right. that's how i see the symbols. so i'm not 
sure that it is a simple matter of whether the reporting quality 
changes or not. I would not fault the Times Group with a lack of 
understanding of these issues. Given that, I only feel that the 
decision to place a Ganesha on the masthead has more to do with 
declaring one's affiliation than anything else. Of course, i could be 
wrong, and it may be a simple matter of the astrologer advising 
samir jain to do this to improve his profits.
ciao, nity

On 14 Feb 2003, at 9:06, yashodhara pawar wrote:

> I rarely post. This one gets me right on the middle with a hard
> cabbage.
> 
> As someone who has lived in many parts of the world and greeted many
> mornings with different newspapers even those whose language I could
> not fathom, I can say this: News reporting and declaration of a
> religious/cult/belief association COULD be delinked in the minds of
> the reader. I see no reason how putting up a Ganesha on the M.Times
> would alter HOW they report and their journalistic rigor. I could not
> care less. 
> 
> 
> The newspaper I respect most, Christian Science Monitor has overt and
> proud association with the Christian Science scriptures. Their
> attention to rigor, relevance and responsibility sets the utopic
> standard for all! I strongly suggest you check it out:
> www.csmonitor.com
> 
> As for what goes for news in the Times of India, with or without any
> mastheads,
>  let that question hang in the air
> 
> And oh yes, I am hard boiled atheistic egg, so dont shoot me.
> -Yashodhara
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	abhijeet tamhane [SMTP:abhijeet.tamhane@timesgroup.com]
> Sent:	Friday, February 14, 2003 2:56 AM
> To:	imc-mumbai@lists.indymedia.org
> Subject:	[IMC Bombay] change... (?)
> 
> Hi All,
> Recently, 2 dailies of the Times of India Group have modified their
> Mastheads. Maharashtra Times, the Marathi newspaper, has started using
> a LORD GANESHA image (and has even invited people to send in their
> Ganesha images, to be printed on the masthead) and Likewise, Navbharat
> times is now using "Om", in their Masthead. both these hindu symbols
> are right-up-there, in between "Maharashtra" (or Navbharat)& "Times".
> As an employee of the Times of India group, I will be very, very glad
> if a learned group like this thinks on these changing Mastheads. If
> you want to know who I am, check my homepage
> http://www.geocities.com/abhitamhane/index.html
> 
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