1984 riots CTC to Manipur crisis reports—ThePrint got more compliments than condemnation

The most significant change I have noticed in the mails to the Readers’ Editor during the last few months is — there’s much less Hindu-Muslim commentary.

Graphic by Manisha Yadav | ThePrint

It isn’t often that journalists are praised. In fact, it is quite the opposite: Today, social media critics are a journalist’s worst enemy. They hound us, abuse us, misunderstand and misrepresent us, label us “godi media” or Modi-hater-baiters.

I have been the Readers’ Editor at ThePrint for two years now, and, in that time, much of the mail I have received has  been critical or very critical. People call us names, accuse us of having an agenda, don’t like our opinion writers and our reports.

To the best of my knowledge, ThePrint has been following the basic tenets of good journalism by always striving for accuracy and fairness. To be then told that ThePrint is biased has been quite disheartening.

So it comes as a pleasant surprise to discover that there are some people who actually like us — and what we do. Yes, indeed. While re-reading the mails to the Readers’ Editor from March 2023 to June 2023, I found that there were more compliments than condemnation. Wah.

This Readers’ Editor column is dedicated to all our readers — to those who have written in and even those who haven’t. I urge you to write in and say whatever you feel about ThePrint. It’s always good to know what you think and how you feel so we can improve.

The criticism

We will get to the compliments in a moment. First, let me share with you the most significant change I have noticed in the mails to the Readers’ Editor during the last few months: There’s much less Hindu-Muslim commentary.

Previously, many who wrote in saw ThePrint reports or opinion pieces through tinted glasses. As a matter of routine, writers claimed ThePrint was ‘anti-Hindu’, ‘anti-national’, and pro-Congress.

ThePrint is still charged with such commissions. In May, an irate reader wrote: “Please see the top stories of today. Every single article is slanted against Modi government or Hinduism or is  pro-Congress..So much for non-hyphanted (sic) journalism.”

Another reader, while appreciating an article by Opinion columnist Vir Sanghvi on the objections of people like Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and actor Shabana Azmi to the film The Kerala Story, raised another concern. “As a father of 2 children, I worry if they will live as Hindus and will my country remain Hindu…. If these movies are a call to arms to all Hindus, so be it. We are under attack,” he wrote.

I also received a set of eight questions about “Left liberals”, which included this one: “Can you please explain the difference between the attire of Owaisi and Yogi Adityanath? Why the former is the darling of ‘liberal’ media while the latter gets so much flak?’’

Such comments are, however, fewer and farther in between. And that is a good sign — it suggests that readers are not reading too much into ThePrint’s stories or that the Hindu-Muslim narrative has lost some steam. It could also indicate that into its seventh year, ThePrint is now accepted as a respected, credible news media organisation.

The appreciation

Ah, the compliments. They’ve been coming in regularly and balancing out the criticism. Here’s one: In March, there was appreciation for “comprehensive analysis’’ by Opinion columnists Dilip Mandal and Nitin Meshram for their piece on the judiciary, legislature and the Constitution — “an outstanding write-up”, the reader wrote.

Just when I was beginning to feel chuffed, a reader deflated me with strong words on a Jerry Rao article regarding Tipu Sultan: “…In general, the columnist is writing out of the top of his hat…’’ The reader questioned ThePrint’s “values’’ when publishing Rao’s “rant’’.

Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief of ThePrint, has also been at the receiving end — of appreciation. A Cut the Clutter episode on Operation Blue Star evoked this response from one reader: “I haven’t seen or heard a better story in my life.’’

But once again, someone isn’t happy: In April, a reader wrote that while there were riots in four states during Ram Navami celebrations, Gupta spoke about the 1984 Delhi Sikh riots in CTC – was this “appropriate’’?

As it happens, a video history of 1984 and the Khalistan movement had come in for praise from another reader.

In May, there were accolades for ThePrint’s coverage of the Karnataka election results, although one reader felt that there were too many differing points of view on the implications of the Congress’ victory.  An analysis of the results by ThePrint’s Political Editor, DK Singh, was welcomed.

So, too, was a video product with principal correspondent Pia Krishnankutty on foreign affairs—It “handles refreshingly different topics,” said one. And finally, even as I write this article, I see an appreciative message on ThePrint’s coverage of the Manipur crisis: “[It] sets an example for all consumers of such coverage, in more ways than one.’’

It does indeed. ThePrint has been on the ground in Manipur since violence between the Meiteis and the Kukis first broke out in early May. In fact, ThePrint was the first to report on rapes in the state even before the video of two Kuki women stripped naked and paraded went viral, shocking us with its barbarity and forcing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the violence.

Perennial bugbears

Finding fault with The Print’s offerings is a legitimate pursuit, especially when there are factual mistakes. Mercifully, readers haven’t noticed too many errors. Some continue to complain about the no-show of the ‘Comments’ section with individual articles. This facility does exist but has presented some technical issues. The YourTurn section, where readers get a chance to have their articles published, has also been the source of considerable frustration among those who rightly say that it is not visible on the homepage.

The other grouse from readers is about a perennial bugbear: Advertising, specifically, pop-up ads. No one likes them, they interrupt the flow of copy for all of us. I know the technical team is keenly aware of the readers’ irritation but not sure what they can do about it.

Thank you, readers 

That brings us to the comments I receive that are not necessarily about ThePrint. They are about India’s space mission, free markets, prices of agricultural products, “discrimination against Indian productions in Malaysia”, or the “crisis in private sector employment in India”.

There are some readers who simply like to share their views about various topics and write to the Readers’ Editor without expecting a reply. And they are dedicated writers: One is concerned that the divisive forces are the “enemy of India’’ — “Please do something about it”, he asked. He also believes that “voting in India is laughable’’ and provided good reasons for it. Referring to the image-building of the PM, he wondered: “Is Narendra Modi real?’’

Another frequent writer was critical of the media: “The media is a prostitute,” he wrote.

We also receive plenty of suggestions for stories and videos. One idea I really liked was for a weekly videologue by China expert Aadil Brar — well, we do offer Chinascope and Eye on China. Someone also wanted videos on the 1993 Mumbai riots and the 2004 Tsunami. A third requested investigation into “Clearance for applicability of the POSB rule SB Order 31/2011, in the deliberate departmental late payment of defrauded money’’. Then there was this: “Currently, govt has come up with this new disaster NEET23 to be conducted in March and counselling in September with no proper reason…’’ The reader asked us to “enquire’’ into the subject.

Hopeful writers continue to send in articles for publication –we hear you, readers, even if we don’t always publish you. For instance, we received a piece on a pro se civil action lawsuit against the Seattle government to declare its caste law “unconstitutional”.  One elderly gentleman offered to assist ThePrint report on the “stray dogs menace’ in a Noida gated colony.

To all of you, thank you for your submissions and for your offers of assistance — both suggest you have confidence in ThePrint.

(Edited by Humra Laeeq)