Karnataka - Bangalore

Reporter's Diary

Inviting wrath

PEOPLE IN power often blame the media for publishing reports without cross-checking facts. Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University H.A. Ranganath also had a word on this. At his maiden impromptu press conference, he appealed to reporters to get the facts "validated" before publishing them. He said a couple of recent news reports on him had distorted the facts.

At this juncture, the former acting Vice-Chancellor intervened and said the media had published several reports without verification during the last two months when several controversies dogged the university. At this juncture, one reporter quipped: "Madam, when I called you on the mobile phone to verify about the dress-code, you snapped the line and later were `not reachable.' How do you then expect us to get the facts verified?"

Other journalists joined him and said that they always tried their best to get the facts cross-checked. However, when the other side did not respond or when there was enough documentary support, they would go ahead with publishing the report, they said.

Easy availability

KAAVYA VISHWANA-THAN'S controversial book "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed Got Wild and Got a Life" had been called off the shelves of bookstores, but copies of the book are widely available in the city. Pirated copies of the book are available with most streetside book vendors. In some of the books, the "a" syllable has been cut off from Mehta, in others the book including the cover is a perfect reprint. For those of you who are interested in the book, the vendor starts off by asking for Rs. 110 for it but a lot depends on the individual's bargaining skills.

Anil Kumar Sastry,

Divya Ramamurti

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