PRITAM SENGUPTA writes from New Delhi: The year of the lord 2010 has seen the The Times of India in uber-aggressive mode.
The nation’s largest English daily that rarely ever wants to “afflict the comfortable” despite its size, reach, reputation, resources and influence, has pulled out all stops in exposing the murky IPL dealings of Lalit Modi, Union minister Sharad Pawar and his MP-daughter Supriya Sule, and their NCP partyman Praful Patel.
In all those four IPL-related stories, Times provided blanket coverage and then let matters rest after a while. But if there is one story on which it has been relentless in the last couple of months, it is its attack on the Commonwealth Games (CWG)—and Pawar’s former factotum, Suresh Kalmadi.
Day after day, Times has employed reporters, editors, columnists, authors, even commissioned industrialists, to rip the games and the chairman of its organising committee apart, with the kind of first-rate journalism that ToI has condemned to play second fiddle over the last decade.
A cursory count shows that between 1 August and 2 September 2010, The Times of India (Delhi market) has published no less than 107 negative headlines on the Commonwealth Games (sample them here) with the author Chetan Bhagat just short of advocating a boycott of the CWG on the pages of The Sunday Times of India (in image, above).
Given how rarely ToI wants to rock the boat, the question that is naturally being asked in Delhi and Bombay is, why. What’s behind the Times‘ new-found aggro?
Legitimate journalism, is of course the easiest explanation for ToI‘s proactivism. The fact that the CWG is in a mess—inflated bills, corrupt deals, leaky stadiums, incomplete facilities, etc—is beyond doubt, and Suresh Kalmadi’s own culpability in this (and other) dubious deals is also beyond question.
After all, if politicians like Mani Shankar Aiyar can ask searching questions on the CWG, why shouldn’t a newspaper?
Yet, it is unnatural for a “feel-good” newspaper like The Times of India, whose advertised credo is to wake up the reader with a good feeling in his head, to rub in the bad news in the all-important Delhi market, day in and day out. Moreover, bigger scams involving more important people have been allowed to rest.
So, what gives?
There are no answers, just whispers.
But for over a fortnight now, journalists have been hissing about a four-page document that reportedly suggests that the Times‘ interest in the story may be more than just journalistic.
Now, it is up on Flickr (and Scribd).
The first page of it is a signed November 2009 letter from a director of Times of India group (C.R. Srinivasan) on a ToI letterhead to Suresh Kalmadi, outlining the “costumer connect initiatives” the group proposes to undertake.
“Kindly let us know of your decision to grant ‘official newspaper’ status to The Times of India at your earliest convenience,” concludes Srinivasan’s letter.
The second page is a signed note from Times Group general manager Gautam Sen to the additional director-general, communications, of the CWG organising committee, presenting a “comprehensive print proposal” (for Times of India, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Mirror and Sandhya Times) along with a rate-card.
For 2-page reports on five key milestone days (carrying a half-page ad of CWG at DAVP (department of audio visual publicity) rates and a half-page ad at commercial days); for six one-page reports (where in 65% of the page will have edit and 35% will be paid-for); and 12 full pages of advertorial at DAVP rates, Times proposes a Rs 12.19 crore package.
For a claimed combined nationwide circulation of 51.84 lakh copies for the five dailies, the breakdown is Rs 4.61 crore + Rs 3.31 crore + Rs 4.27 crore = Rs 12.19 crore.
The last-two pages doing the rounds—an unsigned note from a bureaucrat to a senior bureaucrat or to Kalmadi himself, explaining the fineprint of the proposed Times package—leave little to the imagination.
In summary, the ToI proposal has the following benefits:
# OC [organising committee] in totality pays for 16.6 pages and in return gets the leverage for 28 pages.
# It [ToI group] has the potential to form opinions of the public at large. It is also expected that with the influence that the ‘Response’ department has over editorial, the OC can get neutral and positive coverage from now to the Games.
# We can consider and extended and beneficial deals with ToI‘s other properties viz, TV, radio, internet, etc, including Economic Times (all editions) may be requested of ToI.
While on the face of it, the sum of Rs 12.19 crore may seem large, the benefits offered on a national basis are considerable and the proposal should be considered favourably.
Obviously, these notes and letters do not represent the full story and there is nothing—repeat, nothing—in them to suggest that the Times‘ coverage of CWG and Kalmadi has a connection with this and/or other correspondence.
But judging from the CWG coverage so far, it is fair to assume that ToI did not get the “official newspaper” status. (The buzz is that Hindustan Times has received that status with a lower than Rs 12.19 crore bid. At what terms HT secured the ‘My Delhi, My Games’ tag is not known, but Delhi’s two biggest English dailies do not come out smelling of roses.)
Judging from the hyper-ballistic coverage of CWG and Kalmadi on Times Now, it is also reasonably safe to assume that the plan to extend the deal to Times‘ other properties came to nought. (CNN-IBN swung the baton rights’ deal, unlike Times Now and the other aggrieved bidder, NDTV.)
Nevertheless, at a time when other Indian media specialities like “medianet, paid news” and “private treaties” have become the flavour of the season, the four-page ToI-CWG note lays bare the alarming interplay between editorial and advertising in Indian media houses like never before.
The two-page note appended to the Times‘ managers’ notes also shows how advertisers are confident of buying “neutral and positive coverage” if they can throw a few crores.
Conversely, the bottomline is clear: if an advertiser doesn’t play along, there is hell in store.
Also read: Why Delhi shouldn’t host Commonwealth Games
churumuri 
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Fantastic expose.
Congrats!
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That explains it!
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Pingback: The Times of India and Commonwealth Games (via churumuri) « C'est la vie
Good work churumuri. Congrats
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In the words of a good friend, such an expose is a “BUURRRNNNNN!”
Nice stuff!
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As it was, I was appalled to read the lines. Pritam Sengupta went many steps ahead to read between them. Kudos to you, sir!
Since the mid-90s, The Times Group under the Jain brothers has shown many signs of being just another petty, vindictive, cynical corporation… When management, as a matter of corporate policy, plays down Editorial in favor of Response, editors get little respect and certainly no “response.” Democracy suffers, as does any pursuit of truth. Shyam Lal and every other great editor would be spinning in their graves.
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If HT has swung the deal, have they been less than critical of the CWG committee in their reports? Because it will be in their commercial interest to ensure success of CWG?
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I would say that HT’s coverage of CWG has been just as critical as TOI’s. And, after all, as acknowledged in this piece it woulds be very hard for any newspaper or news TV station to retain even a fig leaf of credibility if they failed to be critical of the evidence staring us all in the face.
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The abuse of the dirty nexus is far higher than they can control. In a way Times is only accelerating the process of losing credibility even among the masses it is read.
Let us say it is like Taran Adarsh review on Sify or Nikat Kazmi reviews , after a point of time anything they say is not a valid review.
So I am happy every time ToI does something obscenely stupid it is only accelerating a natural process
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I was wondering what prompted to TOI to publish such a series of stories on CWG scandal. Now I understood. Thanks & Kudos to you Sir!
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it is amazing, we never hear about sportsmen, their preparations etc. before the commonwealth games. People say “we will give a games better than that in Beijing” happily because there is no metric to compare the two games. Nobody in India has the guts to say, “our sportsmen will win the max number of medals in 2010, we have given them such wonderful preparation”!!!!
True CWG is a game of loot, but what is not in India? Government hospitals, Cops (roll call aaytha dudes), mining, higher education, cricket, roads, everything is crappy. Our constitution has not been adhered to even 1%.
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How is this an expose ? both HT and Times of India bid for the business, government is the largest client for print. The note presented is not from TOI its from some chump in the government who thinks like CWG committee everything is for sale. Neither is HT or Times a for profit paper.. but both have maintained there criticism for the way Kalmadi has handled CWG. Rather than criticizing TOI for doing the job its meant to in the first place, we should question the top bureaucrat who felt he needed to BUY the media to shut it up
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TOI is still bearable. If you have watched Times Now, Arnab goswami has become virtually unstoppable. He calls people to his show and keeps on blabbering all the time, without letting them complete even a few sentence or a point they try to make.
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Reading between the lines is a great art but if not over done and some people seem to be skeptical about anything that ToI does! If ToI was subdued in its coverage about this whole CWG and kalmadi issue people would have raised questions; that it has been openly exposing the issue is termed as “The Times of India in uber-aggressive mode” and is a cause of criticism to some people like this writer. Ridiculous! Would you be happy if ToI was silent on this scam?
P.S: For your information, DAVP is Dirctorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity and not department of audio visual publicity as the writer has repeatedly referring to it as in this piece.
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Bring it on…. Pritam pyaare
Underwolrd gangwars are always good for the society. Hell hath no fury like a media scorned….
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to be fair, TOI is one of many newspapers that have laid into the Games, and even HT has been quite critical of the CWG.
However, I do agree that the coverage could have been quite different had TOI been appointed official newspaper. Chetan Bhagat would instead have been commissioned to pen a paean to national integrity, India’s place in the world and blah blah blah instead of the present hatchet job.
Good work on exposing dirty TOI again though..
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This explains the TOI stand.
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One common thread across all ToI exposes is that all are somehow ‘pain in neck’ for Congress. Lalit modi, pawar, tharoor, kalmadi… all got enuf coverage to be silenced/subdued. Good work but smells of there-is-more-to-it
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Here is the ‘me too!”
http://sports.rediff.com/column/2010/sep/01/mahesh-vijapurkar-commonwealth-games.htm
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find it a bit hard to believe but then there’s always a conspiracy theory for everything including the creation of mankind …
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Well written! I am sure that if our Indian people feel good for the Country this can happen. How is that the Congress party which has made enough money for their party cadre for generations from the CWG funds is very quiet, and not blaming Mr Modi and the Saffron outfit for this fiasco.
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Rather good bit of investigation. Congrats.
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Good work Churumuri!
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What is the expose we are talking about. If CWG bought toilet paper rolls at Rs 4000 a pop.. should we still keep quiet and sing lullabies??????
***
We have two ills here.
The first one is corrupt netas looting in the name commonwealth.
Second one is private treaties removing editorial freedom of press.
The first one is hard to fix.. We need to get electoral maturity and educated citizens to protect their resources being looted. Also governance is a monopoly and hence hence if we get a bad governance we can not switch to an alternate .. we have to work to fix the broken governance.
The second one is easy to fix.. Stop paying for the newspaper if you feel that newspaper reporting is biased and far from truth. Read only facts and form your own opinion.
When investigative journalism at Indian Express brought out Bofors scandal.. TOI was mum all the time. If we applied the same analogy. we should blame Indian express for exposing Bofors. And Tehelka for “questions for cash” scam… Are we trying to shoot the messenger here. Turning focus on “private treaties” is a red herring effort to shift the attention from legitimate concerns TOI and Chetan Bhagat are raising.
Just as Gandhiji figured, the oppressor can oppress us; it cannot make us cooperate
Who is the oppressor asking for cooperation here?
Is it CWG which stole lunch money from the hungry and wretched millions in my mother land..or the newspaper which exposed the scandal only when it knew it had nothing to gain by staying quiet?
You make the choice and do not cooperate with the oppressor. By siding with the newspaper you make a more pareto efficient choice.. You hurt the Collosal waste called CWG and also bring forth the backlash against private treaties..since public support for expose would diminish the support for private treaties penchant some of the news papers have. Despite paying 13 odd crores to HT still CWG lost its pants because of publich outlash. .. and that lesson can give a wake up call for all the private treaties’ supporters in side ToI.
So be rational ..and ban CWG totally… I have nothing to do with that tamasha.
***
Pritam ,
There is yet another aspect I would like you to read up on.
Your insinuation that TOI tried to damage CWG because it did not get the official newspaper status is not tenable as per tort law.
There is no specific intent here. Talk to your lawyer on what constitutes specific intent.
TOI did not dig the dirt first and then tried to exhort the official newspaper status. So your insinuations do not matter to a rational person. In fact it is other way… HT showed complicity because it was involved with the CWG and probably there is much stronger case against HT to be tried for breach of faith… So Pritam.. if you analyze the situation properly you realize that TOI on this very instance is in a strong position both ethically and legally ( I am not saying TOI as a whole entity in all its dealings.. but only on this very instance)
In fact as I have already mentioned.. supporting TOI now is more pareto efficient choice because there is greater good.. (We resist corruption and also we resist paid news) By not supporting TOI we probably make an half hearted effort to resist paid news because by opposing TOI we make our position fallible because it will be like accepting muteness of HT as pardonable.
I am not at convinced about Pritam’s argument now.. He should provide rational explanations rather than appealing to emotions.
Chetan Bhagat’s attempt was in the right spirit.. He does not want emotional pride to cloud our reason and stay mum in this whole episode. We need to take a principled stand sans emotions not to side with oppressors.
Chetan Bhagat quoted Gandhi.. Let me strengthen that with what MLK said.. “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice” .. so everyone of us have a responsibility to raise our voice against the corruption in CWG…CWG itself was wrong priority.. but then looting in the guise of CWG is a greater sin..So we have duty to stay out of this in solidarity with countless kids who suffer in India’s village for want of education. Those who sing to ” Jiyo, Utho, Badho…” will not have moral courage to look into the eyes of those deprived kids Premji was mentioning..
Let this be the turning point.. Let us boycot CWG en masse.
***
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Good analysis!! Though CWG don’t deserve to be spared; still we need to understand the motivation of TOI in tarnishing the image of CWG.
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Always had a feeling in the back of my mind that TOI is over-doing it, Now i see a reason for the same. Let them fight over the ‘official newspaper’ tag, its good for the public that they are getting to know more details about the mess-up they have done to the games.
Also as someone already pointed out, there is more to TOI stories. Be it lalit Modi, Sharad Pawar everyone(read headache for congress) is targetted one by one.
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I quite agree with Narayana. Pritam, it is one thing to bring out the connection as it were. But even if we, for a moment accept such a connection exists, would you deny any of the stories, or the truth of the colossal loot that has been inflicted upon this nation in the name of CWG? A loot that puts the size of Bofors to shame in scale, quantum, depth, abashedness! And sorry to say, but you chose to call that merely ‘provocative’???
Even if one finds that there is a connection between CWG and the BCCL Response losing out on a Rs 13 crore deal (which for BCCL is NOT such a mammoth size because they have done numerous such deals via Private Treaties alone) that the entire BCCL ‘establishment’ (as if it were some organised mafia!) will go hammer and tongs after CWG, unearthing so much dirt. Remember, the dirt will fly only where it exists. And for any journalist, it will be a crying shame to ignore so much evidence staring in the face.
Also, as per your insinuation, all journalists working in BCCL have sold their soul which is such a sweeping and insulting statement to make. Agreed, Times is not like Express and there is without doubt a basic difference between the approach and basic DNA. Between the two, they are also more fallible to the lucre as a group because profit-making is their clear credo. But to say that a number of journalists at all levels can be ‘pushed’ to dig up stuff out of nowhere and on a regular basis is giving too much credit to the conspiracy theory. I have in the past worked at both the establishments and still have numerous friends in both places to know for a fact that I find this connection lame & based on mere conjectures. Remember, the journos who worked (and didn’t work) on Bofors across the divide in the eighties are not the same set of faces, and so also the managers at BCCL! TOI was a different entity then and Mr Samir Jain was not calling the shots in a manner of speaking. He rose and called the shots directly for better part of the 90s and earlier this decade. Just as today he is clearly more involved in his spiritual satsang while key decision are left to top managers many a times.
I am not defending Times Group, but having known the Jain brothers, believe me they are far removed from the day-to-day running of the affairs in the manner you are suggesting. In fact, a little too far removed, so much that they are often misled by a small bunch of crooked directors/advisers who take Times ship for a ride! And that is a FACT that can be endorsed by anybody who has seen both the brothers working from from close quarters in recent years, not in the 90s! Besides, they NEVER interfere and/or go down to the story level quite unlike a very involved Mrs Bhartiya. So please give credit where it is due.
For those who find this as The Great Expose’, it is very easy to discredit people and throw slur at the work done by journos who are relentlessly digging dirt going on in the name of CWG, but please don’t question their integrity and intelligence with the same brush you use to discredit Times. To me, that would seem more like supporting the Suresh Kalmadi & gang. If there is somebody whose hands are strengthened by such an ‘expose’ at this time, it is them, none else! They alone are capable of trying to make such a feeble attempt at ‘hitting back’. And I would leave it to your conscience as to why would you want to strengthen somebody like Kalmadi, especially now!
BTW why is it that HT has finally been silenced with this `deal’ and have suddenly changed gears to mere scraping some small-time stories about ‘dug-up streets’? Did this ‘deal’ make them go easy on Kalmadi & gang, or was it a directive from 10-Janpath while the entire trail of unaccounted payments was being quietly removed by Sandeep Dixit and Raul Vinci (the charismatic heir apparent & waiting-in-the-wings PM!)? The truth is thousands of crores have gone in to Congress party kitty as well which NOBODY can dig out, at least now!
Also, do you really think in a closely-managed Congress loot called CWG, anyone other than HT, IBN and/or NDTV could have won any major deal worth its salt? We all know very well which side they are on.
Come on, please let us all know your answer to at least some of the points I have made here.
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The August 25 “Scribd” link to the Times Of India-CWG documents shows that somebody had put them up on the internet a full week before somebody put them up on Flickr on September 2. So, can we go easy on all this congratulatory talk of an “expose”?
Deal or no deal, I am glad ToI went overboard on CWG. It would be an insult to suggest that all Times journalists were doing a “command” performance after the CWG deal went sour. How I wish, however, that the paper had similarly gone overboard on the A. Raja and the 2G scam, or the Praful Patel and Air-India scam, and the Bellary mining scam and other scams.
It’s easy to slam the Times tactics, but what about the Hindustan Times? Who is going to reveal the documents of its deal with the CWG? If TOI and HT, which are supposed to be torchbearers of English journalism, are in such deals, heaven knows the kind of extortion and blackmail that happens in Indian language and electronic media as a matter of rule.
The Nepali media group “Kantipur” is currently in a controversy for targetting Indian joint ventures in Nepal because they do not advertise in its publications. How different are Indian media houses like TOI and HT who have made editorial content so subservient to advertising interests that even when there is a legitimate story, as in CWG and Kalmadi, all we can speculate about is the story behind the story?
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I think that there will be more corruption in IPL than CWG but IPL issue put to rest. I am not able to think why?
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wow, this is borderline slander. watch out for the lawyers. based on a non-BCCL document, you are staking claims about the core legitimacy of BCCL. its amazing – you don’t like BCCL coverage, you criticize it with ulterior motivations. you DO like BCCL coverage, you criticize it with ulterior motivations.
you hurt your own credibility because it’s so clear where your biases are.
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Well… this all makes sense, now. I was wondering why most of my entries were from ToI, and I had to hunt real hard to get a negative article from HT.
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Here is a blog I had written a few months back on the crap that TOI dishes out.
http://raks-thinking-aloud.blogspot.com/2010/05/times-of-india-crap.html
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Good story. … If CWG is a crook but TOI is not even a newspaper it is just an opinions printed on paper for profit. I don’t even know how a paper run by a business house should be taken seriously, whatever good work it pretends to do and even if that good work does some good for the society. Any day a private newspaper is more dangerous than a Kalmadi.
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Why do you blame the paper? How about all those journos who suck up for the money that is offered. the hindustan times group is the worst offender. I know people, who have been sacked from their previous organizations for corruption, raising a hue and cry and joining this group..Look at all those heads here and you would know why it is the most crazy medi house..In the present case, very clearly, HT has been paid to carry positive coverage..
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This is a case of Dhall mein kuch kala umm kalmadi hai for sure!
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Hindustan times and its sister publication are for sure, the most compromised media organization. Thy specialize in taking people who would not be able to get a job anywhere else and take advantage by making them do all the dirty work. Very recently, there were hauled up by social networking sites for pulling out an article after publishing it. And yes, Journalists are more culpable, having been paid off with a very good salary and power.
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Great Expose !! What a shame this has been..
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I am surprised that people have high expectations from something like TOI
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TOI finally gets exposed. Great.
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Ha ha! These only prove HT’s complicity on doing pro-Commonwealth Games stories and polls like the one below!!!!!!!!
Delhiites root for CW Games
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Email Author
New Delhi, September 02, 2010First Published: 23:14 IST(2/9/2010)
Last Updated: 23:18 IST(2/9/2010)Share more…0 Comments Email print
They are ready to suffer traffic chaos and half of them believe security restrictions will spoil the fun, but even then, a whopping 90 per cent of Delhiites feel happy about the Commonwealth Games 2010 taking place in their city, a survey has revealed. Two-thirds of the respondents feel that related stories
Vuvuzelas to add to international flavour at Games
Delhiites would not abandon their city during the sporting extravaganza scheduled from October 3 to October 14. These findings are part of ‘Are We Ready?’ — an opinion poll on the Commonwealth Games 2010 conducted by Gfk Mode for CNN-IBN.
Those surveyed included 1,002 men and women in the age group of 15 years and above from across Delhi. An overwhelming majority (76 per cent) agrees that the Games have helped improve the infrastructure, especially in East and South Delhi.
But as many as 77 per cent agreed that only certain areas have benefited from the development, while West Delhi has been completely left out. More than 80 per cent supported the Delhi government’s move to remove beggars from the city. Civic authorities’ performance did not evoke any confidence about them meeting deadlines.
More than 55 per cent felt that the civic agencies would not be able to clear all construction debris from the streets. A majority also believed that allegations of corruption has dented India’s image in the international community.
The opinions were not only about Delhi but also about sports. Sixty per cent of the respondents said the Indian sportsman has been completely forgotten in the CWG hype.
But this has not hamper their optimism about our players’ performances. To a question, ‘How well do you think the Indian teams will perform in the Games?’, 67 per cent people said “Very well” as against 31 per cent saying “Somewhat well’ and only 2 per cent saying ‘Not at all well.’
More than 70 per cent people (71 per cent) said an emphatic ‘No’ to a question ‘Do you know of any national or international sports personality who would be participating in the Commonwealth Games?’ Of those who knew, 23 per cent said ‘Saina Nehwal’ closely followed by Abhinav Bindra at 22 per cent.
Some other interesting tid bits that tumbled out were about what people would like to watch on television. A whopping 92 per cent of the respondents said they plan to watch CWG on television and of these, 73 per cent said they would prefer watching CWG rather than India–Australia cricket series matches during the same time.
But then, 68 per cent also felt that both sporting events should not happen together. A whopping 86 per cent believe that the Games will be a success.
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Thanq TOI for exposing Kalmady & gang,Congrats CHURUMURI for exposing TOI.The bottom line is HAMAAM ME SAB NANGE HAI.
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Good for public. True that the ToI is exposing govt. for the wrong reasons but it is good for public. Let them fight. :)
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didn’t have a clue!
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we never want to discourage the indian sports person but they are not up to the mark for cwg games
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What is the point of this expose, barring that TOI might not have taken up the exercise if it was not vindictive and hence planting doubts about its credibility. I would have been concerned if there was misrepresentation in articles of TOI. On the contrary, that turn down for TOI has worked for the greater good of information dissemination to the “awaam”. TOI might have its reasons for deciding what length it wants to go to with CWG corruption reporting but as long as it is reporting the truth, I would pray for 10 more such turn downs for TOI.
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Awesome work!
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@debasmita ghosh @rakesh @Manish
TOI offer says :
# It [ToI group] has the potential to form opinions of the public at large. It is also expected that with the influence that the ‘Response’ department has over editorial, the OC can get neutral and positive coverage from now to the Games.
The above mentioned offer is considered worse than prostitution in journalistic circles. If you did not get it: the offer is nothing but, “editorial content up for sale”. Whoa, what integrity remains of TOI or any other newspaper, if the newspapers conscience (editorial content) is up for sale.
Money – the influence – can get neutral and positive coverage from now on – is what TOI is. That’s it.
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Totally agree with you!!!
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Any story, it is said, has 3 sides to it – your side, my side and the truth. At the end of the day somebody was bound to report the CWG mess – TOI or HT or NDTV or Times Now or CNN or any other media player – either as a responsible 4th estate or as a disgruntled one…
But as a taxpayer, i know once again that am being swindled. Just a thought – does not the taxpayer (all of us) now have enough cases to stop paying taxes…
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Awesome post! Does a hell lot of explaining!
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ppl i am london right now and bbc here as it known not to be over critical about any thing is showing cwg news once in two news hour……….. which according to the british is tooo much so lets not be delusional and accept the fact that we are dot going a great job and its ok to criticise ourselves
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TOI is the worst newspaper in India, if you only know the fact down south people never opted to buy this junk.
The quality news papers like “The Hindu” still sells by far higher than the junk and false printed TOI in spite of TOI offering lots of offers.
My dear friends from north, boycott morons like TOI and make them understand nationality is much important to print media than what they earn. Our constitution gives privileges to print media not to damage our image in the global arena but to aid the Republic of India act false less, with such motive in TOI and their proclaimed numbers will only damage our land for no good.
BOYCOTT TOI, I’m the first to stop TOI in all my offices. Let us initiate the fire.
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Well i think that pritam’s thought is quite right to observe, Any story, it is said, has 3 sides to it – your side, my side and the truth. At the end of the day somebody was bound to report the CWG mess – TOI or HT or NDTV or Times Now or CNN or any other media player – either as a responsible 4th estate or as a disgruntled one.
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TOI is not a newspaper at all. An irresponsible and harmful tool used by insane exploiters to make money the wrong way. Brilliant expose. I really appreciate the way you have written this and the efforts you have taken to get proof.
Aint is sad that TOI, a once wonderful institution has now completely aborted the true Indian ness and completely adopted the western system of making profits without mind and heart?
Mark my words this cannot go on for long.
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TOI has been rightly exposed as a culprit, but is it the only one? The campaign launched against what is called ‘paid news,’ the report submitted to the Press Council of India exposing this evil and the efforts subsequently made to shield the newspapers and journalists figuring in it are tell-tale evidence that there is more to the evil of ‘paid news” than meets the eye. Notably, the report about it is said to have mentioned the names of a number of journalists including two senior journalists of HT who allegedly indulged in the crime. Newspapering today is, by and large, as good or bad a commercial venture as any other. That it continues to be glorified as the fourth estate of democracy is another matter. The media often sits in judgement over what politicians, bureaucrats and all other people do. But does it ever attempt a self-examination? Is that not at all warranted? Even a talk of some sort of a code of conduct for the media triggers strong reactions from the community. So, are not its members, including TOI, free to behave the way they choose to.
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Absolutely fantastic piece. Inquisitor General of India, Arnab Goswami’s rantings don’t come cheap (strictly monetarily speaking) so we should have known that there was pot of public gold involved a the end of the CWG rainbow.
My heartfelt wishes to the writer(s) of this/these exposes.
Sid
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Fabulous.
We always knew this was coming!! :)
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