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October 19, 2005

Reporting Integrity

By:

We live in an upside down world. If this is a truism, then that immemorial parting message from an ex-journalist - “everything works upside down for you” - should come as a relief. She said it with a smile. I am not smiling now. Another page of my diary was turned recently to reveal a topic on inverted integrities.

Here is what the page turned up: Those international pillars of human rights - the “integrity types” that regularly condemn “brutal regimes” - do need a mirror check and see whether another changement cosmétique! is needed.

Recently, I signed up to be a member of the journalistic watchdog. The membership fee along with the application form was sent. Weeks passed till I called up the international Hq. They had indeed received my package but found neither time nor courtesy to email an acknowledgement. Don’t they use a 24-hour broadband? It costs people money to call up long distance.

There was a twist as well. “Membership?” There is no such thing as membership. “You mean to join” this organization.? Check which organization perpetrated this skullduggery over a paltry 15 euros?

The form had the explicit words “membership”. I later received a Facture (invoice) with the words Adhésion étranger (foreign membership). I thought this “membership” was trans-border.

So, what am I now? A member, a foreign appendage or a messenger to be shot for bringing this to light?

Professionals like to belong to some guild or another for various reasons. But when journalism’s watchdog try to fool fellow journalists - yes, it is possible - then we really live in a screwed-up world.

During that call to Paris, I also enquired about another matter which was slowly shrugged off as it was handled by the “Americans.” It sounded ominous. But the strange part is, the “Americans” took real action. One of them was once a prominent newscaster for the big media. She kept answering my queries till I felt a tad guilty for my persistence. Some answers were provided. But she did answer each time.

And that romantically sounding facture was accompanied by a thankful letter addressed to “sir/madam.” That's my name and that’s what I call haute culture!

For all the talk about Yankee neo-imperialism , my French - studied two years in India - is not recognized by the Académie française, though my tutors were trained in France. Even in the states, it costs money to learn French and if you don’t learn it, half the UN jobs are out of bounds. Half of WHO, ITU, etc etc…

For the wealthy, this is not a problem. Call this the linguistic-moneyed stratification complex. Enrichment through language for more enrichment? That’s an idea....

Now, you know why I started a thread on "psy-war" and "lone wolves" on my blog.

And here is another thing about me. I am now more wary about international organizations than the big media. The big media gets lampooned, big time, all the time. Try delving into the shenanigans of humanitarian organizations and you might end up looking like a jerk.

Mathew Maavak

Posted by Mathew at October 19, 2005 1:52 PM Category: Activists