My vast experience in dealing with journalists (both print and electronic) due to my RTI activism revealed that there used to be an un-written conduct-code amongst media-groups for not exposing each other. Journalists from most print and electronic media refused to reveal RTI response from army (and subsequent CIC verdict) about infamous TV-shot by a renowned TV journalist of a prominent TV channel during Kargil-war which resulted in killing of some Indian soldiers, because conduct-code amongst media-groups was to hide each-others? fault.
But exposure of an allegedly ?sold? media through infamous Radia tapes has broken the unethical code. Now ?India Today? (4th April 2011) through its write-up ?Off the Air? has leveled serious allegations on CNN IBN on aspect of ?delayed? and ?doctored (diluted)? presentation of its sting on infamous cash-for votes scam on trust-motion in Parliament. Media is the fourth (latent) pillar of democracy where the other three are already in the dock. It is time that CNN IBN establishes its creditability by airing a special programme on serious allegations leveled by its former staffer Siddhartha Gautam who is now with rival channel ?Headlines Today?.
Accountability in media has become a necessity. It remains still a curious aspect to know reasons for sudden exit of a senior person like Prabhu Chawla from India Today group.