The Hindu recently underwent a quiet internal upheaval.  On August 27 it ran a five column editorial consuming most of the edit page, in the course of which  it seemed to acknowledge that all had not been well in its own stable. It was titled, "The Hindu", and was in part a sermon on journalism in India today. Part of the provocation for this extraordinary outpouring seemed to come from the fact that the newspaper will observe its 125^th anniversary next month. The Mount Road Mahavishnu seemed to be using the occasion to reaffirm that journalism in India has to be a mission while simultaneously implying that for some newspapers in the country this has ceased to be the case. The editorial said that the paper had has recently undertaken a restructuring and reorientation of its own editorial operations, and indeed a correction of course.

In the course of this almost 3000 word essay there are oblique references to the problems the paper has been facing from the judiciary which has slapped contempt of court charges against it in Karnataka along with other newspapers, and from the state government which has filed  several cases against it.  " In practice, some of these "reasonable restrictions," notably those provided for in the criminal defamation and criminal contempt of  court laws, have become unreasonable and illiberal, constituting  pressure points and even encroachments on the freedom of the press. This newspaper is determined to oppose and resist all  unreasonable restrictions on a free press. It is of the considered  view that statute changes have become necessary to eliminate  the mischief. To safeguard Article 19 freedoms, defamation must  be de-criminalised, and the sky-high powers assumed by the  higher courts to act as `judges in their own cause` (not allowing  even truth as a defence against criminal contempt of court) must  be taken away by Parliament and the people."

There are also references to the criticism that of late there had been too much editorialising in the news columns of the Hindu.  " This newspaper, which was also affected by the editorialising as news  reporting` virus, is determined to buck the trend, restore the  professionally sound lines of demarcation, and strengthen objectivity and factuality in its coverage."

We publish excerpts below. The entire editorial can be read at

http://www.hindu.com/2003/08/27/stories/2003082700621000.htm

 The Hindu

 THE HINDU, FOUNDED on September 20, 1878, is the oldest

 surviving major newspaper of Indian nationalism, by which we

 mean the great socio-political movement that won freedom for

 India from colonial bondage and helped consolidate the gains of

 independence in every sphere of national life. The world has

 undergone a sea change since a President of India inaugurated

 the newspaper`s centenary celebrations in Chennai on September

 5, 1978. It is but fitting that in its 125th year, The Hindu has

 re-committed itself to its larger societal and public service

 mission. Within that framework, it has set itself the goals of

 upholding and strengthening quality and objective journalism in

 respect of both news and opinion, and continually achieving higher

 standards of journalistic performance in an increasingly

 competitive milieu. The long-term strengths of this newspaper

 have been independence, seriousness, newsiness, credibility,

 fairness, balance, and critical spirit. It has become clear to large

 numbers of readers as well as to those within the organisation

 who bear responsibility for the newspaper`s future that these traits

 needed replenishment and reinforcement. In consequence, The

 Hindu has recently undertaken a restructuring and reorientation of

 its editorial operations, and indeed a correction of course.

 The background and context of this editorial re-direction are

 important. By and large, the claim can be made that the Indian

 press retains its historical strengths — and its soul. It also retains

 a relatively high degree of diversity and pluralism, reflecting the

 vast regional, linguistic, socio-economic, and cultural

 heterogeneity of a subcontinent. There are indications, however,

 that this diversity has come under pressure and could even be

 under long-term threat; and that concentration of circulation is

 growing in several market sectors. As a recent scholarly analysis

 of the economics of media diversity in India puts it, "in each

 market segment within each kind of media business there is a real

 threat of domination of a kind that dilutes the basic tendency

 towards diversity and pluralism characteristic of the Indian media

 marketplace," a trend that has "adverse implications for serious

 and good journalism."

                          *           *             *

 The only answer to all this can be journalism of high quality,

 rooted in well-defined principles, clear-sighted, ethically and

 professionally sound, determined to put editorial values first,

 responsive to the needs of readers and the market within clearly

 worked out journalistic parameters, willing to transform its

 methods and practices to take full advantage of changing

 technology and times. The Guardian in England has proved that

 journalism of this kind can more than hold its own against

 Murdochism. It needs to be added that such a journalism cannot

 flourish by itself. It must go hand in hand with good,

 state-of-the-art business practice, which bases its long-term

 strategy on a balanced appreciation of the fundamentals and core

 values of journalism and the evolving needs of a dynamic society.

 The Hindu, which was launched 125 years ago as a weekly

 newspaper by six young nationalists who borrowed a rupee and

 three quarters to print 80 copies, is today a daily with a circulation

 of over 925,000 copies printed in 11 centres and published by a

 Rs. 400 crore company. Advertising revenue now accounts for 80

 per cent of its total revenues. In the contemporary age, there can

 be no walls separating editorial functions within a newspaper.

 There can also be no walls between the editorial and marketing

 functions of a newspaper in the sense of ruling out exchange of

 information, insight and experience, consultation, and

 cooperation. Great newspapers with a soul know where to draw

 the lakshman rekha and how to give primacy to the editorial

 functions.

                            *           *             *

A newspaper cannot claim to be great merely by performing the

 first two positive functions. It must also play a strong educational

 role in society. Over the long term, Indian newspapers have been

 performing this function, to an extent, in areas such as politics

 and public affairs, the economy, foreign policy, business, science

 and technology, school and higher education, literature, the arts,

 especially Indian classical music, and sports. However, this

 educational role has been performed far below potential. When

 the educational function is taken up systematically and

 imaginatively by Indian newspapers, exciting results are likely to

 follow. The fourth function involves socially conscious newspapers

 working hard to trigger agenda-building processes to help produce

 democratic and progressive outcomes. This function is derived

 from the first three functions. But when the agenda-building

 function attains critical mass, it becomes an autonomous,

 pro-active role vis-à-vis society — a process in which The Hindu,

 as India`s national newspaper looking to the future, would like to

 play its due part.