Where is the intellectual level of a journalist?

Describing journalists in general as having “very poor intellectual level”, Press Council chairman Markandey Katju has called for the electronic media to be brought under the purview of the council. Katju went on to say in a television interview that he had a very poor opinion of most people in the media.

“The general rut is very low and I have a poor opinion of most media people. Frankly, I don’t think they have much knowledge of economic theory or political science or literature or philosophy. I don’t think they have studied all this,” Katju said.

He also said that he had written to the PM demanding that the Press Council be given “more teeth”. Only last month, Katju had said in another TV interview that he would not shy away from using the “danda” to rein in erring journalists.

When asked if these measures would not threaten freedom of the media, he said, “Everybody is accountable in a democracy. No freedom is absolute. Every freedom is subject to reasonable restrictions. I am accountable, you are accountable, we are accountable to the people.”

He added, “Indian media is very often playing an anti-people role. It often diverts the attention of the people from the real problems which are basically economic. 80 per cent people are living in horrible poverty, unemployment, facing price rise, health care (problems).”