Something is rotten in Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s premier news agency. Many wonder what is happening to this news agency, which was once considered as a pure news dispatcher. Recently a spate of fake news has appeared and even fake photos are being released as news!
The other top staffers are getting around only Rs. Two to Three lakhs per month. This huge disparity in the salary is considered to be the main reason for the unrest in the organization.
PTI was under the iron fist of the Editor in Chief M K Razdan who hold the top post for many decades, in which Razdan managed to stay in the post in dubious ways and manipulations. This has killed the system of the reputed Organisation, say many insiders. M K Razdan, the father of Nidhi Razdan, controversial anchor of NDTV, continued as Editor in Chief violating all norms for around two decades, while the Board united to give a forced retirement at the age of around 75. The actual age of M K Razdan is still a mystery as he hushed it up as in PTI normally people retire at 60 or will get a maximum of two to three-year extension. But Razdan got multiple numbers of extensions.
Razdan left PTI at the end of 2016, leaving behind an organization without proper hierarchy. The spate of fake news syndrome is due to the absence of controlling or checking mechanisms, say insiders. Anybody can file anything now, they added.
In the recent past, how many Union Ministers were misquoted and controversies erupted because of PTI? The first was the misquoting of the former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. PTI reported said Parrikar told him that one girl reporter’s question irked him to conduct surgical strike against Pakistan! Another was misquoting Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. PTI reported a totally false news that Maneka Gandhi said men don’t commit suicide!
Apart from misquoting, nowadays, PTI has started mischievous reporting also. The worst was the concocted news on less budget for education by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Even more appalling was the use of old Chennai Airport flood photos as recent floods in Ahmadabad! Even WhatsApp circulated images were uploaded by PTI! I&B Minister Smriti Irani even tweeted asking explanation from PTI, which is run by a consortium of media barons.
The Presidential Poll statistics were reported in a totally wrong way. The quality of the PTI service is deteriorating fast. Many union activists in PTI say, that this was due to the lack of leadership. Before leaving, Razdan brought Vijay Joshi as Editor in Chief of PTI, who was in Far Eastern countries for many decades. He was with Associated Press and was in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand for a long time. Ignoring the existing staffers for the top post irked many and has created unrest in PTI’s senior leadership.
Razdan managed regional news barons in the Board to approve NRI Joshi’s appointment by sidelining the existing top staffers. Razdan, who was earning more than Rs.30 lakhs per month got Vijay Joshi for Rs.14 lakhs per month as his successor. Staffers say apart from the salary a new Toyota Camry car has also been allotted for the new Editor in Chief. The other top staffers are getting around only Rs. Two to Three lakhs per month. This huge disparity in the salary is considered to be the main reason for the unrest in the organization.
Being a premier news agency PTI needs a complete overhaul. That is the need of the hour.
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Something is rotten in Press Trust of India – PTI
The quality of news is deteriorating fast at PTI
By Team PGurus –
August 3, 2017
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS RECEIVED ON FB IN THE CONTEST OF ABOVE ARTICLE.
Gurudas:PGurus द्वारा rotten होने का आरोप लगाए जाने के आलोक में पीटीआई प्रबंधन द्वारा सम्पादकीय सुधार कार्यक्रम चलाया जाना चाहिए ।
इन सुधार कार्यक्रम के ये मुख्य बिंदु होने चाहिये :
१. भ्रस्टाचारी यूनियन नेता महावीर सिंह यादव द्वारा नियुक्त सभी रीजनल मैनेजर्स और बड़े प्रदेशों के ब्यूरो प्रमुख को जल्द से जल्द हटाया जाए ।
2. इनके स्थान पर कॉन्ट्रैक्ट के वरिष्ठ और ईमान-धर्म वाले पत्रकारों को नियुक्ति की जाए ।
3. भ्रष्ट रीजनल मैनेजर्स, ब्यूरो प्रमुख और कुछ भाषा के चमचा किस्म जर्नलिस्ट्स को डेस्क पर रख जाए ।
4. रिपोर्टिंग कर रहे सभी जर्नलिस्ट्स से शपथ पत्र लिया जाए कि वो यादव के 20 प्रतिशत कमीशन-खोरी के धंधे का हिस्सा नही बनेंगे ।
5. दशकों से चली आ रही पेड न्यूज फ़ाइल करने की परंपरा पर रोक लगाई जानी चाहिए । ये पेड न्यूज जम्मू & कश्मीर से लेकर देश के किसी हिस्से का हो सकतस है ।
6. एक एडिटोरियल ओम्बड्समैन की नियुक्ति होनी चाहिए जहां पर जर्नलिस्ट्स को समस्याओं का बिना भय या पक्षपात के समाधान हो सके ।
7. एडिटोरियल में हर स्तर पर हुए या हो रहे भ्रष्टाचार, यादव से साँठ-गाँठ, दादागिरी, नेताओं की चापलूसी और अन्य तरह की चमचागिरी पर तत्काल प्रतिबंध लगना चाहिए ।
अगर इन सुझावों पर अमल किया जाता है तो पीटीआई में आवश्यक सुधार लाया जा सकता है और खबरों की गुणवत्ता और संख्या में बढ़ोत्तरी की जा सकती है ।
Gurudas:Rotten क्यों नही होगा जब पीटीआई के जर्नलिस्ट्स संस्था के प्रति कम और पूर्व-सीईओ महापापी कार्पेट राज़दान और भ्रष्टाचारी यूनियन नेता महावीर सिंह यादव के प्रति ज्यादा वफादार रहें हो ।
Delhi के कुछ जर्नलिस्ट्स को छोड़कर राज़दान के मैनेजमेंट और यादव के यूनियन के सभी जर्नलिस्ट्स को भ्रष्टाचार के दलदल में ढकेल दिया जिसके अंतर्गत नेताओं, ब्यूरोक्रेट्स और धंधेबाजों से वसूली कर कुछ अपने पास रखना और कुछ ऊपर पहुंचाना पीटीआई की पत्रकारिता की पहचान रही है ।
यूनियन मीटिंग कराने के लिए 20 प्रतिशत कमीशन पर धन उगाही करना माननीय मेट्रो संट्रेस के मैनेजर्स और प्रदेशों के ब्यूरो प्रमुखों की खासी पहचान रही है ।
यैसा लगा था कि नए सीईओ के चार्ज लेने के बाद पीटीआई के भ्रष्ट और वसुलीबाज़ ब्यूरो चीफ लोग अपना धंधा बंद कर देंगे, लेकिन निर्लज्जों ने पटना, मुम्बई और दार्जीलिंग में भव्य आयोजन कर मैनेजमेंट की हनक को ठेंगा दिखा दिया।
पीटीआई के दागी मेट्रो सेंटर्स के मैनेजरस और ब्यूरो चीफ जिनकी पोस्टिंग भ्रष्टाचारी यादव के कहने पर हुई थी आज भी नई व्यवस्था में भी राज कर रहें है और इनका वसूली का धंधा खूब फल-फूल रहा है क्योंकि प्रशासन की इनकी कारगुजारियों से कोई फर्क नही पड़ता दिख रहा है ।
PGurus.com के पीटीआई पर नए पोस्ट के लेखक ने फेक न्यूज़ की बात उठाई है जो उतना सच नहीं है जितना पेड न्यूज की समस्या है ।
पाठकों को ये जानना चाहिए कि पीटीआई में अगर आप मेट्रोज और प्रदेश ब्यूरो के सफल जर्नलिस्ट्स है तो आप निश्चित रूप से यादव के दलाल होंगे ।
पिछले साल गोआ की AGM में ये बात साबित भी हो गयी थी जहां पर यादव ने अपने सभी दलाल जॉर्नलिस्टस गुर्गों को बुलावा भेजा है और लोग रंगीन आयोजन में गये भी थे ।
अंत मे, पीटीआई के रिपोर्टिंग और एडिटोरियल में फैले व्यापक भ्रष्टाचार और इसमें यादव की दखलंदाजी की वर्तमान EIC की कोई भूमिका नही है, लेकिन इस रैकेट को खत्म करने की जिम्मेदारी उनकी है ।
अगर अब भी एडिटोरियल मैनेजमेंट नहीं जागा और व्यापक परिवर्तन नहीं हुई तो ऊपरवाला ही बचा पायेगा इस महान संस्थान को ।
Pallab Bhattacharya No attempt was made in the last two decades to build a second line of defence who could take over from seniors who retired in the last two years. The void created by the exit of three-four seniors in a month last year created a vacuum which could not be filled. There was a time in 90s when a good second line of leadership had the potential to emerge as frontline but 99 per cent of them left the organization as they could see the writing on the wall.
Guru Das Rascal Razdan and Rogue Yadav were downright robbers in the garb of CEO/EIC and union leader respectively. Second line or for that matter any line of defence was not their collective agenda. The two treated themselves like royal Mughal rulers ! Social media scrutiny was bound to take place one day when you elevate a sub-editor to editor’s position. The world knows that quality of Editors and reporters in PTI is appalling with barring two, all being loyalist of Rascal and Rogue. In the end, let us give some more time to new management to improve things as they have inherited a tainted legacy and manpower. Journalists and non-journalists must improve urgently and all sorts of disparity must be removed if management wants improvement in quality and quantity of news from Metros and states. Hope people are listening.
Ramaswamy Nagai the problem with PTI management was it was delhi centric. staffers from other centers were not given enough opportunity to work though they are good. Yadav called the shots and Razdon with Shakeel and padma supported him to the core. During my 3 decades of servicde, i have seen shakeel or padma coming out with stories. still they were pets of Razdon like his dogs, which he likes most. He ignored the claims of good workers for foreign postings and only his stooges like KJ Varma, who cannot write even a single take without mistakes were given just because he hosted Nithi at Islamabad whenever she went there. Pallab knows his cabapalities as a reporter
Guru Das Ramaswamy Nagai : PTI was ruled by a beast for over two decades with equally beastly minions. You all know that the beast was an uprooted Kashmiri refugee. He held on to his position by licking dick of any Congress man and expected same from employees. Those who did so prospered and others suffered for not falling in line. On the other hand, PTI has had an union helmed by now well.know bhrastachari MS Yadav who played a perfect puppet to Rascal Razdan. In return, he got zamindari of Metros and money minting state capital. Paid news became an order of PTI and is still so because Yadav’s men hold key positions everywhere. Both the CEO and EIC know about it, but not effecting reshuffle for reasons known only to them. Because of dominance of Yadav’s bootlickers, news operations have been hit badly both in terms of quality and quantity. And we are heading that some board members have publicly applied pressure to stop transfer of some of Yadav’s henchmen. Without reforms, PTI is going nowhere.
Ramaswamy Nagai the problem with PTI is that MKR never allowed second line leadership to grow as it would undermine his authority. Why people like A K Dhar and Rajamani, considered to be good journalists, left. It is due to harassemenent by MKR. If they had continued in ervice MKR would have gone lone back. He systematically demolished PTI to rule. He also created rift in federation and allowed Yadav to grow by sideline Rangarja , whp had done a lot to PTI staff. He brought back Sudharar Nair , who resigned from PTI and gave him a good position, when there were enough talents within. Only licked the dick survived. I have to fight for my promotion as RM and resisted attempts by MKR to post KJV to suceed Miranda. I was successful only because of then chairman Lakshmi[pathy.
Guru Das Ramaswamy Nagai : You were simply lucky that there were people who could listen to you. Hundreds of your colleagues suffered simply because there was nobody who could listen to their grievances. Rascal Razdan, a mediocre journalist who rose to top through manipulation, was not generous at all. It was either dick licking or sex by which one could impress him and get anything. Yadav, the habitually corrupt union leader, has narrated Razdan’s sexual acts under dim light in CEO’s chamber, to his chamchas. Yadav knew other weaknesses of Rascal Razdan and armtwisted him to accommodate union’s interests. Entire system comprising editorial, administration and union was allowed to collapse right before eyes of helpless employees. Bastard Razdan’s soul will definitely not rest in peace when he gone.
Ramaswamy Nagai MKR never allowed secondline to develop. He posted lickers of dick as foreign correspondents, who never knew to write stories. He created a rift in the federation by sidelining Rangaraj, a good general secretary since he did not toe his line and promoted Yadav. Both destroyed pti for the sorry state of affairs pti is facing today. People like A K Dhar and Rajamani hadto quit becaue of the harassement by MKR. If they had continued in service, MKR could not have survived this long.
Guru Das AK Dhar retired from service, But Rajamani was humiliated by Rascal Razdan and forced to quit. And so was Arun Kumar. Razdan promoted three spineless and self serving Biharis in key positions with strict instruction to say yes all the times. The Bihari troika played into hands of Razdan and cronies and went after employees like blood thirsty big cats to clear decks for elevation of bunch of refugee Kashmiri Pandits of Generation Y. Now the organization is suffering as these Razdan-protected KPs don’t have depth and leadership to do justice to their position. An editor reportedly confessed that he felt embarrassed when introducing himself to people outside.
Pallab Bhattacharya Arun Kumar would have been an inspirational leader. Am saying this from my experience of working with and under him.
Guru Das Great Man, good leader who fell foul of Razdan’s machinations. During Rascal’s time, you can get a promotion for abusing Arun Kumar. At least two journos prospered for abusing Mr. Kumar.•
Please appoint Mr.Gopikrishnan of Pioneer to Head PTI. May be he will satisfy all your lofty ambitions
Razadan killed PTI by dubiously continuing as Editor in Chief for decades. He killed the hierarchy in the system.
I am working in United News of India. Would you be interested in getting inside story about it. Its shocking.