Hindustan Times steals a popular blogger’s photograph!!!
May 30, 2008 — ராஜ் (Raj / రాజు్)The so-called “mainstream media” in India is stooping to new lows with each passing day! Most of the “mainstream newspapers” have ceased to report news but have resorted to sensationalism and trivialism to sell their newspapers. The broadsheets are broadsheets only in name and form, but their content is sheer tabloid journalism. This has led to readers calling them as “broadloids”. Going by their news content, one should actually call them “broadvoids”. There are exceptions, ofcourse, and such exceptional newspapers are regarded highly for the quality of their journalism and their ethical reporting. One of the exceptions is The Hindu.
Well, sensationalism and trivialism are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other unethical practices they indulge in to sell their newpapers. But stealing is the latest one!
Hindustan Times, a so-called “mainstream newspaper” has stolen a photograph that was taken by my favourite blogger and the person who led me to the blogosphere, Nita. Hindustan Times is published from Delhi and Nita lives in Mumbai. The article caught her eye because she was interested in the subject as she had written an article on the same on her blog. The article in the Mumbai edition of the newspaper is titled Towards getting it write and is penned by Rukmini Banerji and Wilima Wadhwa. The content is original but the photograph is a stolen one as the newspaper neither asked Nita’s permission to publish the photograph nor provided an acknowledgement. Nita is a freelance journalist and writer herself and she has written to the editor about this. Read more about this on her blog, A wide angle view of India.
Here is Nita’s original photo . . .
And here is the photo that was published in the newspaper . . .
Both the images are from Nita’s blog, http://nitawriter.wordpress.com
Now, Hindustan Times is supposed to be a “major” Indian “mainstream” newpaper. It is a commercial entity that is flush with funds. On the other hand, Nita is a blogger who posts articles purely for the love of writing and blogging. Nita would have accepted the use of her photograph if it had been used for a non-commercial purpose with an acknowledgement. She has the original photograph that was taken near her home and she can prove that it was taken by her. A few blogger friends are writing about this to make sure the paper responds to her e-mail. I hope the newspaper acknowledges that it had used a photograph from her blog and pays her adequately for the same along with an apology from the editor or whoever was responsible for stealing her photograph.
Nita herself does not believe that the so-called “mainstream newspaper” is going to respond to her e-mail. But the power of the truly free alternate media, especially blogs, must expose the unethical journalism that the so-called “mainstream media” indulge in to sell their newspapers!
Wish you good luck in your battle against those so-called “mainstream media” guys, Nita!














