The reported sexual advances made by a powerful journalist, and editor of a reputed national news magazine, on his junior lady employee continues to be the lead news these last few days. What makes this news important is because the reporter has become the reported. After exposing the corruption in defence deals during the NDA regime the management of the magazine was put through the crucible. Yet the news magazine came through the period of trial and continued to expose one sleaze after another fearlessly. It is difficult to say what triggers such sexual passion in intelligent, well-meaning men. Indeed, one of the things that we expect from role models in journalism is to continue to live their personal lives in the light and not have anything shady to hide. Considering that it is human to err, it is possible for even the best of us to fall prey to temptation. But no man can be forgiven for molesting his daughter’s friend.
Sexual crimes happen with repeated frequency in most establishments but the majority of women don’t report those crimes for fear of losing their jobs and also because they do not want to be doing the rounds of courts. Legal procedures are long and painful processes which most people want to avoid. The young lady in this case too did not wish to file an FIR for pretty much the same reason. It takes incredible courage to stand up to a powerful person. But the sense of being violated must have made the young lady pour out her heart to the managing editor, a lady known to have taken up several cases of injustice against women. But this time the managing editor seems to have been caught in the horns of a dilemma. Should she report the matter to the police and be seen as taking on a professional colleague and a senior? Should she just sort the matter out internally? She resorted to the latter and has since been accused of not being on the side of justice and truth. The problem with the profession of journalism is that loyalty is only towards the readers and the truth as far as it can be known. Journalists cannot cower before the powerful and nor can they be intimidated by the influential. It is said that when media persons get on the wrong side of the law they occupy more news space. In this case the media has been building up a case against the sexual offender. But in its enthusiasm to try and be the judge and jury the media cannot forget that every offender also has access to the law and it is the law that must decide the culpability of the person and the quantum of punishment due to him.