Journalism, Ethics, Focus Area Of Coverage, Etc

By Nava Thakuria, New Age Islam 14 August 2025 Is it ethically (logically) correct for an editor of a daily newspaper to regularly write a column for another daily (where both dailies are published in the same language and from the same region) ? Does the practice indirectly prove that the columnist-editor simply failed to increase the visibility of his/her newspaper and so went on exploiting space in the other daily, which seemingly enjoys a higher circulation (readership) and credibility? Such an issue was recently brought for discussions among professional journalists based in various parts of India, where it was largely agreed that if the respective newspaper managements (read owners) agree, the issue of an editor writing columns in separate media outlets is settled. However, if the editorial management of the recipient media house wants to discontinue the particular column, it should also be acknowledged gracefully by the editor-columnist. Moreover, if the editor of a newspaper asks a columnist to concentrate on particular issues that should be admitted as the concerned editor’s prerogative and the direction should not be raised as a censorship on freedom of expression. Because, the editor-columnist may lose the space in that particular newspaper, but he/she has every right to pursue interesting issues anywhere (including his/her own daily). The intriguing debates kicked off following a recent social media post by a senior and award winning journalist based in Meghalaya where Patricia Mukhim (editor of The Shillong Times) alleged The Assam Tribune management had abruptly decided to stop her regular column. With the headline ‘End of a journey with the Assam Tribune’, Ms Mukhim narrated, “Over a decade ago, much before 2014, I was asked by the then editor of Assam Tribune to write a bi-monthly column for the paper. I readily agreed knowing that Assam Tribune was a newspaper that allowed free and independent expression of views. Yesterday I sent a write-up that critiqued the Assam chief minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) and all his controversial acts vis a vis the eviction drive that targeted not just illegal migrants (which is fair if done according to law), but was particularly targeting the Muslim community. I received a message from the editorial team saying, ‘The management says your article cannot be carried. You are to write only on issues pertaining to Meghalaya’. That was never told to me in the past and I commented on issues across the region. Then I realised that the inevitable had happened. Anything that runs contrary to the current regime will not be entertained by the mainstream media barring a few brave ones that continue to stand their ground and have refused to become lapdogs of the ruling regime. To be told what to write on and how to write are the marks of an authoritarian regime. It's better to be a free spirit than be tied in knots and have your thoughts imprisoned..” Speaking to this writer from New Delhi, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, an independent journalist, author, publisher, and documentary film & music video maker, stated, “Whether or not the editor of The Shillong Times should be writing a column for The Assam Tribune is a matter that is to be decided by the owners/publishers of the two publications. If both publishers agree, there would be nothing unethical for Patricia Mukhim to write for both publications. In the US, this happens from time to time. For instance, the head of The New York Times has written for its rival publication, The Washington Post. However, this practice is not common in India. Whereas it is the prerogative of the editor/publisher to accept or reject any article or column, my understanding is that Ms Mukhim is aggrieved by the manner in which her column was rejected and how the editorial decision of The Assam Tribune was communicated to her by a junior staff member. She is, in my opinion, rightfully aggrieved, and correctly chose to have her column published elsewhere and decided to discontinue her more-than-decade-long association with The Assam Tribune.” A seasoned journalist from Meghalaya (who wanted anonymity), while talking to this writer, amazingly made a twist over the matter. He argued that the honoured lady editor used to contribute media columns for a number of other newspapers (not confining to Assam Tribune), where usually she stuck to critical views on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its leaders. But in the home turf, she maintained a cordial relation with the Meghalaya government. Currently, when Conrad K Sangma of National People's Party (NPP) leads the government in Shillong with the BJP as an ally, she remains soft on various pertinent local issues. It was not immediately known, if the Assam Tribune management wanted to expose the writer’s inclination towards the NPP government (asking her send write-ups on Meghalaya issues only) and indirectly checked the ‘misuse’ of media space in Assam Tribune while keeping Shillong Times favourable to Sangma-led Meghalaya government, he added. Gurbir Singh, former president of the Mumbai Press Club, while talking to this writer, however asserted that if a publication (newspaper) offers a writer to write a regular column, the particular editor should not dictate to the columnist about the content (what goes and what doesn't), which we can term as ‘pro establishment censorship’. However if there is an issue of a writer (belonging to Meghalaya) being critical of the ruling party of Assam (along with its leaders), but is relatively soft to his/her own state government (where the said Assam ruling party is also an ally), that is a different matter. It can be taken up for discussion on some other forums. The management of Assam Tribune group of newspapers has not made (probably will not do so) any comment over the debate. Needless to mention that, once a prestigious media house of northeast India, today faces a severe financial crisis hampering even regular salary distributions to its employees on time. Their employees’ union recently claimed in a public forum that salaries were backlogged for at least two months. The management cited the outstanding dues from the Assam information and public relations directorate to the tune of a few crores (against the published advertisements) that delayed the release of salaries and other benefits to the employees. The media group usually maintains its credibility while disseminating information, editorial viewpoints and other pieces of articles, but in recent times the same principles were visibly compromised. It had openly supported the anti-CAA movement in Assam and provided a huge space to the movement against the centre’s citizenship initiative for non-Muslim nationals coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh prior to 2015. In another occasion, it made a series of unchecked reports on a local press club election just ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those reports with the intention of character assassinations to a familiar individual put its credibility on stake. Its current pathetic condition was orchestrated by none other than a section of arrogant employees, when the management preferred to be a mute spectator to a disorder in the making. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/journalism-ethics-coverage/d/136494 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism