Is Journalists Joining Politics a Good Idea?

Journalism, H.L. Mencken said, is to politician as dog is to lamp-post. Historically, politicians and journalists have shared an acerbic relationship, with certain media powerhouses who claim to be unbiased in their opinions, acting as government propagandists under covers. Recently, the media has been brimming with news of various journalists in India joining politics in general, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in particular. This trend can be dated back to 2000, when current AICC Secretary, Rajeev Shukla, quit journalism to be elected to the Rajya Sabha. Mr. Shukla, today an established politician, rightly emphasizes the demarcation of journalism as a profession from any future political ambition. Over the past few weeks, we have seen prominent journalists like Manish Sisodia, Shazia Ilmi, Rakhi Birla and Ashutosh show their support for AAP by quitting their successful careers to join the anti-corruption movement. The question of whether or not journalists should join politics is quite inconsequential, provided they do not soil the sanctity of their previous profession to feather their nests as politicians. While established political parties like Congress and BJP have not focused on letting in fledgling political leaders from the outside, AAP empowers the common man, who aspires to clean up the Indian political system. Let us consider the cases of these former journalists. Manish Sisodia joined Kejriwal before he became the CM of Delhi, as the first volunteer to sign up for his NGO, Parivartan. Rakhi Birla and Ashutosh on the other hand, were at the forefront of the anti-corruption movement as journalists, and only seem to have taken up the cause full time. However, what is to be noted is the fact that a reverse course for these people would not be as easy as their decision to dive into the political waters. Politics should be a medium to establish good and transparent governance, and this cause needs people who have the right intentions, the will and intellectual ability and the passion to put up an honest fight in the rather dirty political arena. For this, people from all walks of life should be welcomed, as this will aid in converting Indian politics into a space where merit overpowers nepotism. Hence, journalists joining politics is not a bad idea. Instead, people with political agendas remaining under the mask of journalism would do more harm than good to their profession as well as the nation.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/tv-journalist-ashutosh-set-to-join-aam-aadmi-party/1/335192.html http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Quit-Journalism-if-You-Want-to-Be-Politician-RajivShukla/2014/01/14/article1999819.ece http://in.news.yahoo.com/television-journalist-ashutosh-quits-ibn7-join-aap-140417939.html