April 15, 2008

' Today's media world seems to be very much influenced by the market'

M J Akbar is a former editor of Sunday magazine, India’s first genuine political weekly. He also launched India’s first modern newspaper The Telegraph in 1982. He has worked as an advisor in the Ministry of Human Resources and helped policy planning in the key areas of education, the National Literacy Mission and protection of heritage. In 1994 he launched India’s first global newspaper, The Asian Age, which has grown into a major media presence nationally and internationally.

In 2005 M J Akbar was invited by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz A-Saud custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to become a member of the Forum for Islamic Scholars and Intellectuals. In March of this year he joined the Brookings Institute in Washington as a visiting fellow in the Brookings project on US Policy Towards the Islamic World. And in May this year he was appointed as the president of the Mohammedan Sporting Club.

Simultaneous with a career in journalism and politics M J Akbar has also been a prolific author. His most recent publications include The Shade of Swords: Jihad and the conflict between Islam and Christianity, published by Routledge, Byline, published by Chronicle Books and Blood Brothers, which was published by Roli Books.

Recently M J Akbar was in Manipal to address the students of Manipal Institute of Communication.

He spoke exclusively to Daijiworld's Rahul Kumar 

Here are the excerpts of interview

Q: Tell us something about your journey from a trainee journalist to a veteran journalist. How do you feel on reaching this height?

A: I had written my first piece when I was barely fifteen years old. In 1971 I started my career in journalism as a trainee journalist in 'The Times of India.' By 1973, I became the editor of 'Onlooker' magazine. Later in 1973,  I became the editor of 'Sunday' and in 1982 of ' The Telegraph'. Then around 1989, I quit journalism for politics but came back to this field again only after three years in 1992. I started a new media company in 1993 which later came out with India's first global newspaper 'Asian Age.' Since then onwards I am in this field. And I really feel nice when someone calls me a veteran journalist. At the same time I feel a sense of responsibility too.

Q: How and why did you join politics and then why did you leave it after just three years?

A: I had contested the general elections of 1989 from Kishanganj in Bihar on the Congress ticket. Then in 1991, I joined human resource ministry as a general adviser. On 6th December 1992 I left politics and came back to journalism. I had joined politics with some ambitions in my heart. But to be very honest, it is very difficult to survive in politics with honesty. There is no way to make honest money in politics. Also there were many other factors which compelled me to leave the arena of politics as well. 

Q: Since you were associated with Rajiv Gandhi, what do you think of the Bofors scandal?

A: That is history now. A lot has been talked about the scandal. I do not think there is any need to talk about that anymore.

Q: Do you think media has become more market oriented these days - True or not?

A: To some extent, I think yes. Today's media world seems to be very much influenced by the market. But there is nothing wrong in that, as long as the readers are enjoying it. However, one should be able to distinguish between  food and 'achaar' (pickles). As 'achaar' can never be a complete food, media too cannot always produ