Some people make it their business to purvey the truth. Others are obsessed with propogating falsehoods. May be they have an axe to grind. May be they are plain and simple juvenile. May be they are just frustrated. They wanted to make it big in the media and they could not. The truth is not known to us and frankly speaking Real AP Media is not even interested. Yet reports are continually coming to us that one particular site ( you know which one) is in the business of character assassination and puts up information that is libellous and downright false. Many have written to us that protest letters are not posted on the site, only complimentary letters. They have requested us that we must provide a platform to at least host these protest letters. Frankly this is not our business. Yet the truth involves us all. Therefore after deliberations, we have decided to throw open this site to opinions of persons who find that other site objectionable. You are free to write to us, but in decent language shorn of abuses of any kind. Ours is a decent and character assassination is not our strong point. May God also pardon these people who in their frustration, and anger borne out of this, have lost the ability to distinguish between the good and the bad.

A site which says it potrays the state of the media in the state seems to be obsessed with what is happening in The Times Of India. It has developed special "affection" for the editor of the Hyderabad edition whom it runs down in every other alternate post. Most of the information is false and has nothing to do with the truth. Kingshuk Nag who came to Hyderabad from Ahmedabad built up an awesome reputation there for taking Narendra Modi head on. A national level award - Prem Bhatia Award was given to him for fighting against communalism in the face of heavy odds and threats from the authorities. Anybody who has dealt with him is aware of his credientials and integrity. Present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was part of the jury that gave him the Prem Bhatia award. The allegations made on the site are often in bad taste and very uncouth. They are malicious and with the purpose of running the TOI down. It would appear that whoever is posting these allegations has a lot of malice and has an axe to grind. The editor of the Hyderabad Times is also not being spared and all sorts of things are being written about the lady. How ridiculous this site can be guauged by the fact that it put up a posting that TOI was starting a tambola to hold its circulation, because a senior editorial staffer had quit. The site suggested that the exit of this senior staffer would lead to a fall in circulation. As if circulation have to do with entry and exit of news editors. Those who run the site have not worked in newspapers and if they have they must have done so in junior posts. They dont know the inner mechanics of newspapers.

The battle of Kurukshetra is being fought. And like the original one, both the contending parties are seeking informally to draw neutral observers into the field. No one from the two parties have approached others officially to come to their aid. Yet all neutral newspapers are having a problem about how to report the battle between Ramoji Rao and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Nobody knows who is Pandava and who is Kaurava. But the battle is becoming very murky. Reports say that major resources are being pressed into service for cause of the battle, including helicopters. Neutral newspapers after waiting for some time are on the horns of a dilemma. If they ignore the battle, they might be accused of not taking into cognisance something that is dominating the political scene in Andhra Pradesh. If they do report, they might be accused of tilting towards one of the parties. The Hindu after waiting for sometime on Wednesday tried to put out an independent piece about the Margadarsi issue. It was an instructive piece. Times Of India also came out in the field after waiting for sometime. But with passions raised, neither the TOI nor Hindu can match the zeal shown by some newspapers. It will be useful to see how this Kurukshetra battle rages and how the neutral newspapers and the independent section of the electronic media covers it.

Ramoji Rao may not be loved by everybody. People might have reservations about the way he built up his business. Yet nobody can deny that he is a formidable force in Andhra Pradesh. Today the government of the day is hounding him, because his publications have taken upon themselves to oppose and expose them. The government is so intolerant that they cannot bear anybody exposing them thoroughly. The government feels that he is a henchman for the opposition parties. Members of the fourth estate might have their own views, but they should understand that the government does not tolerate any dissent from any section of the press. God forbid if the government is able to cower down Ramoji Rao. Once that happens, they will train their guns at other sections of the press. Nobody will be left alone, till all dissent is snuffed out. Publications who are taking a stand supporting the government should remember this. In their own interest. Otherwise one day they will have to pay the price. What can happen to others can also happen to you.

It is a faceless and bossless paper at the Hyderabad level. The big guys sit in Chennai and there is no local chieftain here. Yet the respect of the paper is very high in Hyderabad and large sections of the city's newpaper readers swear their loyalty to it. They will never give up the Hindu, howsoever hard DC and TOI may try. A national paper with a local flavour is what The Hindu is. Credit must go to the local team of Hindu for this. The late Rajendra Prasad may not be there. Yet chief of bureau Nagesh Kumar is doing a very commendable job. Low profile but efficient, Nagesh makes his presence felt in his work. The paper has real improved its looks and local content in the past one year, largely due to the striving of Nagesh. Chennai has undoubtedly helped immensely in this matter.


While on The Hindu, where is Jyotirmaya Sharma nowadays? Former Deputy Editor of Hindu and in charge of national affairs, Sharma had been the RE of TOI earlier. Sharma left his mark in the both the assignments he handled in the city. His friends say that Sharma is now full time in intellectual pursuits -writing books, articles and is active on the lecture circuit.

A toast should be raised to The New Indian Express. Plagued by lack of resources, both monetary and human capital, NIE has kept its flag afloat by bringing out a quality product, day after day. The circulation of the paper has dipped and it is fourth in terms of numbers amongst the four English newspapers. Yet the spirit of freedom and independence is still there. The paper has managed to keep its prestige though it is managed remotely by an Editor in Bhubaneshwar. Yet the lack of resources shows up sometimes on the newspages. We hope that the tide will turn soon and NIE will again see the circulation figures climbing.


Chandrababu Naidu and after him Y S Rajasekhara Reddy may have been active in trying to make Hyderabad a leading business destination. Yet the circulation numbers of Economic Times, Business Line, Financial Express and Business Standard have showed no quantum jump in the last two years. The numbers are growing and Economic Times is by far the market leader, but there is no great leap forward. The local chiefs of three of the business papers have been airlifted from Delhi : Padmapriya of ET, Somasekhar M of Business Line and Financial Express' Satyanagesh have all come in from Delhi. We hope that the experience that they have gained in the national capital will encourage them to come up with innovative ways to boost numbers.

The real achiever of the Hyderabad media. Can you guess who is it ? A T Jayanti, the Editor of Deccan Chronicle. DC was a moffusil paper when the lady was brought in from Bombay, a decade ago. With the dint of sheer hard work, Jayanti has brought the paper to its current level. DC is miles ahead of its rivals and most of the credit should go to Jayanti. She has been ably provided a platform by the owners of DC, without which the lady could not have taken the paper to dizzy heights.
Lately Jayanti has had some problems of communications with her colleagues. Now she has started sorting them out and has become accessible. Three cheers to Jayanti. May you continue the good work.


In Times Of India, Thomas Sebastian has effortlessly stepped into the shoes of Ram Karan, dispelling apprehensions that the paper would go to the dogs following the exit of the latter. Sebastian has not allowed the absence of Ram Karan to be felt in the newsroom and has upheld the production values of the paper. A low profile performer, Sebastian has worked in many papers and centres before coming to Hyderabad. Last job was in Bangalore at Deccan Herald, when Kingshuk Mukherjee picked him up and gave him a position. Sebastian , we want to watch you grow.

The real AP media. The story must be told. The real story. How the media functions. The guys- and gals- who run the show. Not phoney stories. This blog does not believe in running down people and creating bad blood.