New Delhi : For once newspersons are getting first-hand experience of being on the other side of the screen. And sure enough they are not taking it kindly. The result is a complete black out in the Indian print media of newspersons involvement reported by the Open magazine.

The after effect is felt in many ways as many faithful newspapers readers, who earlier shunned television news, have begun watching it.

The talk of the town is not just about the exposure wherein names of Hindustan Times editorial director Vir Sanghvi and NDTV's group editor, Barkha Dutt have been dragged in the 2G spectrum scam, but also how and why the Indian media has gone into a silent mode.

The buzz on Twitter is abuzz with its lost credibility. While some are tweeting – ‘the murky underbelly of the Indian media has been brought to the fore,’ others are terming ‘anchors as power brokers.’ From remarking the issue as ‘India’s Mediagate scandal’ to ‘once media has been beaten at its own game,’ people, especially the young generation, is sermonizing - ‘journalists have lost what they need the most in their profession – credibility.’

Talking to Gulf News, regarding the Indian media being quiet on the issue, L N Shital, Editor, Rashtriya Sahara, Uttarakhand, Dehradun said, “This is because the nexus of the corporate, bureaucrats and the corrupt politicians of the ruling alliance who indulged in the scam, have succeeded in ‘managing’ a large section of the Indian media. The disclosures (of taped conversations) have divulged how corporate influences the media to write for their benefit.”

“The day-by-day increasing pressure and interference of ‘corporate power on the Indian media compels me to say that public trust in the media has shaken and it cannot be trusted fully.”

Shital went on to say that it was probably this one time that the journalists were ‘caught’, although the nexus between the politicians and the media is now-a-days common and widely known. “The Indian media is very selective of issues and timing. They know when to bark and what to bark!” he said.

Senior journalist and distinguished fellow, Observer Research Foundation, Saeed Naqvi is of the opinion that the calm is partly because “The media hides behind the principle: ‘Dog doesn’t eat dog.’”

On the other hand, he notified, “Don’t forget that it’s the Indian media like Outlook magazine, which exposed the journalists who have shamed the profession. And it’s the Indian media that exposed 2G Spectrum, Adarsh and CWG scams. So, it’s a matter of a few rotten fish – that’s all!

“There is no such thing as ‘an absolutely free media.’ All, including the Western media, work under constraints. American and British media told downright lies during the Iraq and Afghan operations. The Indian media has lost balance since economic liberalization made market the ultimate arbiter. We were taught ‘the purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness.’ Sadly, that principle has been made to stand on its head. The new motto is: the purpose of life is the accumulation of wealth. And India’s electronic media, like elsewhere, is prisoner of the market.”

Another senior journalist and columnist Dileep Padgaonkar differs, “The transcripts published so far do not establish any hard evidence to prove or disprove moral or professional impropriety. It would be foolhardy to rush to judgment about this so-called exposure.”

A word of caution comes from him, “What it does tell you, however, is that media personalities need to be careful not to flaunt their connections with the movers and shakers of the country. And they stay resolutely away from any conflict of interest. I don’t think these revelations’ will adversely affect the role the Indian media plays as a watch-dog of the people’s interests.”