There has been a gross simplification of the issues involved in the exposures in the Radia tapes on the lack of integrity among mediapersons. In order to understand how exactly journalists really function it is necessary to understand the overall context in which they operate and clarify some of the persistent myths about what the profession is all about. Four myths in particular need to be dissected: That it enjoins journalists, more than other professionals, to be ethical, that they should and can be neutral in their reportage, that owners of media businesses are interested in good journalism and that journalism is the prerogative of those employed in the media industry.
