THE BIG ONE -- 'CASH FOR EDITORIALS'

PREMISE

The purpose of this story is not to defame any particular individual or institution. Penpricks’ motive is to expose a shameful practice in the media, which has been going on for a while, albeit behind closed doors. During the 2007 assembly elections, journalism in Goa hit a new low with the Herald, and the other Goan English daily The Navhind Times, consistently publishing political advertisements under the garb of news reports. Such stray cases of journalistic impropriety have occurred before. But, never has a newspaper so unabashedly systemised such unethical trends. This outrage in fact, became the cornerstone of this investigative story. And to trace the extent of journalistic degeneration in a newspaper, became our only motivation. But there was still one brook we had to wade through, before plunging into this torrent. How do we define the extent of this degradation?

After some deliberation, Penpricks arrived at this conclusion. (We are putting down our thought-process on paper, so that our readers know the logic behind this investigation) An editorial was and continues to be the soul of a newspaper. In the age of commercial conquest of news-space, the free-flowing column on the extreme left of the editorial page still continues to be the sanctum sanctorum of a newspaper. It is still that organ in a ravaged journalistic carcass that’s shudders sometimes, to let folk know it’s still alive. An editorial today, still lends a saddened reader, a shoulder, a harried reader, hope and at times cracks a whip at outrage. Would any newspaper mortgage/sell an editorial to an advertiser? Is the soul still sacred, or is it already on the advertisers shelf? This is what we found out…

Editorials in the Herald are for sale… at a whopping Rs 3 lakh per piece.

Penpricks posed as business consultants and booked nearly a dozen editorials for Rs 3 lakh per piece for the tourism-frenzied months of October and November.
Penpricks posed as Manoj Rastogi, business manager of a fictitious Delhi-based vacation-marketing company called ‘Acer Consultants’, which was interested in writing and placing six commercially-driven editorials as part of its Rs 35-lakh advertising campaign in Goa.
Penpricks has been in email communication with a senior member of the Herald business development team Mr Harry Mann since August 28. Herald finalised the deal for the sale of editorials (at Rs 3 lakh per editorial, makes it Rs 18 lakh for six editorials) on September 5 with this email from Harry Mann. As part of the deal ‘Acer Consultants’ would write six commercially driven editorials for publication in the Herald, for which Acer Consultants would pay the newspaper Rs 3 lakh each for every editorial published.

(excerpt from Harry Mann’s letter)

From: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail
/compose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff1
54ef48a7dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=ere
p%40oheraldo.in
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/c
ompose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154
ef48a7dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=acerc
onsultants%40consultant.com
Subject: RE: ATTN Mr Mann
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 17:19:45 +0530

hi . yeah its a close deal already.. but please we need to keep
this deal between us !i mean between herald and your company . im
okay with the deal 3 lakh per release and plus the commercial
space.. you can issue check to us adress to herald publication pvt.
are you intrested with our tv also and our web ? il work with your
budget sir.

In return for ‘Acer Consultants’ placing of these half dozen commercially driven editorials and display ads, Herald also threw in another incentive to ensnare the client. Mr Mann assured us that we could use ‘free of cost’ the “By Herald Reporter” byline to publish any publicity and promotional matter we wanted.
Here’s an excerpt from an email by Mr Harry Mann stating the same.

From: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/compos
e.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48a7dfef15
259ef00fff26b&composeto=erep%40oheraldo.in
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/compose.
mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48a7dfef1525
9ef00fff26b&composeto=acerconsultants%40consulta
nt.com
Subject: RE: hi...

Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 18:58:04 +0800 About the write ups, i can give you free of charge in putting
articles to help you in enhance your business here in goa under
the tag of "BY HERALD REPORTER". as a part of the package ..i can
give you one month two write ups everyweek .. if you want more
just let me know.

Not just this, we even sent a sample editorial to Herald’s representative. The editorial dealt on Tourism in Goa. We have clearly stated in our emails (we shall upload the emails gradually in the coming days) that all the editorials which the fictitious company would write and then publish in the Herald would be profit oriented i.e. crafted in such a way so as to earn the fictitious company, profit. We also made it absolutely clear that it was nothing else, but advertising. Look at how Herald responded to the editorial we had sent as advertising matter. (Look out for the part in bold)

From: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/com
pose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48a7
dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=erep%40oheraldo.
in
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/compo
se.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48a7df
ef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=acerconsultants%4
0consultant.com
Subject: RE: ATTN Mr Mann
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 18:24:48 +0800

hi sorry for the late reply i was with my 5 clients today .. by
the way the sample letter is a good ONE BUT THE impact is not so
strong as our editor says, if you allow us to ad up something in
the write ups .. we are okay with that... same title but there is
something additional in your wirte ups..after if ready to release
will call you or will give you schedule ..... if your okay with
this arrangement will go for it ... and for the second write ups orthe rest of it, you can also send it to.

We have to tell you how ‘good’ Herald was at the negotiations. Midway through our talks we received a mail from Harry Mann, which said that in Herald the editorial space was not for sale. (excerpts)

From: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/
compose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154
ef48a7dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=erep%4
0oheraldo.in
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/com
pose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48
a7dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=acerconsult
ants%40consultant.com
Subject: RE: hi...
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 18:58:04 +0800
erepresentative
HERALD PUBLICATION PVT. LTD
0832-242-2859
hi
im so sorry we wont allow anyone to make a write ups or choose in
your own choice of topic in our editorial clm which is in the left
side ... but as i said we can give you the center page of the
editorial page at least 1000 words .

At this point of time during the negotiations, we had offered Herald Rs 1.5 lakh per editorial. But Mr Mann on behalf of the Herald appeared to be bargaining hard. We hiked our price on offer from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. (excerpt from the mail we sent to Mr Mann)

From: Acer Consultants [mailto: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/compose
.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48a7df
ef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=acerconsultants
%40consultant.com]
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/com
pose.mail?compose=1&.ob=fe612f4dbaff154ef48
a7dfef15259ef00fff26b&composeto=erep%40oher
aldo.in
Sent: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 10:35:09 -0500
Subject: ATTN MR MANN... URGENT
Dear Mr Mann,
I was frankly a bit taken aback by the response.
The editorial aspect is very crucial to us, because we understand the impact edtorials have on the readers. Its for this impact that we are willing to shell out a very high premium for placing a few editorials in your newspaper that would enhance our business. We have offered you 300 per cent permium of your advertising rates. We are filling to offer you 400 per cent or about there.
In sheer digits we are willing to offer you up to Rs 3 lakh per each editorial in the month of October. We are interested in a maximum of 4 tourism related editorials in the months of October and November.

And pat came the response. Mr Mann claims in his mail that he spoke to the editor about the deal and showed him the sample editorial we had sent him and that he was fine with it. The newspaper ‘okayed’ the deal.
The cherry had popped.
Guys… we reproduce here, the email from Mr Mann that clinched it for us.

----- Original Message -----
From: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/
compose.mail?compose=1&.ob=4a3524b9f12a9e1
7045f0b516fc9a6d6f0728952&composeto=erep%4
0oheraldo.in
To: http://mail01.mail.com/scripts/mail/co
mpose.mail?compose=1&.ob=4a3524b9f12a9e170
45f0b516fc9a6d6f0728952&composeto=acercons
ultants%40consultant.com
Subject: RE: ATTN Mr Mann
Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 17:19:45 +0530

hi . yeah its a close deal already.. but please we need to keep
this deal between us !i mean between herald and your company . im
okay with the deal 3 lakh per release and plus the commercial
space.. you can issue check to us adress to herald publication pvt.
are you intrested with our tv also and our web ? il work with your
budget sir.
i handle your account and il help you to promote your business here
in goa . il invite you also in our cafe talk and you can talk about
your business.. just ley\t me know if you need something more,,,,
REGARDS
MR MANN
erepresentative
HERALD PUBLICATION PVT. LTD
0832-242-2859
9923112206 - Mesha
9823113530 - Iranna
9975534536 - Joan
9975534535 - Harry

WHY WE BELIEVE THIS STORY IS SIGNIFICANT
The bottomline here... A newspaper has sold its soul. The 60:40 editorial:advertising ratio has long been junked by tie-choked management graduates. The editorial has always been the last line of defence in any newspaper. This code has been violated. There’s more. An editorial reflects the stance of a newspaper. Penpricks’ investigation has proved that this adage is now mincemeat. Herald’s acceptance of the fictitious Acer Consultants’ deal to publish commercially driven editorials negates the raison d'etre of the venerated editorial.

WHY WE DID THIS STORY
The watchdogs of democracy have turned on to the very people they are to defend. Last assembly elections in Goa saw these very watchdogs salivating for advertorial tidbits thrown by major political parties their way. Penpricks was in fact, birthed in these revolting circumstances… if you check our archives, you’d see one of our first posts dealt with corruption in the media during the run up to the elections. This story is a sign that Penpricks is slowly finding its feet and has now uttered its first syllable.

HOW WE DID THS STORY
Penpricks went undercover posing as a business consultancy firm named ‘Acer Consultants’ based in Connaught Place, New Delhi, interested in starting an advertising campaign on behalf of its clients. We positioned ‘Acer Consultants’ as a multi-national firm worth Rs 15 crore that specialised in marketing vacation packages. We approached the Herald on August 28 as Manoj Rastogi, business consultant for ‘Acer Consultants’ using the email ID acerconsultants@consultant.com.We asked the newspaper for a package including display ads, ‘promotional write-ups’, ‘editorial space’ and asked them for their editorial policy. One Harry Mann from Herald’s Corporate Development wing responded and started the negotiations. We asked Mr Mann point blank, if the newspaper would allow us to write and place editorials ‘benefiting our business’ for a price. We suggested that we would pay a 300 per cent premium on advertising rates for each editorial the newspaper allowed us to write. A tough negotiator, Mr Mann replied saying, the newspaper does not allow advertisers access to the editorial slot. At the same time, the email from Mr Harry Man claimed that he would allow us to publish promotional and advertising matter under the “BY HERALD REPORTER” byline, ‘free of cost’!!!
This was the sort of theatre of the absurd that we were dealing wit. This obviously was a bargaining ruse forcing us to up our rates and we did.
The deal finally closed at Rs 3 lakh per editorial. We assured them that we had six editorials lined up to be published in the newspaper. Editorials that we clearly stated, would benefit our business. The conversation which we have on email began on August 28, 2007 and the deal was sealed on September 5, 2007.

WHY DO WE HEAR ALARM BELLS
We haven’t met Mr Harry Mann while we were negotiating this deal, nor have we met any representative of the Herald. We are merely an email ID to them. They do not know us. They haven’t seen us. They haven’t spoken to us (barring once on telephone). We have been in touch for barely a week before we sealed this deal. This only goes to show how brazen this malaise has become. Editorials sold across the counter, with a few complimentary bylines thrown in for good measure.
We were only bloggers interested in exposing a wrongdoing in the media industry, but imagine if we had ulterior motives… Just for a moment, imagine us as sophisticated lobbyists on the payrolls of the same gang of crooked realtors, who are trying to push controversial regional plan through. It would have been so easy to buy off editorials and cultivate public opinion.
And guess what guys, we are not the only ones who think something is fishy here. To sign off, here’s a line from Mr Harry Mann’s email, which goes to show that they know they are not indulging in something above board.

“but please we need to keep, this deal between us !i mean between herald and your company.”

We broke our word Mr Mann… but you’ve broken our hearts.