Telhalka, a Hindi word means sensation. And oh! What a sensation they have made. Tehelka.com has done something, which any traditional media has not done so far. Neither the New paper nor the television.

The reason being when a journalist comes up with a sensational story, he or she has to cut through deep levels of bureaucracy in his own organization where the editor may be the first person who would oppose to print that article. Each individual is following the proverb "Save out souls", in the fear of the political nexus looming large on our heads.

Being in the Internet media, Tehelka could achieve this rare feat. It takes a Ramoji Rao or Girish Sanghi to start a newspaper. It takes Subhash Chandra to start a TV channel. But all it cost a layman to start a web site, is a few thousands of rupees. But the potential of web journalism must not be sidelined. The basic advantage lies in the fact the Internet is a global media where news can be published in a few minutes.

Take for example, the Telugu people in USA who have to wait for a week to get the 7 day-news bundle of Eenadu edition. Thanks to Internet, now Eenadu Internet edition comes at 12 mid-night as the newspaper edition hits the stalls in the wee hours (4 hours later) in AP. Same is the case with Vaartha too. These Internet editions are available free of the cost for all who are blessed with an internet connection. But the hard copy reaches only those people close to the location where the newspaper is printed, at a price.

Imagine what would have been the cost and utility of this exercise, if the Tehelka.com's 'Operation West End' had to be carried our by a newspaper or TV. The amount incurred for this 8-month clandestine investigation by Tehelka.com was a paltry amount of 11 lakhs, which is equivalent to the airtime of a prime TV for a couple hours. All the videotapes along with the transcript are up on this web site to read for all.

Internet as it were, has allowed up gradation in to two basic aspects of news gathering -- cutting costs and slashing through levels of bureaucracy. As a small team, Tehelka's reporters could coordinate closely on all aspects of the story. In a large organization they may have come up against a number of editorial hurdles, which could have slowed or even blocked the investigation. Tehelka's scoop was assisted by TV networks, which jumped on the story and made tehelka.com a household name in urban and rural areas alike. Even Bihar CM Rabri Devi asked her husband Laloo in the pressmeet to tell her what a dot com means. Thus, the Internet ... has untrammeled access to inform the public and has become a means to distribute it significantly. It is very easy to circulate information on the- Internet.

The results of Tehelka's revelations are sensational. It made Bangaru Laxman and George Fernadez resign. Mamata Benarjee bid adieu to Trinamul Congress's alliance with NDA. The sensex dipped to a phenomenal low. Tehelka's story made the citizens of India to glue to the TV news channels and closely follow the latest developments.

As a fellow web site journalist, with a similar kind of devotion, I, on behalf of our esteemed visitors, congratulate the team of Tehelka.com headed by Tarun J Tejpal for the all the work done towards making a clean and transparent system, despite the risks and pressures involved. Congratulations Tehelka.com! You made us proud.

jeevi
editor ([email protected])
http://www.idlebrain.com
16th March 200