Telugu media is known for its blackmailing tactics. The journalism in some media houses is mostly used to blackmail targeted officials and politicians.
The style is like writing a negative story against an official or politician and expect him or her to come with some money.
If the target refuses to offer money, then come up with another story with hard-hitting statements.
Even then if the target fails to come with money, then comes a short story in the news channel.
Once the news is flashed in the news channel, it is for sure that the mission is completed 99 per cent.
If the target fails to give money even after the news is flashed in the channel, the final attempt is made through some leaders of the rival party.
The rival party leaders, for different reasons, criticise the officer or politician. This would finally give the expected money.
At least two to three newspapers and five to six news channels follow this strategy to make money.
This strategy was first started in a leading media house who used to target the ministers and extract money.
It is now extensively followed by another media house, which has presence in both print and electronic media.
What is interesting is that even if this media house criticises and targets a political party, it exempts some prominent leaders from criticism.
A good number of politicians and bureaucrats in the two Telugu states send money every month to these media houses to avoid being targeted.
Those who fail to send money are targeted and the negative stories are planted.
This is how the journalism in the Telugu States is flourishing!
