Ego writes the Headline, Truth gets only a byline

The office of a Media House is a flurry of keyboards and deadlines in a typically well-choreographed mess of chairs and desks. Mr. Vikram, the Chief News Editor, has sat with Mr. Veda, a very energetic journalist and Ms. Sowndravelli, an inquisitive trainee journalist. The subject for the session accounts for the focus of many of these informal discussions: reporting without ego, again an age-old subject drawn from Bhagavad Gita, 3.27. Lord Krishna cautions in this verse, that many of our actions consist of our ego suggesting something is fact when it is nothing more than an opinion. Our job, as journalists, is to report the facts, not what we may interpret as a version of that truth.

Vikram: (leaning back, calm but in control) “Veda, Sowndravelli, before all an ego-check today as our discussion is not about us but about truth. I am going to draw on a piece of wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita (3, 27) to help us here. Let me first present the verse.”

Sanskrit:

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः।

अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥

Transliteration:

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ,

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate

Translation :

“All actions are performed by the modes of material nature (Prakriti). But the soul, deluded by ego, thinks, ‘I am the doer.'”

Vikram: “Krishna tells Arjuna in this verse that actions come from the forces of nature we call (our) skills, environment and circumstances. When we let ego run the show we think we are doing everything ourselves, which clouds our sight. In Journalism terms, that means letting personal motivations or the urge to be ‘right’ act to distort the story from the facts. Veda, you have been covering the last few protests. Have you been surprised by how easy it is to let your add your view into the story?”

Veda: “Definitely, sir. When I was writing about the student protests last week, I found myself emphasizing the students’ passion because I personally felt their cause was justified. But then I remembered, we are supposed to report the what, not the why I believe it was justified. It is difficult though – the editor loved the angle I was taking, but I rewrote it to document what happened: who was there, what they did, and what the authorities said. No fluff.”

Sowndravelli: “But Sir, how do we know when it is our ego? When I write, I want my story to be different. Is that my ego, or is that just wanting to do a good job?”

Vikram: (smiling) “That’s a great question, Sowndravelli. Wanting to do a good job is one thing—it’s called ambition, not ego. Ego comes in when you begin to think that your telling of the story is the only one or when you pursue bylines to achieve glory and not clarity. Krishna’s argument in 3.27 is that we are not the ultimate doers. In the world of reporting, that means we are conduits of facts, but we are not responsible for the creation of truth. If you are writing to impress or promote an agenda, you are allowing your perspective, your ahaṅkāra, your ego, to overload your work. You need to think about what you’re trying to do. Are you attempting to serve the reader or serve your ego?”

Veda: “I get it. Like when I did the story on the factory strike I recall wanting to quote every worker I met because their stories were so powerful. I even recall thinking about how I would have to choose quotes that supported my narrative of ‘heroic workers.’ It was only after I stopped and asked myself, ‘What does the reader need to know?’ that I was able to get out of my head. I put in the management perspective too, even though I disagreed with it. In the end, it wasn’t about me—it was about the story.”

Sowndravelli: “So you’re saying it’s about detaching from the outcome? Like Krishna says in Chapter 2, verse 47: karmany-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana—you have a right to action, but not to the fruits of action. Our duty as journalists isn’t to try to control how our audience responds to the information we present. It’s to report facts.”

Vikram: “Exactly, Sowndravelli, a lightbulb moment! And if we are obsessing over how our story is received—whether it goes viral, or wins awards—our ego is driving us. If we should be focused on clearly laying out the facts and letting the public decide what opinions if any are made out of it. And once we get to the point we are chasing clicks, and trying to shape an opinion, we aren’t journalists anymore we are influencers.”

Veda: “That reminds me also of something I saw on X just the other day. One journalist was publicly called out for distorting a politician’s quote to create outcry for the sake of clicks. The actual quote was original quote was entirely neutral, but the headline spun it to create outrage, whereas the X audience dug it up exact transcript and made the journalist accountable. It was eye-opening to see recognize that our readers are not stupid.

Sowndravelli: “That’s so true! It can be hard to remain neutral when everyone is expounding their opinions. I sometimes feel the need to back someone in order to fit into the tempo of the newsroom. How do we stay grounded?”

Vikram: “Discipline, Sowndravelli. Krishna’s lessons are about awareness of the self. Before you file a story, ask yourself, ‘Am I reporting what I saw or what I want others to see?’ Crosscheck your sources, validate your facts, and eliminate adjectives that have the smell of bias. For example, if you describe a politician as ‘corrupt’, without first establishing evidence, then you have given way to your ego — for example, instead say they are ‘alleged’ to be corrupt and cite original evidence. Let the facts do the talking.”

Veda: “I have a trick for that. I write out my first draft with all my emotions out in the open so that I can use out all my emotions and then go back and cut anything out that sounds like I’m preaching. It is like Krishna’s message to Arjuna: act and do not become attached. I report but I don’t own the story.”

Sowndravelli: “That’s clever. It’s like the idea of doing nishkama karma—doing selfless action. We do our job without any expectation of validation or pushing our opinions. But what about if the audience demands… a take? The audience wants hot takes—meaning something that isn’t just reporting facts on social media.”

Vikram: “Exactly! That’s the trap, right? I mean, sure, the audience may want the drama, but we’re not entertainers, we’re informers. Krishna’s warning about ego applies to this too. If you’re tempted to enhance a story to chase likes, you’re letting ahankara drive. Just report the truth, even if it seems boring. There is a separate analysis in the Gita that describes the modes of nature such as passionate or ignorance, and that can be applied here. In journalism, it’s also true that passion falls in the realm of moda’s like passionate pleasure or ignorance of it too, can warp our action. Stay in sattva—where the mode of goodness is—not let our potbelly (thanks to disgusting food) motivate clarity and truth.”

Veda: “Alright, here’s a funny story to break things up. A month ago, I was covering a local election, and a green reporter from another outlet wrote a story about how a candidate “fled” from the scene after a debate. It went viral. Everyone was talking about how cowardly this politician is. It turns out, the candidate really left to go to a meeting that was already scheduled. The reporter admitted he assumed it was a scandal because it was a much better story. X users hammered him in a matter of hours including the meeting details from the candidates itinerary. The reporter’s ego came at his credibility.”

Sowndravelli: “That’s hilarious! Mine’s biodegradable: When ego writes the headline, truth gets a byline!”

Everyone in the room goes into hysterics, while Vikram seems to give a silent thumbs up. The lesson is pretty clear, much like the Gita, the less ego you have in journalism, the more real the truth is in the coverage!

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