Prologue

By "Peak - Baggers" I mean here the guided summit tourist, who not only wants commensurate services from his/her Agency during the climb, but also a summit certificate at the end of it, to justify the near astronomical financial investment. So, reaching the summit over-rides other considerations and the very ethos of adventure and mountaineering is tossed down the nearest crevasse.

"Post-truth", put simply, is a devaluation of the truth. It is an environment where facts are viewed as irrelevant and less important than personal beliefs and opinions, and emotional appeals are used to influence public opinion. This unwelcome malignant phenomenon is well entrenched in the world of politics, and though it was fervently wished that it would not spread its claws elsewhere, it, like most cancers, has done so. Its latest victim has been the world of mountaineering and its reporting by the press.

"Press" here refers to the media - print, visual, and electronic, both English and vernacular.

Back Story

A young lady wants to climb Everest since childhood. She says she will do it without supplementary oxygen. She is financially challenged. Crowd funding partially meets her needs. She, a school teacher, is the breadwinner for her family. Her father is ill and in bed.

All this has been reported in the mainstream media and extensively discussed on social media.

She sets out and reaches the summit camp.

Climax

On the morning of 22nd May 2022, she reaches the summit.

The news reaches her city within a few hours. The "Press" goes into a "breaking news" frenzy. All major, and not so major, media houses, both English and vernacular, go to upload mode asap. Social media too starts buzzing overtime.

The basic facts reported are the same. The post-truth add-on garnishing is the same too with minor variations.

indiatoday | West Bengal's youngsters make history: Woman climbs Everest without oxygen, man walks from Singur to Ladakh

zeenews | Piyali Basak of Chandannagar scales Everest without oxygen

Anandabazar | How Piyali Basak scaled Everest after overcoming severe challenges

Sangbad Pratidin | West Bengal woman Piyali Basak successfully climbs Everest without oxygen

etv Bharat | Piyali Basak conquers Everest without oxygen cylinder

Femina | Piyali Basak Creates History By Scaling Everest With No Supplemental Oxygen

Post-Truth add-on Sauces

Only the tastiest are listed below:

First Indian woman to conquer Everest without oxygen.

First woman from West Bengal to conquer Everest without oxygen.

First Bengali to conquer Everest without oxygen.

First Bengali woman to summit Everest.

This is her second Everest summit.

She walked to the top on her own feet.

All of the above are record-making feats.

She is in dire financial straits and has a huge burden of debts.

Anti-climax

There is this news portal, barely ten years old, which has justly earned for itself an enviable reputation by its responsible, diligent, verified, and authentic reportage. Its unimpeachable reporting, over the years, has resulted in it having a large number of followers, both at home and abroad. Now this portal, for the first time, around 9 pm on summit day, posts this news.

This succinct, factual and verified report effectively bursts all the post-truth bubbles, leaving their authors with their own post-truth sauce on their faces.

Publish or Perish

This phenomenon is well recognized in academia, but now it has also spread to journalism. Being the first to publish a breaking news is laudable and is an indicator of efficient journalism. But what if the very fact that makes it worthy of being breaking news, is proved fake in a matter of hours? This not only adversely affects their own credibility but also helps to cast aspersions on the media in general and has detrimental effects on honest journalism. The honest journalist/media house gets clubbed with a bunch of laughing stock.

There is nothing newsworthy about another Everest summit, especially if it is by another guided summit – tourist by the traditional route. Hundreds do it on some years. So they picked on the 'no oxygen' rumour to headline and anchor their story.

You, like me, may well ask, "Why do they compromise on journalistic ethics and cheat their readers ?" I, personally, am not certain, but can hazard some reasons.

It could just be irresponsible inefficiency and ignorance coupled with an absence of checks and balances and the post-facto lack of any reprimand or disciplinary measures when exposed.

Otherwise, how could a leading daily still headline the news the next day as "without oxygen help", and then go on to say that she summited "almost without supplementary oxygen". This could be cited in journalism classes as a classic example of post-truth reporting and being economical with the truth.

Telegraph India | Woman scales Everest without oxygen help

The other reason could be, pardon the gory anatomical metaphor, the cut-throat competition for eyeballs. They have to grab as many eyeballs as possible, as fast as possible, and for as long as possible. So sensationalism, even unverified, is their operating principle and this becomes the cornerstone on which they build their post-truth journalistic edifice.

As a last resort, one could blame it on the curse of mediocrity, which seems to have pervaded all walks of life. But that would be a specious excuse, for mediocrity is not a crime, but resorting to suppressio veri and suggestio falsi when filing reports is inexcusable.

This Everest fiasco is not an isolated incident. Earlier this month the press reported that another guided climber, (incidentally from the same part of the country as the Everest lady), has conquered Nuptse, and that he is the first from his country to have done so. Barely a day or two later, on social media, a clarification comes from the climber himself, that he only made it to the top of the ridge, and not the summit, but that he still remains the first from his country to have even done so.

Epilogue

The post-truth Press will milk most news to its last emotional drop, till some other news breaks. So will it be with this one too.

But I take your leave with this latest golden nugget of journalistic (mis)information. It's generally well accepted that Everest was first summited on 29th May 1953. The very summiteers themselves and a host of others present there have attested to the veracity of the date, and this day is designated as Everest day each year.

But now, the 'Press', in their post-truth wisdom, have reassigned it to 30th May.

I am not certain if M/s Hillary and Tenzing will approve of this change, but I am reasonably certain that they will join me in congratulating the lady, who made the smart choice of taking supplementary oxygen to reach the top and get back safely. Losing one's life or limb on a paid tourist trip is counter-productive and certainly not worth the effort and the expense.

Sincere Acknowledgement: Sharanya Ray

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