The leaked question paper photo before the SSLC exam
At 6:40 a.m. on a Tuesday, a reporter at a Kottayam-based Malayalam daily receives a WhatsApp image of what appears to be the first page of the SSLC Hindi question paper. The exam begins at 9:30 a.m. The sender is a parent who says the photo came from a class group; the reporter cannot confirm the original source. The paper carries a watermark reading 'Confidential - Board'. The newsroom has a 7:30 a.m. print deadline for the city edition and a 10:00 a.m. online update. The editor wants a story because parents are anxious. The reporter has 45 minutes to verify with the Pareeksha Bhavan, the school and at least one independent source. The paper's lawyer is unavailable until 8:15 a.m. The reporter's phone shows the image has been forwarded six times. The daily's code of conduct says source identity must be protected unless a court orders disclosure.
1. Should the paper publish the photograph itself, publish a story without the image, or hold the story? Give a reasoned decision.
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Reasoning: the core news value is public interest - a possible leak before a public exam - not the leaked content. Publishing the full image can (a) help candidates who have not yet sat the exam, (b) infringe the board's copyright in the question paper, and (c) expose the sender to harassment. A story without the image still informs parents and puts pressure on authorities. Decision: publish a short online alert and a print story that reports the leak, the board's response and the verification status, but do not reproduce the full page. If an image is necessary, use a tightly cropped, blurred thumbnail that shows only the watermark and header, with a clear caption. Hold the full image unless the board confirms the paper was cancelled or the exam has ended. Rationale: the story's value is the leak, not the questions; minimising harm and copyright risk while meeting the public-interest test.
2. List the verification steps you would complete before 7:30 a.m. and say what you would do if only one official confirms.
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Steps: 1) Call the Pareeksha Bhavan control room and the district education officer; ask for a yes/no on whether the image matches the set paper, not for a copy. 2) Contact the school exam superintendent and ask whether the seal was intact; record time and name. 3) Compare the image's paper quality, font and watermark with a previous year's paper from the board website - not to authenticate content, but to spot obvious fakes. 4) Check the WhatsApp forward chain: who first posted, whether the sender will speak on record, and whether the image metadata predates the exam. 5) Ask a second independent source, such as a teacher at another centre. If only one official confirms, do not state 'paper leaked' as fact; write 'officials are examining a suspected leak' and attribute. Keep the story to verified facts: the image exists, the board has been alerted, and the exam is going ahead. Update online after the 9:30 a.m. exam starts.
3. How would you handle source protection and a demand from the board's lawyer for the sender's identity?
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The sender is a parent, not a public official, and may face retaliation. The code says protect identity unless a court orders disclosure. First, remove the sender's number from shared devices and do not name them in an internal log that can be casually subpoenaed. Ask the sender to confirm only what they know and warn them not to forward the image further. If the board's lawyer calls, do not confirm or deny the source; say the newsroom will respond to a written legal notice. Consult the paper's lawyer at 8:15 a.m.; if a court order comes, comply, but tell the reader what was disclosed and why. Publish a note explaining that the source was not named because of the risk of reprisal. Ethical reasoning: protection is not absolute in Indian law, but the newsroom should not volunteer identity without legal compulsion.