Scandals, Sensationalism and Sex are the three S's our media seems to swear by, these days!
Whatever happened to responsible reporting? Prime time is full of news that matters very little. A cricketer molesting a woman generates more hype than the rising prices of petrol or the state of the Indian economy. Then there's the Aarushi Talwar case, which has been flogged mercilessly for years by the media. Why just Aarushi, when there are so many people who are murdered daily? Don't they and their families deserve justice too? Does Shah Rukh Khan's scuffle with the security personnel at Wankhede deserve so much coverage? Are these topics of national importance, that they need to be hyped up so much by the media, or worse, debated over national news channels by panels of eminent people?
Now, I'm feeling quite anti-media these days, because every time I switch on my TV to watch the news, they're covering some inane topic. The IPL is driving me up the wall with all the hype it's been generating, most of which has little to do with the game!
This makes me wonder, do we blame the media for frivolous over-reporting of insignificant issues, or the public for lapping up this kind of non-news?
On the one hand, the media exists to sell itself. It will give the public what the public wants. TRPs are influenced by what the audience watches more.
On the other hand, the public can only read or watch what the media reports to them. If the media were to give a higher coverage to significant topics and less to non-issues, then that's the kind of news the public would be accustomed to, and thus, expect.
So, what do you think? Has the media ruined the public, or the public ruined the media? Whatever be the case, its back to Nat Geo and the movie-channels for me!
Text © 2012 http://e-pinion.blogspot.in
Text © 2012 http://e-pinion.blogspot.in
Couldnot agree more. I have stopped watching news ages ago. Everything is so biased and twisted. Cannot belive what is true and what is not! Nicely written.
ReplyDeleteok i didn't get the post comment box so writing in my comment here
Deleteagree with what you said in the post and really liked the take-away from all this - switch to Nat Geo :))
Thanks Jenny... The media's reporting style has become a bit of a joke, really... check out Peepli Live if you haven't already, such an apt satire on this topic! Btw, I really liked your post on your London trip :)
DeleteSujatha - It's one of the few channels that is still worth watching! And the comment box is at the bottom of this page, below all the comments :P
Yeah, tell me bout it!
ReplyDeleteNews these days is just about gaining viewers, for which both the public and media are to be blamed.
And yes, Nat Geo is waaayyy better :)
Yeah, news channels should be re-classified as part of the entertainment category!!
DeleteI cant beleive you said "A cricketer molesting a woman generates more hype than the rising prices of petrol or the state of the Indian economy." Oh my god , what are the women org's going to say.. :)
ReplyDeleteI understand what you say and totally agree with you.. the other day I can from work and sat down to watch the indian Star news channel, which had this program running saying 24 biggest news in 24 hours .. and all it had in the first 5 or 6 TOP news was the problem SRK had a cricket stadium.. out of 24 the top 6 slots for the SAME report..
and then it went on to tell about an accident somewhere where a bus had collided with a car and a few people had DIED .. HOW is SRK more important then the DEAD ..
such is the way our indian news works
Bikram's
I know!! Even I remember seeing some news about a bus accident... which was running in the ticker scroll at the bottom, barely noticeable, while SRK's news was being given full coverage... really sad state of affairs.
DeleteWell Said and I fully agree. Our media is more nuisance than news of late!
ReplyDeleteJaish.... Totally.
DeleteIts a demand and supply policy.! It's the media that made larger than life icons of all the movie stars and sports persons.! A responsible media house would never give more coverage to SRK over issues where humans are dying in accidents or natural disasters.! Sad state of affairs in this part of the world.!
ReplyDeleteTrue, too much time and attention is wasted by these channels on actors and cricketers... not good.
DeleteVery true. I wish there was an awakening call here too...
ReplyDeleteSeriously !
DeleteRight said ..Media is no more the medium to discuss serious topics..post pregnancy weight of actress, silly cat fights and many such stupidities have turned into big news jus for the sake of TRPs .
ReplyDeleteExactly ... that's the sad part
DeleteRight said..it so disappointing that the media is interested in the post pregnancy weight gain of the actress ,,and not about real news and problems in the country..ignoring serious issues just for the sake of TRPs
ReplyDeleteYup... its all about TRPs, unfortunately :/
DeleteEvery news channel has IPL news on all the time! Ever tried watching AAj Tak for a long time? You'll go crazy. They even have background music like those Ekta Kapoor serials :P
ReplyDeleteLOL :D Aaj Tak is still sober compared to India TV!
DeleteThe media will insist that it's simply catering to populist demands and we will continue showing disgust for their tabloid like tendencies.
ReplyDeleteFortunately we have the freedom to choose. There are newspapers and channels that prefer to steer away from sensationalism. I'd rather stick with them :-)
Exactly. I wish they'd start an Indian edition of the BBC, though. That's one classy channel!
DeleteAt the end of the day media is business and money rules.....what is important for the media houses is to grab attention lest the viewer presses that remote.
ReplyDeleteNDTV is following some BBC steps....
http://alkagurha.blogspot.in/2012/03/back-scratching.html
Yeah, NDTV is still better than others....
DeleteRead your article too Alka, well written, and quite apt. Following your blog.
I loved your last line! I too like to watch TLC, NatGeo,Movies etc as it is not worth wasting time to listen to pseudo 'Breaking News':)
ReplyDeleteThank you.... breaking news has become quite a joke!
Delete...'brreakking nnewwzzz' is now breaking nose of viewers:) Very nice post Ash. Liked your blog:)
ReplyDeleteWell said, Amitji! And thanks!
DeleteIt is the proverbial chicken and the egg dilemma- which came first :)-- and so with media and their audience- which came first?? Which needs to be stopped. I do think EVEN if people are WANTING sensationalism- the job of a GOOD reporter- reporting responsibly and factually- they must not feed the desire for sensationalism- but stick with facts. What has made me increasingly disturbed these days is how journalism has become biased- there used to be a code with journalism that it could not be biased- only editorial pieces could give your own opinion- but covering a story it needed to be done objectively- now I see so many opinions in what is supposed to be news articles.
ReplyDeleteTrue... Unbiased reporting is a thing of the past.
DeleteBingo and you hit the nail on the head. The news hours are all dominated by debates ranging on different topics which are unworthy of mentioning even. These debates just turn me off completely and each channel tries to outdo one another!It is disgusting to say the least. I miss news programmes like "the world this week" or for that matter even Doordarshan news anchored by Komal G B Singh or Ramu Damodaran - they have indeed become a thing of the past!
ReplyDeleteTrue, I miss the good ol' days when news was just, well... news! It contains more spice than most thriller movies these days :(
DeleteWell written Ash!
ReplyDeleteI think as bloggers we all must accept the responsbility of making the smallest possible changes consciously.
Way to go!!!
Cheers
Sumit
www.sumitkiduniya.blogspot.in
Thanks Sumit, and I agree, bloggers should try and spread the word for change that is needed!
DeleteFollowing your blog too :)
Wonderful post...I like the way you have put up your thoughts and the issue at large!
ReplyDeleteThanks Naba :)
Delete