Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Indian Media Heading Towards The Filthy Gutters

India the world’s biggest democratic country with a glamorous and star-studded media has started to lose its sting it had in it to be termed as the strongest media all over the world. Visual media (Television) which is the sought out media by news frenzy fans in India has become more crippled. They have become more addicted to the TRP ratings and have ceased to focus on common-issues of our own aam aadmi.
The presidential elections in the United States has been hyped up and screened on most of leading Indian news channels to such an extent that it makes us feel that we have tuned into American news channels. Day in and day out, you listen to names Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden round the clock due to this media. It bewilders me when “Joe the plumber” has to been screened on Indian television than our own local plumbers, software professionals ,airline employees and young citizens who have nothing but a pink slip to take back home. Do the U.S. media at least tell their own people that ‘so’ and ‘so’ Indian leader has been elected as Prime Minister or President when general elections are held out here, I doubt? What is wrong with you guys, when you have enough news left behind in each and every core territory of our own motherland.You guys essayed the US presidential elections to such an extent that a colleague of mine never knew that heavy bomb blasts had rocked the state of Assam.

The Indian media has surplus news in their own soil to address, especially now like MNS agitations, Regionalism in Maharashtra and Bihar, fellow Tamilians suffering in Sri Lanka ,pink slips to employees, crumbling Indian economy, a crippled sensex ,terrorism almost at his threshold and seasoned cricketers retiring in a heap. What else can you ask for? Be a bit pro-active and bail out our own fellow citizens from all these crises than running behind US columnists and press for their comments.

The Indian media has done enough justice to their responsibilities by exposing various cases to the viewers but have lost their sting to expose it completely and almost gone into selective amnesia about a few cases. Cases like the “Cash for Votes”, Jessica Lall,Aarushi,MNS agitations,SIMI,IM,ULFA and Bajrang Dal were brought to the limelight by the media and deteriorated badly when most of the scams were reaching their climaxes. I firmly believe you could have tried harder in these regards.

Being a vivid cricket fan myself, I need to mention the respect you gave to the legends of the game in their bad times. The media wanted a few players to retire, and when the cricketers retire on their own, they go back again to the player asking for him to come back to the game to bring out some controversy. This is scant respect shown to sportsmen who have won laurels for their nation.

India is proud to have charismatic and lucid journalists like Dr. Prannoy L Roy,Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt, Zakka Jacob, Sagarika Ghose and many more.All have become prey to the TRP ratings and failed to deliver the news which is in need of the hour. Present news to the public which have an impact on them and the country and the TRP ratings shall take care of itself.

4 comments:

«AM» said...

Good Good. Send this in an email to NDTV, CNN IBN.

vijayakumar said...

Hi Blany

It was quite an overwhelming blog to read having you in mind. I have never seen such a blany in this 1.6 years. All I know about blany is a fair, ever smiling, wit manufacturer dandy with almost you stand up in 6 feet and put few of dark room mates in envious situation. But this one!! Huuu!!. may be not ironically but still found a huge difference after I read this blog. A hidden writer is itself a more than a surprise but a poet I really a mind devastating.

Okay enough of praising you, and about the blog you have did a good job that many would at least though of. I really don’t have the intention of criticizing it as it is speaks for itself but for the sake of doing it I am doing it.

To start with the heading should have been pointed to News media but not as all the media as the content in is relative to news.
It is entirely true that News media now is TRP obsessed, but having said that it has not ceased its focus on essentials. Jessica Lall,Aarushi,MNS agitations,SIMI,IM,ULFA and Bajrang Dal are still known to them via only media. Your words will shake up few people who take at least the left out cream from them.

Media has given what we want rather what has to be said. One clear example is the cricket has been hyped that the pearl hockey is submerged in ocean cricket and that too we approve of it. The advertisers always have an affirmative nod and brand promoting drama is staged on TV that too in between cricket itself. We support and they sustain.
For me cricket is a one more surrender to British and media pamper it while ancient arts of India ceased to exist. Aint we say yes to it? So news media gives what we want and may be vise versa.

As a writer you are wonderful and as a poet you are incorrigible.
I really was awestruck.

vijayakumar said...

Kudos to you

abc said...

Vetti aapicer..gud job..!!