INDIAN MEDIA: IRRESPONSIBLE

Well my first write up was on sports / personality. However, I want to bring more to the table and I will not only write on sports, but also different cultures, corporate world, social issues, etc. etc. Well actually I feel I can write about anything and everything and if not change atleast challenge the existing. After all that’s what PUNKS’ are all about. Today, I am writing on one of the major problem we have in our country. “THE MEDIA”.

Watching the television and reading the newspaper over the last couple of weeks have been quite interesting. Lolz. Actually, the base of this write up again came from a sport and this time it was none other than Cricket. And as I was hearing these news channels and reading stuff in the newspaper, this thing struck me of that, “whether our Media is Responsible enough and are they accountable to someone”. This made me think over what the media has been doing over the past year and a half. Let me write a few of them which maybe help me in deciding what Media is good at and what they actually end up doing.

· World cup debacle: First the base of my write up. Even before the T20 World Cup started, we had our media going ga-ga stating and claiming that we (India) are the best team and will successfully retain the cup thereby raising the expectations of the crazy Cricket loving people that we are. But once we started loosing matches, the COMEDY CIRCUS, that our media is, started playing its role that it knows best. First, stories about rift between Dhoni and Sehwag made ways. Then came the obvious elimination of our team from the World cup in the early stages of the tournament and phew, Dhoni, from Captain Cool become Captain Fool. In no time, the media criticized and raised there voice for no good reasons. Results, effigies of our cricketers were burnt all over the country. Thank god, we didn’t had any attacks on the houses of these cricketers (hope you remember 2007 World Cup). But the media did play its role. One can always compare our Media’s role in this and it’s simple as well because the coverage it gives to Cricket and not to any other sport. Have we ever heard in our lifetime a Hockey players house being stoned or for that matter his effigy being burnt.

· Elections: Elections, which in itself is a big story to write on in our country, was another bluff by media. At first, all media presented with their predictions started giving opinions on each and every party and finally the views on the exit polls. However, none of them were even close to the final results. Further, even after the results were declared, none of the media (print as well as television) had the nos. of the seats similar. The only thing that was clear was that Congress had won. Still, instead of admitting that their predictions, opinions, views which they gave were wrong, they happily cheered the Indian Public (maybe for not voting as the voting ratio in our country is ridiculous)

· 26/11: Amongst the saddest chapters of Mumbai and the Indian History. Everyone saw, the Taj, Oberoi, C. S. T. railway station being attacked and burn. The biggest victory for Media, we saw this all LIVE. And the Terrorist as well. Maybe, it was a wonderful achievement for Media, however, it just helped the terrorists prepare better from the attacks that our brave soldiers were carrying out. The TRPs of the news channels shot up like anything. Infact, all this didn’t stop for almost three days, until our Central Government ordered to shut the satellite telecasts. This was just for a few minutes though. The Media played a part of helping aid and thereby being a secondary Terrorist

· Aarushi Murder Case: For almost a month, the Media got a news which they presented like a daily soap opera. A small girl, 15 years old, Aarushi, was brutally killed. Knowing how great our Police is, they claimed to have solved the case by accusing the father to be the killer. Without any clue being presented or evidence being in place, the Media made this story so much glorified that the result was, higher TRPs. The Media left no stone unturned to get the best ratings for this piece of News. The killer is even today not known to anyone. However, the way a father was presented in the Media was that he was second only to Osama.

We can go on writing the falters our Media has made not only in the past one and a half year, but also over a decade. But that’s not important as of now. The reason for this anguish, probably is, cause one can always argue that Media only brought to the people what was News. But it’s the way it is being presented. When we sit back and realize, there is no “Responsible Journalism” left in this country anymore. And one of the major reasons for that perhaps is NON ACCOUNTABILITY.

When we go to office as professionals, we are accountable to our bosses, to our company, to our clients. One mistake and out we are. However, if we look in case of Media industry, they make mistakes, they certainly debate over it over television / newspaper whether what they did was right or wrong (we saw two such debates in last year during the 26/11 and Aarushi Murder case), they promise to look into it and go home and repeat all of the above in a new manner, in a new case all over again. Seems’, there’s no border line for them.

Yesterday, 20th June, just going through the newspapers and television, and I again realized, that what I am writing or thinking about Media is perhaps correct. A case is filed against SRK, for calling the Prophet Mohammad an unimpressive personality. Now it has come out that is was a typographical error and a SORRY / APOLOGY has been given by the particular Media involved. Hence, after all these things, I will like to ask my friends in the Media industry whether it is actually a COMMEDY CIRCUS or not? Is there any accountability left and if yes, towards whom? Are the TRPs the only thing that matters to them?

Before ending this thing, one positive thing I will like to point, especially to my Media friends, that MEDIA STILL HAS THE POWER TO INFLUENCE. We have seen this power time and again. But, like it’s said, with power comes responsibility. And its time for our young Media friends to take up the responsibility and influence the people in the right direction of progress, humanity, peace, love.