The advantage of working out of home is an endless access to the remote with a spoilt choice of over a ten English news channels and another dozen in regional languages that I understand viz. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam & Hindi. And better still, all the action in the last 2 months is letting these channels top TRPs higher than reality flicks and soaps.
Amidst all this, I have come to reflect upon the idiosyncrasies of these channels, if not all, at least most. We weren't short of events in the recent past...from MJ, Andhra Floods, YSR (including the birth of Rosiah & Jagan coming of age...all of a sudden), Tiger Woods, Telangana (and brothers and sisters like Ghurkaland, Vidharbha, Purvanchal etc.), Copenhagen, Ruchika, Tiwari, the Kotla test and Jaitley, 3 Idiots (with Chetan Bhagat becoming the villain of a cast that he was not a part of)...the list was breathless indeed. I have been keeping one eye on my laptop as I write (which just changed from my passion to my profession now) and another on the TV catching bytes on almost everything.
One thing that did strike a deathblow into my thoughts was the license the media had to focus on elements that they wanted to and publicly interpret and infer. As a democracy, each of us do share the right to self-expression...but morality seeks that one be given space to think and reflect on lines which aren't biased. But where's the space. When the job of media would be to communicate, why would they want to do the thinking on our behalf? If I'd take it to the level of rightfulness, it is just as good as undue influence according to Sec. 16 of the Indian Contract Act of 1857.
Take Telangana for instance, one channel was showing mobs burning down buses through out the day when a Bandh was declared. The fact remains that this was a one-off incident in the city that happened in the wee hours. The entire city along the rest of the day was at peace.
Repeat instance...people are angry at DSP Rathore for smiling as he walked out of court. At least 60% chances are that no one would have cared if he hadn't smiled that day. Thanks to his funny bones..life is hell. Fair deal that it was, why are we letting ourselves be scapegoats?
They want you to see it the way they want you to see it. Reminds me of Russel's act where he says...they show you a car accident and an Asian, an explosion and an Arab, a terror attack and an Indian...they just don't say anything...and then give you that kind of expression which says..."Well, what do you think?!" Why doesn't media cover good normal people who are smiling, do some good, are above all living a normal life for heaven's sake.
I'd be forced to think normalcy isn't newsworthy. Neither is abnormality...however Interpreted Abnormality is definitely what we get...for Free.
Amidst all this, I have come to reflect upon the idiosyncrasies of these channels, if not all, at least most. We weren't short of events in the recent past...from MJ, Andhra Floods, YSR (including the birth of Rosiah & Jagan coming of age...all of a sudden), Tiger Woods, Telangana (and brothers and sisters like Ghurkaland, Vidharbha, Purvanchal etc.), Copenhagen, Ruchika, Tiwari, the Kotla test and Jaitley, 3 Idiots (with Chetan Bhagat becoming the villain of a cast that he was not a part of)...the list was breathless indeed. I have been keeping one eye on my laptop as I write (which just changed from my passion to my profession now) and another on the TV catching bytes on almost everything.
One thing that did strike a deathblow into my thoughts was the license the media had to focus on elements that they wanted to and publicly interpret and infer. As a democracy, each of us do share the right to self-expression...but morality seeks that one be given space to think and reflect on lines which aren't biased. But where's the space. When the job of media would be to communicate, why would they want to do the thinking on our behalf? If I'd take it to the level of rightfulness, it is just as good as undue influence according to Sec. 16 of the Indian Contract Act of 1857.
Take Telangana for instance, one channel was showing mobs burning down buses through out the day when a Bandh was declared. The fact remains that this was a one-off incident in the city that happened in the wee hours. The entire city along the rest of the day was at peace.
Repeat instance...people are angry at DSP Rathore for smiling as he walked out of court. At least 60% chances are that no one would have cared if he hadn't smiled that day. Thanks to his funny bones..life is hell. Fair deal that it was, why are we letting ourselves be scapegoats?
They want you to see it the way they want you to see it. Reminds me of Russel's act where he says...they show you a car accident and an Asian, an explosion and an Arab, a terror attack and an Indian...they just don't say anything...and then give you that kind of expression which says..."Well, what do you think?!" Why doesn't media cover good normal people who are smiling, do some good, are above all living a normal life for heaven's sake.
I'd be forced to think normalcy isn't newsworthy. Neither is abnormality...however Interpreted Abnormality is definitely what we get...for Free.
Penned by
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