Media: time to grow up

I came across this article Zia’s Revenge by Irfan Hussain at dawn.com, trust me it’s an interesting piece on the present state of Media..though it’s about Pakistan’s media but I don’t see any difference even here in India (though not all) where every tom, dick and harry has become analyst without any proper knowledge of the subject.

There are many stories which world must know of India but here news are based mainly on sensation rather than showing true picture, of the triumph and disaster.. Remember Super 30! It was much celebrated in foreign media and it’s BBC which keep updating on India, its hopes and aspiration ironically more accurate and precise than any other Indian channel.

A recent report of Media Standard Trust (MST) has clearly indicated the declining standard of Journalism in Britain but it’s the story everywhere, where media is active part of public life. The critical report has also mentioned the sensational coverage of Madeleine McCann case, which was not only imprecise but was insulting too. Her father has said that his family has been used as commodity by newspapers to increase the circulation.

It has also discussed the issue like pressure and threats on reporter and journalist to produce more and more stories without giving much care to the accuracies. Also there is demand of “conscience clause” to be written in the contracts for journalist to nudge their conscience before going public with any report they feel is wrongly implicated. Often Journalists are blamed to have cooked and manufacture the stories who have no control but to follow the instruction of their officious bosses.

During Chameli Devi Award function where Nirupama Subramanium and Vinita Deshmukh were awarded for their balanced reporting and contribution in media, Ashutosh editor of IBN7 said that it has become a fashionable to say that news channel work to increase their TRP and money.

But it is also true that media the victimizer has become victim today, because of the excesses in reporting and presenting the stories it has become easier for the politicians to deny everything even if it comes with proof like CD’s etc.

Recently, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that his comment against an woman officer (even relayed on various TV channel) is a gift of media while Varun Gandhi accused that the tape has been doctored in which he made communal remarks (often these politicians are seen flatly refusing the charges saying it as creation of media).

Media can’t absolve itself of all the guilty, it should self censored the content which has bad impact on the psychology of nation. Phil Reeves of the U.S. National Public Radio rightly quoted, “Journalists need to be vigilant on their own as “regulation can’t come from the government and has to come from the profession itself.

I am tired of this boastful line by news channels-YOU ARE WATCHING THIS EXCLUSIVELY ON…irrespective of the fact that the same news is been aired on every other channel….. please….grow up!!!!

It’s Too Much

It’s election time in India, as usual there are allegation and counter allegations….but amidst all these hubbub there are people like me who think that they are literate enough not have cast their vote and educated enough to have no interest in voting but irrational enough to do so. But there may be people among the adherents of various ideologies who will still be having some question like mine.

I have never voted for anyone when I was there in India but today sitting miles away from my country..I feel relieved that Bhardwaj recommendation is still not passed and I am still not eligible to vote as an NRI..but somewhere deep in my heart I feel guilty at my reasons.

Chanakya has said in his book Arthashastra:

“the King (leader) shall consider as good, not what pleases himself but what pleases his followers”

“The leader is a paid servant and enjoys the resources of the state together with the people”.

But in India, leadership is all about making millions out of people’s faith and desires; it’s all about gaining more power than to serve others. Here five year is not enough to fulfill the promises, here leaders are still made on religion, after playing the dices of caste and faith..here leaders are manufactured..bought and sold with money and chauvinism. Here democracy and secularism is the most overused words.

It is such a shame that people like Varun Gandhi with their communal speech can have followers behind him and people like Jagdish Tytler can get still stronger and stronger with each election…all party are same with heaps of promises and nothing after that how can you say BJP is communal and Congress is secular?? Moreover, it’s because we the people have not changed..it’s because we have not defined our goals and it’s because we are left with no choice.. who will you choose to vote if you are given a choice between a knavish and a corrupt?? And how will you justify your choice..???

There are number of lists of criminals and outlaws who escape easily from their sins into the creamy life of politics. In India law is like water it fills every shape. Ironically, politics has become a carrier for those who have a criminal background. Law is like bhains (buffalo)…and jiski lathi uski bhains (Whoever has the cudgel has the buffalo). Judiciary too have the onus but selective application of law has become the rule of game. How is Raj Thakeray different from Varun Gandhi??? Why not there are treason cases against leaders who have gathered property beyond their limits?? Why talk of nuclear deal when we still cannot support the basic needs for police??

Why the law has to be too flexible?? Why can’t it be as simple as it is..people with charges against them should not be allowed to fight for the election until and unless they come out clean through our legal system.?????? Isn’t it allowing such person dilute the very purpose of such law and defy our justice delivery system?? Why Sanjay Dutt has to take the burden? (at last he can’t). Why people like Sibu Soren, and other history sheeter continue to qualify as a candidate for election???

Feel pathetic to see Advani, Manmohan Singh, Sharad Pawar and many more to list who must resign from active politics and enjoy the bliss of old age are fighting election, such is the greed of power…make way for others!!!!

There are arguments regarding retirement age of politicians, ineligibility of convicted candidate, and their education level to fight election, should not all these point be given serious thought?

We need change to blow through India and the power lies with us to raise above all those issues which have given us nothing but only shame. It’s we the hardworking Indians who have managed to raise ourselves beyond all odds. Time has come to ask for accountability, and it will be possible only when we become accountable to ourselves.