Inflation & Crime hits the front page of every news paper and news channels today. In probably last couple of months we have seen enough news items in the subject I started writing today. From 7% to 11.05 % or a never ending crime in Delhi and adjoining places have made headlines all through the last 30-45 days.
Arushi double murder, where the channel ripped apart a 14 year old dead girls character based on some base less investigation by the Noida police, or broad daylight murder stories up north of the country have taken me by surprise, and our media through the television channels have all lived up to making our days begin with inflation and end with crime stories.
Indian media has changed a lot with time. With the evolution of Cable TV networks and Satellite television, Indian media has take a toll with its news so called “all day” news channels. I would not disagree on the fact that the reach of such media has helped in getting attention of small trivial things happening around us, whether it is farmers dying, people conning, or human rights being denied, but with this we also see some news clips which are disheartening and foolish.
Every other day, there are news and analysis of people being put to death by domestic help at home, giving full analysis, of what happened, what mistakes were made, what could have been done, and what our police did. Too much detailing, provides enough feed for the channels to pull up a 20 min news slot, and keep ahead with their competitors but do they realized that they also open up ideas, opportunities and influence people who may be tempted to commit crimes through this news items. Do you feel secured to ask your children’s to watch news channels for their over all development as our parents use to?
I know, this may be a topic of debate, but what I would like to draw your attention, which tempted me to write, is 2 instances.
One incase of Arushi’s murder case, new channels first ripped the police, and provided information on the loop holes in the investigation and verdict of Noida Police, later believed what the police said and ripped the 14 year old dead girls character on national television, without investigating the truth of the verdict of the same Noida police, whose each verdict they were hell bent to prove wrong few days back.
Another was a recreated version and play act of how crime may be committed using a Chinese gadget over telephone which can misguide a person on the other end of the phone to recognize a male’s voice as female and vis a versa. The news channel showed how some one can call and inform some emergency like an accident to urge a person to run to a particular place and then be a victim of a crime. The way its was presented will surely catch eyeballs, but the message of warning a person of such misguiding gadget was lost in between; all it gave was a thrilling story & ideas to use it.
Do you think, if I use that gadget and call the same news reporter who drafted the news piece, to inform of an emergency, will he or she be in a mental state to judge if it was true or a misguiding call for some planned crime? I am sure the answer will be NO. If so, then why publicize such gadget in a national news channel?
And in Arushi’s case it was a perfect story of infidelity, scandals and morality of a father killing a child which had all the masala to catch the eyeballs and increase the TRP’s. Is this something we like to see? We need to ask ourselves!!
The onus of such stories being broadcasted also lie on us. The media shows what we like to see; after all they are in the business of making profit as well, apart from social responsibility. It again comes back to packaging and consumer demand, and I am not excluding myself from the same.
To this I also feel “Can we not have a sensor board for new channels as well?” If there can be people to censor “creativity & imagination” so that it does not go overboard in the name of influence and morality, why not for news channels which is an everyday phenomenon and reports truth (dramatized) and not imagination!!!
Today you ask any individual between the age group of 25 – 40, to name the current health minister, it’s a bang on answer, but same if asked about past 3 health ministers, they score a big zero and so do I. This is because Dr Ramadoss, has used the media to its advantage. He has picked up the most happening celebrity SRK as his pedestal to shift the arc lights on him. I question, if he is so concerned about “Smoking” has used his allocated ministry funds to run a campaign in colleges to make them smoke free? Can he confirm that any hang outs in and around colleges have been made to stop selling cigarettes? Has he made an attempt to stop illegal selling on cigarettes on railways stations in India? Has he set an example by punishing railway employees / contractors working in the pantry or supplying bedding's not to smoke in trains?
Indian media has supported in his lust for fame and supplied fuel to his campaigns on hitting at celebrities. This is because; we love to see “who the hell dares to do moral policing against King Khan” Is Dr Ramadoss actually bothered of seeing SRK quit smoking or his mission of writing his name in the minds of aaum janta as a health minister may be to a capitalize it for his next elections fulfilled?
Customer is the King!! And it is true in all walks of life. People are in a fast track life with enough disposal income, and thus the game of demand supply is well poised in such markets. We show what you like to see!!! We make what you like to buy!! And thus even if we crib and debate about moral and social responsibility of journalist and journalism, I think I am and We are to be blamed for such news which is immoral and irrelevant!!!
Arushi double murder, where the channel ripped apart a 14 year old dead girls character based on some base less investigation by the Noida police, or broad daylight murder stories up north of the country have taken me by surprise, and our media through the television channels have all lived up to making our days begin with inflation and end with crime stories.
Indian media has changed a lot with time. With the evolution of Cable TV networks and Satellite television, Indian media has take a toll with its news so called “all day” news channels. I would not disagree on the fact that the reach of such media has helped in getting attention of small trivial things happening around us, whether it is farmers dying, people conning, or human rights being denied, but with this we also see some news clips which are disheartening and foolish.
Every other day, there are news and analysis of people being put to death by domestic help at home, giving full analysis, of what happened, what mistakes were made, what could have been done, and what our police did. Too much detailing, provides enough feed for the channels to pull up a 20 min news slot, and keep ahead with their competitors but do they realized that they also open up ideas, opportunities and influence people who may be tempted to commit crimes through this news items. Do you feel secured to ask your children’s to watch news channels for their over all development as our parents use to?
I know, this may be a topic of debate, but what I would like to draw your attention, which tempted me to write, is 2 instances.
One incase of Arushi’s murder case, new channels first ripped the police, and provided information on the loop holes in the investigation and verdict of Noida Police, later believed what the police said and ripped the 14 year old dead girls character on national television, without investigating the truth of the verdict of the same Noida police, whose each verdict they were hell bent to prove wrong few days back.
Another was a recreated version and play act of how crime may be committed using a Chinese gadget over telephone which can misguide a person on the other end of the phone to recognize a male’s voice as female and vis a versa. The news channel showed how some one can call and inform some emergency like an accident to urge a person to run to a particular place and then be a victim of a crime. The way its was presented will surely catch eyeballs, but the message of warning a person of such misguiding gadget was lost in between; all it gave was a thrilling story & ideas to use it.
Do you think, if I use that gadget and call the same news reporter who drafted the news piece, to inform of an emergency, will he or she be in a mental state to judge if it was true or a misguiding call for some planned crime? I am sure the answer will be NO. If so, then why publicize such gadget in a national news channel?
And in Arushi’s case it was a perfect story of infidelity, scandals and morality of a father killing a child which had all the masala to catch the eyeballs and increase the TRP’s. Is this something we like to see? We need to ask ourselves!!
The onus of such stories being broadcasted also lie on us. The media shows what we like to see; after all they are in the business of making profit as well, apart from social responsibility. It again comes back to packaging and consumer demand, and I am not excluding myself from the same.
To this I also feel “Can we not have a sensor board for new channels as well?” If there can be people to censor “creativity & imagination” so that it does not go overboard in the name of influence and morality, why not for news channels which is an everyday phenomenon and reports truth (dramatized) and not imagination!!!
Today you ask any individual between the age group of 25 – 40, to name the current health minister, it’s a bang on answer, but same if asked about past 3 health ministers, they score a big zero and so do I. This is because Dr Ramadoss, has used the media to its advantage. He has picked up the most happening celebrity SRK as his pedestal to shift the arc lights on him. I question, if he is so concerned about “Smoking” has used his allocated ministry funds to run a campaign in colleges to make them smoke free? Can he confirm that any hang outs in and around colleges have been made to stop selling cigarettes? Has he made an attempt to stop illegal selling on cigarettes on railways stations in India? Has he set an example by punishing railway employees / contractors working in the pantry or supplying bedding's not to smoke in trains?
Indian media has supported in his lust for fame and supplied fuel to his campaigns on hitting at celebrities. This is because; we love to see “who the hell dares to do moral policing against King Khan” Is Dr Ramadoss actually bothered of seeing SRK quit smoking or his mission of writing his name in the minds of aaum janta as a health minister may be to a capitalize it for his next elections fulfilled?
Customer is the King!! And it is true in all walks of life. People are in a fast track life with enough disposal income, and thus the game of demand supply is well poised in such markets. We show what you like to see!!! We make what you like to buy!! And thus even if we crib and debate about moral and social responsibility of journalist and journalism, I think I am and We are to be blamed for such news which is immoral and irrelevant!!!
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