Preface: The recent terrorist attacks in the city is a terrible thing happening. Killing innocent people is Indeed a very cowardly act. This blog was written around a week ago and could not be posted due to some problem in my PC. Some of my views have changed since then, and so have some of the things in this blog. But I still feel most of the things haven’t and readers should consider that was a period where news channels had no big news and relatively smaller news had gained importance.
Warning: Long Post ahead!!!!
Recently I turned on the TV for the day’s Headlines, and this is what I get. Someone goes out of the big boss, Some politics going on over Malegaon Blasts, India winning match over England. HC giving justice to a rape victim after 10 Years. Not in exact order, but these were it.
It’s sometimes so painful to see the change that has come in news channels over the years. I mean, where are the issues of National and International interests?
Media wants stories to tell. They don’t want just news. It’s first the news, then the analysis, what people think, what media thinks, inferences from the news, future predictions and much more. Why cant the keep it just plain news and let the viewers interpret in whichever way feels appropriate to them. What is the need of personal opinion in news?
Go to a politician’s speech, find a small fault in the otherwise perfectly executed speech and capitalize on the mistake. They’ll never mention 100 other positive things he mentioned, just the one controversy he created. Not to mention the slanting of the news to create more hype.
Another feature of News channel is tone and body language of presenters. Some news presenters present news in such a shouting tone just to sensationalize it. Watch programs like ‘Sansani’(…remember Gaurav Dobhal in spoof……) at night and you’ll know what I am talking about. It looks so funny, stupid and silly even if the story is horrifying.
Sometimes get the feeling that Indian media channel people should be made to sit and watch BBC news for an hour and feel the difference. It makes such a pleasant viewing. Just the news from all over the world, hardly any tone change, very rarely the use of personal opinions. That’s what you call news. That’s what makes it a great channel. In India DD news is I feel the best if you are interested in just the news not the crap.
Protection of privacy is another big issue. Take for instance the Aarushi murder case of Delhi. One of the news channels was publicly displaying the content of some email Aarushi got the day before her death. Display of some private text messages in her Inbox. It is so inappropriate for the media to do so. I agree that the person is dead, but so what. Everyone wants their secrets to die with them. Certainly not want for the public to know them.
Events like Bomb blasts are happening are dealt in a tone ‘Oh wow! Something great happened! Alas some news! ’. Don’t cameramen feel bad taking images of people crying on a blast site? Is money so important than the grief of a person who lost his loved one? Media can reach flooding Kosi river in Bihar to take stunning photographs, but not to save thousands of people dying from it. Feels so pity.
Another bad thing is misleading photographs. Some channels like showing older images of sometime ago or older coverage and stating it as current update. For eg. It was one of those heavily raining days in Mumbai, TV channels continue to show pictures of flooded streets even when rain has stopped in most part of the city. That’s so badly misleading. Most people depend on media for correct information, businesses are unnecessarily stopped, just because these news channels have given wrong info. One rainy day, I was at Milan subway. My phone has a TV so turned on to see it. I saw images of Milan Subway being flooded and they were termed as latest. Great, here I am with little water around me, yet can say I am in a flooded region courtesy news channels.
There is also a question mark on some of the news being classified as news. Is somebody getting out of a reality TV serial show a news for a reputed national news channel? Further, is it worth around 15 minutes of air time? If yes, is it worth making a Headline? And one more question. Why are comedians like Raju Shrivastava on news channels? Is it supposed to be funny!!
Morning shows showing astrologers talking crap about how the day is gonna be for you, lucky number for the day, which color to wear etc. Come on! This is news channel, not some entertainment channel. Instead in the morning, summing up previous day’s news would make so much sense.
Sometimes, one news takes over the entire episode. I understand some issues are very vital and should be addressed in detail, given more TV time. But in the process, don’t kill the other smaller news. They may not be that big or sensational, but they deserve to be told.
Throughout this post, I might sound like a person who does not believe in being with the times. Consider me stubborn for not accepting the change as positive. For not considering the fact that ‘Masala’ makes an interesting viewing and that news should be more than just plain news, it should be about views to present a bigger picture. Don’t care what people say, they are just my personal opinion. Doesn’t BBC news feel in being with the times? Why haven’t they changed their style over the time? It is because that is what they call it ‘news’, and it’s BBC news not views.
Warning: Long Post ahead!!!!
Recently I turned on the TV for the day’s Headlines, and this is what I get. Someone goes out of the big boss, Some politics going on over Malegaon Blasts, India winning match over England. HC giving justice to a rape victim after 10 Years. Not in exact order, but these were it.
It’s sometimes so painful to see the change that has come in news channels over the years. I mean, where are the issues of National and International interests?
Media wants stories to tell. They don’t want just news. It’s first the news, then the analysis, what people think, what media thinks, inferences from the news, future predictions and much more. Why cant the keep it just plain news and let the viewers interpret in whichever way feels appropriate to them. What is the need of personal opinion in news?
Go to a politician’s speech, find a small fault in the otherwise perfectly executed speech and capitalize on the mistake. They’ll never mention 100 other positive things he mentioned, just the one controversy he created. Not to mention the slanting of the news to create more hype.
Another feature of News channel is tone and body language of presenters. Some news presenters present news in such a shouting tone just to sensationalize it. Watch programs like ‘Sansani’(…remember Gaurav Dobhal in spoof……) at night and you’ll know what I am talking about. It looks so funny, stupid and silly even if the story is horrifying.
Sometimes get the feeling that Indian media channel people should be made to sit and watch BBC news for an hour and feel the difference. It makes such a pleasant viewing. Just the news from all over the world, hardly any tone change, very rarely the use of personal opinions. That’s what you call news. That’s what makes it a great channel. In India DD news is I feel the best if you are interested in just the news not the crap.
Protection of privacy is another big issue. Take for instance the Aarushi murder case of Delhi. One of the news channels was publicly displaying the content of some email Aarushi got the day before her death. Display of some private text messages in her Inbox. It is so inappropriate for the media to do so. I agree that the person is dead, but so what. Everyone wants their secrets to die with them. Certainly not want for the public to know them.
Events like Bomb blasts are happening are dealt in a tone ‘Oh wow! Something great happened! Alas some news! ’. Don’t cameramen feel bad taking images of people crying on a blast site? Is money so important than the grief of a person who lost his loved one? Media can reach flooding Kosi river in Bihar to take stunning photographs, but not to save thousands of people dying from it. Feels so pity.
Another bad thing is misleading photographs. Some channels like showing older images of sometime ago or older coverage and stating it as current update. For eg. It was one of those heavily raining days in Mumbai, TV channels continue to show pictures of flooded streets even when rain has stopped in most part of the city. That’s so badly misleading. Most people depend on media for correct information, businesses are unnecessarily stopped, just because these news channels have given wrong info. One rainy day, I was at Milan subway. My phone has a TV so turned on to see it. I saw images of Milan Subway being flooded and they were termed as latest. Great, here I am with little water around me, yet can say I am in a flooded region courtesy news channels.
There is also a question mark on some of the news being classified as news. Is somebody getting out of a reality TV serial show a news for a reputed national news channel? Further, is it worth around 15 minutes of air time? If yes, is it worth making a Headline? And one more question. Why are comedians like Raju Shrivastava on news channels? Is it supposed to be funny!!
Morning shows showing astrologers talking crap about how the day is gonna be for you, lucky number for the day, which color to wear etc. Come on! This is news channel, not some entertainment channel. Instead in the morning, summing up previous day’s news would make so much sense.
Sometimes, one news takes over the entire episode. I understand some issues are very vital and should be addressed in detail, given more TV time. But in the process, don’t kill the other smaller news. They may not be that big or sensational, but they deserve to be told.
Throughout this post, I might sound like a person who does not believe in being with the times. Consider me stubborn for not accepting the change as positive. For not considering the fact that ‘Masala’ makes an interesting viewing and that news should be more than just plain news, it should be about views to present a bigger picture. Don’t care what people say, they are just my personal opinion. Doesn’t BBC news feel in being with the times? Why haven’t they changed their style over the time? It is because that is what they call it ‘news’, and it’s BBC news not views.
6 comments:
Beautiful post Sanket
Totally agree - thats why I dont watch Indian news channels at all . But the bigger problem is that it is these petty matters rather than the factual news which attracts the general publics attention- they would rather be watching something that is that sensational - Its a moronic mentality - and for all the differences between Indian and Western culture and people can say that we are never going to become a western civilization - I say that we are never going to become a CIVILIZED civilization if this goes on - and our local news channels are an example of just exactly why.
well... I totally agree wid wat u've said...indian news channels are going down the drain but today its the race for the TRPs that makes them do it.
Indian news channel goes by what public wants. Like it or not, majority of the indian public want masala, the saas-bahu drama, you said it comedians, and husband getting beaten up the wife( obviously not for nothing, he's recording it) on news channels too.
I find it as needless as you do, and surely most others reading this hate it as well. But the point is we are by far the least considered, there are billion others who want the news to be a complete package, and you know what i mean by complete..MMS-a huge hit, a sting operation-woo hoo, secret webcams and all that stuff. Can't say if that will stop sanket, lets just not loose it, follow a good newspaper if nothing else. Atleast you get your pick of interest. Excellent post, keep it with the breaking news.
@Brett,Tanmay and Gaurav..
Yes you are right. India probably lacks the amount of intelligent audience too. The media simply caters to a vast majority of population which likes masala. TRP is all that rules this industry.
It's pathetic to watch news channels these days. Last 3 days due to the terrror attacks everyone's glued to the news channels, but otherwise hardly do we watch news channels. It's more like they have become semi-entertainment channels. You can't help it, this is necessary for their survival. They cant survive with plain news when people like you and me who need just news are very few.
agree with all sentiments here...we need a regulatory body for the media.The media needs to be made aware of its responsibilities especially in the light of Bombay 26/11
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