With no soap operas on TV and no cricket. Most of “saas-bahu” television audiences shifted to TV news channels. And they were not disappointed the news channels presented them with emotions, drama, celebration, laughter, sorrow, hope all packaged with commercial breaks every 5 mins. I was told that many channels increased the number of commercial breaks as they were flooded with many advertisers who could not find enough eyeballs on normal television channels.
How the media presented news on the Terror attacks can be best explained by a very passionate post from Harini Calamur do chek it out The Media as Pimp - Maut ke Bhadwe
While TV news was more faff and less facts. To get useful information like the lists of injured and dead, contact information of hospitals and embassies and other critical information. Millions of people all over the world took to the web. As per some of my friends in Google India, Internet traffic in India jumped to about 98 million users compared to last reported number of 55m form the industry.
And looks like finally the Television Media had to give-in to the pressure put by millions of users on twitter, facebook, orkut and the hundreds of blogs to do responsible reporting. Barkha Dutt head honcho of NDTV a leading news channel has responded on her blog post On the record: Mumbai and media coverage
Looks like along with the downturn of politicians it is also the beginning of the downturn of TV News Channels... anyways they are far too many...
what do you think ??
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Comments (7)
This was something that was going on my mind since last few days. Not only me, all the sensible people of India do not like the Indian media’s approach towards such sensitive issues. For first two days they showed some sense of responsibility but after that they are back to the square one.
Making this issue spicy is not appreciable. I have a friend from one of the top news channels in India. I asked him, “why do you guys exaggerate the very issue on the news channels”. He replied very casually, “we sell what people like to watch and listen”. Public is to be equally blamed as media.
No! its not true. there may be few people who like the dramatic version of news but most of us condemn this approach. We need sensible news along with the relevant information. As Vishal mentioned “To get useful information, millions of people all over the world took to the web”. News channels should have taken responsibility to flash the casualties on their respective channels. But they did not do so.
This is true that the Indian media lacks the sense of responsibility while reporting. For normal matters it hardly makes difference but for the issues as sensitive as Mumbai attacks, it needs to show professionalism. People will never appreciate the dramatization of their emotions and sentiments.
See, they don’t bother about your sentiments or emotions. Yes they will show that they are concerned and touched and support public. But by the end of the day its business. They know that more the number of viewers they attract, more will they earn. Which is pure business. You people should understand that its their festive season after all...
Padma Shri Barkha Dutt, the icon of the Indian young generation, seems to be suffering from paronomasia. It is easy to say that objectivity erodes on subjectivity but difficult to practice. She belongs to that genre which believe in ”Do what I say not what I do”. In fact the electronic journalism in the country has failed to emerge as a viable and sensible media platform though it commands a wide audience. Now when this media is being threatened by the New Media which is open, transparent and responsive, it goes berserk time to time.
The danger of ancient liberty was that men, exclusively concerned with securing their share of social power, might attach too little value to individual rights and enjoyments. The danger of modern liberty is that, absorbed in the enjoyment of our private independence, and in the pursuit of our particular interests, we should surrender our right to share in political power too easily. The holders of authority are only too anxious to encourage us to do so. They are so ready to spare us all sort of troubles, except those of obeying and paying! They will say to us: what, in the end, is the aim of your efforts, the motive of your labours, the object of all your hopes? Is it not happiness? Well, leave this happiness to us and we shall give it to you. No, Sirs, we must not leave it to them. No matter how touching such a tender commitment may be, let us ask the authorities to keep within their limits. Let them confine themselves to being just. We shall assume the responsibility of being happy for ourselves.