Al- Jazeera is at it again! The passionate voice of the latest celebrity announcer is rasping on my already irritated mind. Words like ‘anger’ and ‘frustration’ are thrown higgledy- piggledy around the screen. After every event an interview takes place with the “protesters” and we are served a potpourri of “human dignity, social justice and simple freedom”. Do these so called journalists even know what they are speaking about when they use these profound words?
Democracy is the new Shangri-La, everyone wants it! The extremely sad part is people equate democracy to total unconditional freedom. When will they ever realize that there is no such thing; there is no state of existence without any strings attached? This law of the universe is there for our own good. Just imagine- I feel I love the new car my neighbour has got so I just car-nap it and go for a ride without hesitation! Unconditional freedom can exist only when there is a world of non-ownership; once ownership comes into the picture then every right has a duty (We have done it when we studied political science!)
What then is the duty of the varied media channels? They feel they have the freedom to show what the “truth” is- here it is in quotes because their truth is not the reality we think we are seeing on the screen. Haven’t we all hear about how people are paid by these very torch bearers of truth to pretend to be injured and dead for the sake of the camera and the story to be illustrated at prime time? Do they even stop to think of the repercussions a bloody mutilated body can do to a young mind or for that matter an aged mind? I know that they know what havoc it can wrought in a mind but they choose to ignore it. Why? Because from the business point of view it is not right to be emotional! From the business point of view let us keep the heart and mind separate! It’s all about TRP ratings.
Once the profession of journalism was looked up at with reverence; it was never well paid but it was supposed to be noble; it was a profession which combined intelligence, ethical thoughts and truth with utmost honesty. Is it time we wrote an obituary to this facet of reporting? It is more about manipulative and coloured facts than ever before.
All that we hear echoing and rebounding is ‘the disappointment’ of the ‘protestors’; their ‘fulminating rage’; the inner hurt in the soul’. Why are these so called warriors so bloody hypocritical? Do we not know that existence in a comfortable way at the basic level is all about numbers and economics; isn’t it time we metaphorically behead these ‘poets’ and get down to the brass tracks of simple practical living; isn’t it time that we rubbed the sleep off our eyes and threw these servants of the devil out of Eden?
If you are interested in mythology and love reading the old classics then you would have noticed that a story cannot be created out of happiness. To have a great entertaining read you need a lot of passion; a lot of upheaval and a lot of chaos. So whenever everything is chugging along happily on the track of contentment something has to come and derail it so that we have something to talk about; we have something to get excited about or have something to get unhappy about. (Remember Eden and the events preceding the fall of Man?)
These stories are good to listen to on a cold winter night. But when similar stories are prepared and perpetuated at the cost of a real living family I strongly object to it and have to lash out in frustrated anger ( impractical and non productive!)
As long as the virtual world keeps within its limits and not intrude into the real world then its fine with me. But just like a small fire – it doesn’t burn everything down but it burns your eyes and suffocates you, these virtual media people make me smoulder ineffectively on one hand and make many an innocent smoulder in an artificial fire and drain out both our practical energy and our passionate directions to turn us into in effective denizens of Hades.
To be a “Protestor” is the latest celebrity profession so I protest!
Sensationalizing news began in the late 1800s when the reporters needed to grab attention; attention of the rich and poor, the educated and uneducated, the liberal and conservative, working hard to drive up circulation. Once the target was achieved, serious reporting continued. It was termed Yellow journalism, journalists and media persons understanding its importance in their work and critics firmly panning it.
ReplyDeleteBusiness world in general is competitive. Aggressive marketing tactics are used all around us, whether it is about marketing a product or an idea. When the journalist is selling us their story, they will make us believe it is the truth with pictures to support it. Unfortunately, truth in these situations are covered under layers of random protestor remarks, sagacious statements from political celebrities and depressing pictures and videos that cram up our television screen.
It is difficult to name one business that is ideal; where ethics and truth is given due significance and return on investment is not much cared for. So the current media’s approach to news might not change, but what we can do in these times is be a smart viewer. We can set aside our deep passions; watch news for general information and base our beliefs on self discretion.
Sorry. Forgot to mention that I liked your write up bhabhi and way you put across your ideas. Thanks for writing on topics like these. It gives us an opportunity to share our perspective as well.
ReplyDeletethanks Kritika for appreciating these feelings and for making the effort to comment on issues which should mean a lot to lot many people! and I do like your solution to be a smart viewer but remember very few of us have the education and resources to be smart viewers!
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