I
had a discussion on ‘focus on international news events in the Indian media’. The
way the Indian news media industry is evolving, such subject matters are
discussed only in the closed door seminars and it was yet another one. Somehow,
I was an unwilling participant to it. So while sitting there, I had no second
thoughts about being deliberative on the matter. But yes, I was having some jolly
sitting listening to the high-pitched eloquence one after the other.
Midst the series of verbal juggernaut, one thing was oozing out naturally; at least I am
sure of that – the frustration of being compelled to follow the TRP dictum –
the rgged attitude on the most relevant question. Its relevance has reached to
the height of exasperation. It becomes clear from the fact that every such
reference to this ‘TRP dictum’ has become so cliché that most talk about it for
the sake of talking but very few are ready to be the part of the process on the
journey to change.
Anyway,
so it was about international news events in the day-plans of media carriers in
India. Is there much to talk about?
I
don’t think so given the abysmal share of ‘newsworthy’ international news
elements on the display. And it is not a big deal given the terrible focus of
Indian media carriers on infotainment in the name of news production and
presentation. Okay there are few serious players but I am not talking about
exceptions here.
The
bunch of Hindi news vehicles (and some English, too) can claim to have 'some'
international news elements in their day plans, BUT THAT, TOO, LARGELY CATERS
TO THE DEVELOPMENTS LIKE ASSASSINATIONS OR DEVELOPMENTS THAT GENERATE DRAMATIC
CLIPS AND SNAPS LIKE TSUNAMI, AVALANCHE, FLOOD OR QUAKE! (Though, the expertise
and knowledge of international happenings is largely a sterile domain for them coming
from a land of zero opportunities!)
Hallelujah!
So
the brutal murder of Gaddafi was repeated again and again to the extent that
watchdogs had to intervene to restrict airing of the clips, otherwise what
could be said for how long the mad rush to google and air the most gruesome clip
would have continued. For two-three days, there wasn’t anything newsworthy on
Libya except the few seconds of clips showing the last moments of Gaddafi’s
life. Not even a single show was on what would be the road ahead for Libya. Not
even a single full length show was on the plight of war widows, orphaned
children or raped women though Gaddafi’s female bodyguards were prominently on
air.
Similar
is the case of Syria. We will have some sort of coverage once the confused
international community decides to intervene militarily. The visuals would
offer great supplement to the sensation-hungry Indian media. Almost 10,000 are
already dead in the terror and fury unleashed by Bashar al-Assad but the misery
doesn't echo in the Indian media.
Indian
media houses depute almost negligent resources including the manpower for their
international news reporting operations. Even the serious players have just
four-five outstation correspondents. The international news flow is maintained
mainly by the inputs from the news wires and the major chunk is packaged into
maddeningly paced 50-100 odd news stories with poor production values.
One
global incident stands out that puts clear light on the state of affairs at
Indian news media outfits. We had many of our media representatives in Egypt
during the Tahrir Square uprising as it was visually so strong. But as the
movement prolonged and it seemed the solution was not near, all of them packed
up and came back. Pity us. None had the knowledge and the expertise to read the
writing on the wall. Just few days later, Hosni Mubarak announced to step down.
That was a historic day and not a single Indian media worker was there. Pity
them.
Preferences,
yes, its matter of preferences! We have broken breaking news stories like this
actress is going to deliver a baby or that politician has grown stubble running
ceaselessly wheels after wheels.
We
had more of Michael Jackson's death stories than reporting on farmer suicides.
(17,368 Indian farmers committed suicide in 2009, the year Michael Jackson
died.) The controversy surrounding the Peace Nobel to Chinese activist and an
honoured voice of dissidence in the iron-curtained country, Liu Xiaobo, almost
went unnoticed.
Yes, it is ‘the’ relevant question of
preferences.