There are these elders who feel that the movie songs of these dont even match the olden day's quality. Ask them this question, "Do you think movies have spoiled the society ?". They would not only say a yes, but will also take strenuous care to explain you, why they think so. I dont think they are right, atleast they are wrong partially.
Human beings are cool beings that come with self-destructive programs. They dont need an external appliance to spoil themselves. Suicidal. But apart from the Human Beings and movie makers, there is a supreme genere of species called "Journalists" who have been instrumental in cooking the minds of the listening public. I feel the Journalists are the most influencing people. They are entitled to throw Logical questions at anybody. They have the potential to change Governments. They have the magic spell that quickly brings an issue into limelight. They also have a formula called "Public Ignorance" by which they can rollback the issue from the Limelight. They can juggle around with issues which cost life and more.. and make stunts in the name of "Sting Operations" which rarely fascinate me.
The problem is, they make us choose their taste. If parliament is fun for them, they make it funny for us. If Rahul Mahajan is consuming Herbal products (!) and if the news interests NDTV or CNN IBN, we have nothing else to watch. We have to watch Rahul Mahajan walking and crawling in and out of the court room. When they get bored of it, they will remove it from our screens and show Al-Zarqawi. I was pissed off when Al-Zarqawi was dead and CNN IBN was showing the Iraqi President conversing in Iraqi for more than 15 minutes, without even a translation. WTF ? It might be an important news, but what sense does it make to the Indian Public listening to an alien language ?
Journalism is highly acclaimed all over the world and is considered the most powerful form of media. It is paired with the belief of the public. It only looks like they are taking advantage of the belief.
Journalists are the only medium through which we can watch the Parliament. Is there another way ? No. You can know what your MP or MLA is doing only through a Journalist making a document of it, or asking effective-questions about it. I get irritated everytime when someone asks questions to Mr. Karunanidhi, and when they get a irrelevant answer, they dont rephrase. There are people like Karan Thapar who would rephrase questions on the fly to make a program interesting. I dont wish every journalists to be Karan Thapar, but atleast they can show some resistance to BULLSHIT answers. No.. we dont get the resistance. Instead they make fun of the Politicians who give irrelevant answers. Makes us ask a question.. "Why didnt you tell him, its an irrelevant answer and wait for a proper one ?".. Dont tell me they worry about Autos coming to their homes. Gone are the days.
People read newspapers and are unable to keep a thorough follow-up of things because of fluctuating focus. A breaking-news is seen in the First-column, then moves to the firstpage bottom.. then moves to the third page and then eventually forgotten. Keeps the people ignorant of whats happening about what was interesting them for a while.
Everyone in Tamilnadu forgot about Jayendrar's case. Forgot whats happened to Jayalalitha's corruption cases. Is Karunanidhi still on Bail on the charge that he was arrested few years back ? Where are the follow up of those cases ? If there were any, its not my mistake to miss the small box news on the news paper.
I hold high respect for a Journalists and please do not even think for a moment they are doing junk-business.
What I wish to emphasize is, change the assumptions of presenting a news. Do not decide which news is important. Please ask sensible and important questions to my MLAs and MPs. And emphasize on the questions. Get answers. I would like to take an Archive of all the questions from the Journalists asked to DMK and ADMK on the election eve. Very good questions and stupid answers. Why did you take them for an answer ? Why did you publish just the answer without a statement that the Respondent did not completely answer the question ?
Do we not have the right to question the media that we subscribe ?
You know whats spoilt the society ? Unconcern. And you know who's responsible.
Human beings are cool beings that come with self-destructive programs. They dont need an external appliance to spoil themselves. Suicidal. But apart from the Human Beings and movie makers, there is a supreme genere of species called "Journalists" who have been instrumental in cooking the minds of the listening public. I feel the Journalists are the most influencing people. They are entitled to throw Logical questions at anybody. They have the potential to change Governments. They have the magic spell that quickly brings an issue into limelight. They also have a formula called "Public Ignorance" by which they can rollback the issue from the Limelight. They can juggle around with issues which cost life and more.. and make stunts in the name of "Sting Operations" which rarely fascinate me.
The problem is, they make us choose their taste. If parliament is fun for them, they make it funny for us. If Rahul Mahajan is consuming Herbal products (!) and if the news interests NDTV or CNN IBN, we have nothing else to watch. We have to watch Rahul Mahajan walking and crawling in and out of the court room. When they get bored of it, they will remove it from our screens and show Al-Zarqawi. I was pissed off when Al-Zarqawi was dead and CNN IBN was showing the Iraqi President conversing in Iraqi for more than 15 minutes, without even a translation. WTF ? It might be an important news, but what sense does it make to the Indian Public listening to an alien language ?
Journalism is highly acclaimed all over the world and is considered the most powerful form of media. It is paired with the belief of the public. It only looks like they are taking advantage of the belief.
Journalists are the only medium through which we can watch the Parliament. Is there another way ? No. You can know what your MP or MLA is doing only through a Journalist making a document of it, or asking effective-questions about it. I get irritated everytime when someone asks questions to Mr. Karunanidhi, and when they get a irrelevant answer, they dont rephrase. There are people like Karan Thapar who would rephrase questions on the fly to make a program interesting. I dont wish every journalists to be Karan Thapar, but atleast they can show some resistance to BULLSHIT answers. No.. we dont get the resistance. Instead they make fun of the Politicians who give irrelevant answers. Makes us ask a question.. "Why didnt you tell him, its an irrelevant answer and wait for a proper one ?".. Dont tell me they worry about Autos coming to their homes. Gone are the days.
People read newspapers and are unable to keep a thorough follow-up of things because of fluctuating focus. A breaking-news is seen in the First-column, then moves to the firstpage bottom.. then moves to the third page and then eventually forgotten. Keeps the people ignorant of whats happening about what was interesting them for a while.
Everyone in Tamilnadu forgot about Jayendrar's case. Forgot whats happened to Jayalalitha's corruption cases. Is Karunanidhi still on Bail on the charge that he was arrested few years back ? Where are the follow up of those cases ? If there were any, its not my mistake to miss the small box news on the news paper.
I hold high respect for a Journalists and please do not even think for a moment they are doing junk-business.
What I wish to emphasize is, change the assumptions of presenting a news. Do not decide which news is important. Please ask sensible and important questions to my MLAs and MPs. And emphasize on the questions. Get answers. I would like to take an Archive of all the questions from the Journalists asked to DMK and ADMK on the election eve. Very good questions and stupid answers. Why did you take them for an answer ? Why did you publish just the answer without a statement that the Respondent did not completely answer the question ?
Do we not have the right to question the media that we subscribe ?
You know whats spoilt the society ? Unconcern. And you know who's responsible.
4 comments:
Your article was good!Yeah maybe what you say is right! But the point that everyone of us need to understand that as human beings we do err.
When you wish a change to happen, you should be the first person to change !
For example, Thousands of us crib everyday - filty garbages strewn on streets, irregular traffic control and what not. And what is that you or I do to change this? how many of us think to not throw papers and filth outside.
Is there something you or I do to clean the garbage!
Just as saying goes charity begins at home - start striving for a clean home and donot litter around. And when thousands around you start doing the same thing you have more cleaner society. Thats just one example.
Just as George Moore says "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." Things are right there at your door step. Dont looks for faults over others, dont complain for things that are not right, instead search your inner self for a change - that is the path towards self realization which would lead for the betterment and will enlighten humanity!
Very well written,Keerthi !
Like the previous poster said .. what is that you or I do to change this ?
Agreed !
Start a blog for showing no tolerance against yellow journalism.
Get as many opinions as possible. Talk about TV programs that bother us. Spread the word that you're doing this or ask a popular blogger to start one :)
Make sure you send links to the feedback team of relevant news channels.
@Keerthi and all the commentors above...
all are valid points.
I may be saying similar things in different words.
To me it seems that any news has to be sensational.. even if that is not the intent, too many things are happening to keep the same issue on the front page...Honestly, how many items can one keep track of?
I am sure that all of us need to be concerned about just one thing: that is ourselves. If we take care of ourselves(being true to our conscience), then what is left to take care of? Perhaps in an ideal world the answer to that question will be "nothing". But, in a less ideal world, the answer will be "fewer things"... what those things are and how many, i dont really know.
so the answer seems to be that the change has to come from within, to start with.
Thirudanaai paarthu thirundhaa vittaal...? if the thief doesnt want to right himself, what can u do.....? I guess we can get to know about the good and bad thru journalists and crib about it and keep cribbing till it changes...and also along the way realize that in some ways we are also bad... and correct ourselves...
But it saddens me to see that even the news papers that used to present truth as truth minus the sensation injection, have resorted to some element of sensation to perhaps keep their circulation... I think we have to overlook the superficial stuff and learn to see the truth underneath.
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