“Why is the Media here so negative? Why is our Media obsessed only with failures and disasters?” These are the disturbing questions raised in anguish by our own genius Mr.Abdul Kalam when he was in Hyderabad way back in 2001 itself. The mushrooming Television News Channels have evolved their own agenda to remain in the limelight. They are reigning champions in dishing out constant ‘Breaking News’ items and holding people and audience at ransom with their threatening and fear generating approach. These ‘bad factories’ (read as New Channels) are on a constant prowl in search of small moles to transform them into gigantic mountains. They have an innovative meaning for the phrase ‘Breaking News “. Every piece of information is broken into news and grandly termed ‘Breaking News; if disaster such as bomb blast or any tragedy it’s a festive time for these Channels. They get busy 48x7 with tiring effort. Every attempt is made to ensure the quotient of controversiality is to its fullest. In Godhra riots, when buses and vehicles were scorched, we find an enthusiast field reporter of a popular New Channel screaming into the camera – ‘its confirmed that all the four passengers in this Sumo are charred to death. It is also confirmed that all the four persons were Muslims”. Where is the need for them to spell out the religion of the deceased people in the tragedy?
The recent scientific experiment Big Bang Experiment was big fodder for these Channels. They have driven the whole audience mad with their fearful headlines – Is it the beginning of End? World might end tomorrow. Even the literate people got carried away by their fearful approach to the Theory. It was reported that a fifteen year girl in Bhopal committed suicide with fear and despair after watching these dreadful stories of Big Bang experiment on the News Channels with a message that the World might end tonight.
The story is no different in our own backyard. All our Telugu News Channels beat the National players hollow in these matters. Irrespective of the importance and gravity of the information every piece of information is a Breaking News for them. Every Channel has their own style of manufacturing news to garner the eye balls of the audience – JAC nethala pai class 4 sanghalu dwajam ( Class 4 unions express anger on JAC leaders ) is the breaking news on NTV. Another Channel TV 5 screams as Breaking News – Ragging in Yousufguda College. Boy registers complaint in Jubilee Police Station. TV9 Breaks – Police arrests one person who shouted the word Jihad in old city. TV5 permanently carries the word Breaking News on one side of the screen. NTV carries the montage of Breaking News in animation with mish mash background news continuously on full screen. TV9 claims it’s the only first channel to break the News. The gravity and importance of the phrase ‘Breaking News is lost and is fabricated much to the convenience of these Channels.
And if we observe the information they dish out in the name of news is totally negative. NTV which boasts of continues Live telecast reports live from Khammam – One student commits suicide for his inability to excel in studies. Their reporter gathers a bunch of enthusiasts who are eager to appear on TV in front of the student’s house – we get to hear all those same old mundane words – chittashuddi, samajam, prabhuthva vaikhari blah blah and goes on. TV9 reports a normal Bike rally organized in Vijaywada – we find unknown people speaking unwanted issues on live; it has been differently organized – different youth from different parliament constituencies are participating – he goes on and on. In the race to catch the attention of the audience, these Channels are covering each and every issue. With the idea of appearing on TV everyone is trying to come out with innovative ways to attract the news Channels. In quite a few cases we find these Channels indirectly encouraging people to resort to vandalism and finding new ways to be in news. Bringing up unnecessary issues and blowing up beyond proportions, unknown people and small time stringers coming up on Live Chat Shows as analysts and experts. As a result zeroes are becoming heroes and unwanted issues occupying centre stages.
Another method of driving frenzy – they create their own jargon. If Judalu (Junior Doctors), Maha Kutami (supposed to be political alliance), PraRaPa (Prajarajyam Party) are some of abbreviations – Aatmagauravam, chittashuddi, manobhavalu, prabhutva vaiphalvyam, khandistunnamu, soubhratutvam, endagattaru, endagattaru, dwajametharu etc. All these are common abbreviations and jargon used by the news presenters and the reports. Same lingo is fed to the people whom they supposedly interview on the spot impromptu. On the whole we find different segment of people mouthing this lingo at the drop of a hat on any News Channel. Another grand feature they have is they can assume and presume any big issue by themselves – 'aalu ledu sulu ledu koduku peru somalingam' applies aptly to them. It is observed that in certain issues, their assumptions and presumptions have driven people and influenced them to amend or take decisions in that direction.
Being Public Broadcasters (PB) they should refrain themselves from giving wrong color to the information. If the information seems to instill fear and instigate some section of the society, being PB they have the moral responsibility to withhold such piece of information or convey properly in the larger interest of the society. Situation leading to the attack on Lanco office by TRS activitists is one such example to cite the significance of proper conveyer of information. But unfortunately we find all of them exploiting these issues for their TRP ratings. With the escalation of competition day by day, guess there is no hope to see news as news.
It’s high time, that government constitutes a regulating body to restrict this growing malady in the name of Media. The Press Council of India (PCI) has long back recommended for the formation of Media Council incorporating both Print & Electronic Media. Mr Ganendra Narayan Ray former judge of Supreme Court and Chairman of Press Council of India (PCI) in a recent Press meet at Kochi has reiterated the necessity for the formation of Media Council and the need of bringing the Electronic Media under the PCI. He strongly felt that atleast a peer group should be formed to regulate the mushrooming and ever growing electronic media. It would otherwise be against the spirit of Article 14 of the Constitution if the print media was treated in one way and electronic media in a different way.
by Kalyan J.Yakaiah.