Living in an age completely submerged in the rise of modern day media and other infotainment contrivances, it’d be rather foolish to be walking on the opposite direction of the bandwagon. I dare say, that the age old notion of the media being the devil’s advocate indeed appeals to me in more than one sense. Relaxing after a long day’s work, most working men of this country are greeted to constructed news which is aimed at hypnotizing the majority of the nation. This news is not always factual, as in the recent piece on the rising use of adulterants in products of daily use – which was consequently disapproved by the manufacturing house besides the evident loopholes in the piece. Moreover, in nine out of ten cases, the basis on which the report is being made is generally a matter blown out of proportion as rightly it teaches the techniques of making a mountain of a molehill. The stories as they say in media language are not monitored properly when you bring in the context of unbiased scripts. The editors, senior correspondents are somehow or the other linked with a political party and in the end you find the news channels becoming propaganda offices of many Political parties of this great nation. I say this not out of mere assumption, but it is a fact that even today in Orrisa, a leading politician actually owns a news channel company! This implies that when you watch the leader of the opposition citing harsh phrases against the ruling government and sons of ministers who allegedly implemented a sterilizing policy to control the population, target the minority communities – their claims of doctored tapes and false media reports should be dismissed faster than the speed of light.
What we see every day is all but truth. It is the portrayal of a grand theater going on somewhere that we are unaware of. A person believes in what he senses, the belief is stronger when he hears about it and when he sees it…when he sees it the word ‘conviction’ should be used in its superlative degree. We actually are exposed to the news which the media people want us to see, not the news which we have the right to see. Then tell me, when there is an election going on, why is it that a domestic cricket competition called the Indian Premier League gets more attention than the speeches of the people who are supposed to be running our country? This is all because of the devil’s avatar on earth – the media.
Five fingers would be enough to indicate the News companies which sincerely swear on broadcasting the truth – not half of it. Be it politics, entertainment, sports, leisure, lifestyle; one has to expect a conditions apply at the end of every news piece. For many orthodox followers of current affairs, the growing disinterest in reading authentic news givers like the Hindu and the Statesman is as disheartening as the departing of a loved one. It is the Times of India that sells, with news proclaiming the arrival of a city grown tennis star who reached the front page by qualifying for the finals of a second category tournament; when on the other hand you have news of minors being tortured in public, children being sold, girls being used and dumped on to the street and corrupt municipality officers eating into our pockets.
Now who does the common man turn to?
It’s a pity that I am partially contradicting myself, but the media has notably achieved things in the past which in a way has helped them get the attention and support of more than a million. It is for these million that the TRP of our news channels seemed to be always at the summit. However, there is nothing to be proud of because present day sting operations and underground coverage are nothing but a glorified version of what media has actually considered itself to be for the past few years. Modern day media banks on the glories of its previous years, not convinced? Food for thought – what were the reactions in the intellectually developing society about two decades back, when Ramdas Goenka had actually declared an open war against Dirubhai Ambani? You might not use the word ‘sting’, but the news reproduced was honestly – ‘stinging’. The media had stripped a business tycoon naked perhaps that seemed to be. But what was the end result of the hue and cry? Dirubhai Ambani was cleared of most of the charges.
Is this the credibility of our media – the common man’s belief?
The magician takes out the rabbit from his hat, the audiences watch in awe. He hypnotizes them with his hand movements and how hard you try to catch him on the wrong foot, he deceives you as he thinks a step ahead of you! Consider the media to be the magician and the rabbit to be news stories. And we? We are like always – the audience! Fooled, hoodwinked and deceived; have you ever heard us complain? Never!
We sit there every evening with a belief deep down our hearts that what we see on T.V or read on newspapers is ‘everything’ that is actually happening. But the reality is that ‘everything’ that happens within the four walls of the editorial offices is censored in our news. We get to see the half truth and yet like generations we are satisfied…thoda aur wish karo…absolutely correct Mr. Khan. That’s what our citizens need to do rather than bank on a bunch of cameramen and people holding mikes in front of our television. And, not forgetting writers whom we have never seen in our lives.
Before employing a servant, we ensure to check his history of four generations – double checking his credentials. But are we aware of the credentials of the people who break us news that could change our lives? I guess not.
But this is a belief…a belief of many which I wouldn’t like to break. After all, you listen to your heart and not a person who writes articles complaining about the messiahs, right? You agree, and you come back to where I ended and you don’t then you reach the point from where I started. There are no lies – there is truth and half truth, reality and fiction and then there is the devil’s advocate & the common man’s belief…
The choice was always yours & will remain yours.
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