Every few weeks, we have an
unprecedented event, mind boggling and blood curdling. We are in a state of
war, no doubt about it. The reasons are so complex that we can’t put our finger
down on a specific one. Along with this, we regularly come to know of incidents
that we could never have imagined. Such absurd happenings seem to materialize
out of nowhere. The event gets full media coverage, live news feed, minute by
minute development, discussion in talk shows, anything and everything to keep
you glued to the screens. One approach, to understand these
extraordinary events, can be that as compared to the rest of the world, we are
a new television audience. We got exposure to the “free media”, including
private TV channels, only recently. This might be a reason that we are hungry
for spicy news. Subconsciously, we are craving for some unprecedented event.
Previously, we used to have only
one state run TV channel. The quality of its shows, the authenticity of the
news, ethics and professionalism were its hallmark. Then there was a private
channel, which created a healthy competition. But now, we have tens of private
TV channels that exercise their right of freedom of speech to a sickening
level. We have a greater inclination for watching news channels, because they
are churning news at a dizzying speed, quoting incidents of unprecedented
nature. Apparently, telecasting news no longer requires any authenticity and
even if it undergoes some verification before being presented, the standards
are very low. The news will just spring up on the screens in a most surprising
tone, stunning the audience at once. One channel quotes one figure, the other
has a different figure to quote about the same incident. There is a sickening
competition about breaking the worst news before other channels. This race to
break the news first reduces the time for verification, almost eliminating its
scope.
The news channels are conducting
business without any ethics. But these channels are not the only ones to be
blamed. We, as a general TV audience ask for it. We buy the spice, they sell
it! The staggering figures involved in such a business suggest that some
unprecedented event should take place on regular basis. Every few weeks, there
is a mind boggling event, more disgusting than the previous one, shocking, jaw
dropping, heart sinking; in simple words, a roller coaster of emotions. We have
some seriously sick minds controlling this “business”. If something doesn’t
happen for long, the channel ratings drop. To keep the business running, why
not create an incident and feed the hungry audience? Within minutes, stage sets
for an action packed event, eyes get glued to the screens, the airtime prices
reach record highs, money is made then matters are brought to discussion in the
so called live talk shows, more money is made. It’s true for the rumors as
well. They get so much importance without having any base.
I am not pointing at any particular event; we
have a long list of absurd happenings. These events get full media coverage,
tens of channels giving live news feed and flashing images. There are no rules
to be followed; no regulations are taken care of. There is no sense of
responsibility, ethics or discretion of content. The cameras show what needs
not to be shown to the public, the reporters use words that are least
professional and unnecessary music plays in the background, turning the whole
incident into a rehearsed play. One heart wrenching scene gets multiple
exposures from tens of cameras, one bad news gets repeated continuously for
hours. The newscasters seem to enjoy breaking the bad news to the public,
filling the gaps within their read with illogical phrases. The highs and
lows of voice and the emphasis on heart piercing words give an impression of
some cheap theater performance. And that’s actually what the news has become, a
discreditable theatrical performance.
The leading international news
channels never show the raw violence, even in their live coverage. But here,
the violent scenes break our heart, lower our morale and cause psychological
unrest and disturbance for a long time. These incidents pile up inside us,
layer after layer and cause frustration and a sense of helplessness. The day the crowd stops buying the spice, the
news channels will calm down. What happens on entertainment channels can be
paralleled to this scenario.
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