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Sheena Bora murder: In defence of fellow mediawalas

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Ravina Raj Kohli
Ravina Raj KohliSep 02, 2015 | 14:09

Sheena Bora murder: In defence of fellow mediawalas

I have a fundamental question for all those who criticise the Indian media so freely. Which one of you can... put your hand on your heart and say “I can do this better”? If so, please step forward and you may have all the kudos you want. You might even be offered a job.

Most who pontificate and abuse journalists, channels and guests of interviewers have probably no idea what it takes to run a 24/7 news operation.

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They certainly have no knowledge of how much, what the purists call "tabloid journalism" has helped to expand the viewership base so dramatically that today there are a mind boggling 300 odd channels in the news space all trying to be relevant and informed. This means more Indians watch news than ever before. More have opinions and more people are better informed.

That’s a whole lot better than 15 years ago when few "informed" people sat around talking only to each other on air, making statements no one could understand, and forming political views no one really cared about. The public at large, had no stake in the news. News was boring and mostly irrelevant. Propaganda at its worst and best.

Today, the pressure is enormous to survive in the TV business. News is all about "reach" and "time spent per viewer". If you fail, your advertiser walks away, your boss/owner humiliates you and you may even lose your job. I have heard the most esteemed journalists in the Hindi media say "Isko chalao, TRP wali kahaani hai". Same goes for other languages, I am sure. It's not that different for the newspapers.

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And what’s wrong with that, really? What that actually means is that these mediawalas have their finger on the pulse of what "people WANT" to see, and not only what some snotty boss or critic believes they should see. Or read. Or hear.

I am with you, guys. Getting readers for your paper or eyeballs on your channel is not a crime. It's your job.

This does NOT mean I condone irresponsible reporting or editing by the electronic media. Despite launching one of the biggest news networks, and knowing how the machinery moves, I have personally been a victim of sloppy journalism. But it is completely understandable as far as I am concerned, if it’s a genuine error.

Here's why: Above some young "output" editor or reporter sits an impatient egocentric boss who has no time or inclination to edit or even to critique a finished story, verify a cut package of TV reportage, assess the journalistic value of a "tic-tac", an interview or a piece to camera.

The fault is not with those young people who produce the news. Its with those who run and own it.

I have recently barked at the reporters who called me for a "bite" on the Sheena Bora case.

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“What bite? Don’t you have a valid question to ask?”, I have found myself saying (as I would say to my team in my Star News days, when there were just a handful of channels on air.)

The answer very often was a trembling, “No”.

And that’s the true tragedy of the Indian media today. There is no time to learn. Be sure. Be consistent. Research. Train journalists. Guide young minds in the business to be better writers, editors and camerpersons. Its all about NOW. And it's all about the money.

HR departments are mere post boxes in the world of TV news media. Oppression is rampant. Competition is nauseating. The outcome is plain for all to see. If the primary objective for journalists is to grab market share, there's little room for finesse and restraint, let alone journalistic principles.

And then there are the "know it all" , self-styled critics who run websites and write columns and tweet, often in incorrect English, sometimes without a sense of humour or an iota of actual fact under their belts and most often, without valid reason or anything better to do. They speak loosely and seldom with credibility against those who spend their time and energy bringing you the news. And frankly, only end up de-motivating those who are just doing their jobs.

If commercials are all that matter and bean counters run content, the news might as well be one big advertorial. Which is where it is heading.

So I say to these genteel folks: can you do it better? If you can, why don’t you? We’d love to learn from you. If not, let those who obsess with "Breaking News or Nyooj" do the best job they can. They have sponsors to please first.

You, my dear viewers, are on the B list.

(This post first appeared on the writer's Facebook page.)

Last updated: September 02, 2015 | 16:04
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