BREAKING NEWS!

I was shocked to find that a close relative of mine did not have a clue about what swine flu is and the massacre it is resulting in throughout. I rebuked her, chided her (a license which I hope I enjoy, 'friends' that we are) for not following news on TV or print. But after hanging up the call, I was taken aback by my own introspections. Here's a lady who does not follow the news of the day. I felt nice. Just thought about it. A simple life, where you dont know anything about the world except for your close acquaintances or family, your immediate neighbourhood or your charming salt lake paara. rewind to those ancient days where life used to be without clutter and you dint wake up in the morning scanning through the day's top news, which invariably resorts to some bomb blast, or some case of rape or a govt. misdoing etc.

Which leads me to today's scenario in the media. The Indian media-specially television-thrives on sensationalism and the far too treaded concept of Breaking News. There's no degree of objective reporting. Not an iota of stating plain facts. The debates are over the top and the anchors are literally screaming throughout the day. If a different news channel is showing some live footage of a press conference or some first shots, all the other stop whatever they are showing and switch on to the particular news. In an increasingly competitive environment and for a mad scrmbling of TRPs the channels are sacrificing their ethics, which keep on changing everyday, and in some cases every hour.

Having critiqued that facet, I would like to counter a question-do you like sensationalism? do breaking news hooks you on to the tube? do fist banging and howling discussions ala Newshour give you an adrenaline rush? Invariably, all these questions should be answered affirmatively. Nobody would like to revert back to the days of mechanical newsreading in DD before the advent of 24X7 news.nobody. Today we have anchors, who does justice to their portfolio as they do anchor the show in its real sense. Watch a Arnab Goswami or a Pranoy Roy or a Rajdeep Sardesai-the stalwarts. I wouldnt think of even glancing my sight to some other direction if they pronounce (i am not using read) some news on air. Its a granted fact now. Tv channels thrive on sensationalism and we buy them coz we like them. Everybody likes Butter chicken better than sushi. I dont want to talk about the hindi channels but the leading eng 24X7 channels have a distinct quality of their own. While I like the style and the vocabulary innovativeness of Times Now, I respect the causes which NDTV upholds. And CNN-IBN I believe balances both the aspects and treads between the sensational and the straight. While Arnab has a rare quality to engage his viewers while he's anchoring, Mr. Roy , I think, is very conversational, a rare trait again. Increasingly, today, even the usage of graphics and teasers enhance the marketibility of the channels. Panel discussions need a high production input and I must say Times Now and NDTV does a good job of it.

But the BBC training in my college was an eye-opener. We were asked to dole out crisp and OBJECTIVE reports for our television stories, an element missing in the Indian media. It was the greatest experience ever. It was TV. and it was simple. two highly contradictory terms in one basket. which made the experience even more exciting. I believe if we can have a little bit of objectivity,coupled with a conversational anchoring style and employing good visuals in news, we can have less detractors of the Indian media. But I am afraid whether people will buy into it. It needs very high production capability and a brave foot forward. Its risk of a high order. very high. But if one channel enters this foray, many of the others are sure to follow suit. And then we will see another revolution in the Indian media.

About the infrastructural domain, I believe that the intolerable conduct meted out in the news room is an unavoidable thing, because of high ego associated with a brand and specially due to the crisis situation prevailing throughout the clock in channels. Job security is non-existent, partly because of the flexible nature of the org and the unscathed policies that it undertakes. Pay scale is good once you are up the ladder but they also drain you out and squeeze out the last drop of your energy, Social life diminishes and some become irritable. Its a baggage which come with the pros of working for a TV channel. Expletives are commonplace and so is your high social standing.