The Media Elitists Must Return

Watching the Netflix series, The Crown, and watching Omar Abdullah in conversation with news host Vikram Chandra on NDTV, was an eye opener. So, let us see how these very two separate things come to converge into a single point of view.

The Crown as much as I have seen, I have gathered is the portrayal of the heavy duties of a Monarch even in times of reigning democracy. The series so far has brought out the fact that the Crown cares, and worries whether the old faddy Prime Minister, Winston Churchill is in a position to tackle a crises situation or his over ambition, is just self-serving.

The point I am making here is, there really is no need for angst toward parliamentarians or elected members of the assembly in India, who come from a family of politicians. The dynasty rule, or rule of the dynasty, is referred to children of politicians. There is nothing wrong if there are a couple lessons learnt from forefathers in the art of political science, for that precisely is what is politics, a lot of theory and historical precedents, to draw essence from.

Coming to the telecast interview and conversation between Omar Abdullah and Vikram Chandra, it was very apparent on how well-versed Abdullah is with the nuances of politics, his choice of words, and how well he pointed out those facts against the questions posed to him! To the extent Chandra had to sometimes recall and rephrase his words. This was pleasantly surprising because Chandra allowed Abdullah to dominate the interview without undermining his own position as an anchor or host. It was one of the best interviews I have seen and wish to see more and learn more. Learn not just about the political process but also the decorum in which it can be presented.  

Therefore, taking a leaf out of the dynastic politicians it is time for the media, especially electronic media to turn elitist. The clarity with which Abdullah, encapsulated the process of the Governor, calling upon the majority party to show the names and signed attestation that they have the supporting numbers, which the Governor will take note and ask the leader of the party to prove their strength on the floor of the house. While it is important for the media, to capture the essence of political activities, in its truest sense and in a way to educate the population who may not know the finer details. Media must keep calm. What is the purpose of relaying or covering news in an aggressive manner, rather than just reporting it against the existing norm and precedents?

The BBC has a list of words which news anchors and TV hosts are to use through the broadcast. The list is not the entire vocabulary, but certain terms, which do not aggravate the situation or incense the public. To the contrary is the Indian media, which uses words with acceleration and sometimes I feel even my TV is steaming up! It saddens me that the first page of any newspaper is besmirched with ads. I have nothing against advertisement it is a good source, of revenue. However, I must emphasize, selling-point of a newspaper lies in its strength of its name, the power of its editorials and in its vision of neutrality.

Media these days cover petty controversies rather than the business conducted in parliament, the bills passed, enactments of change. It will be very useful to have explained news coverage, so readers can broaden their knowledge. Earlier, newspapers and magazines were subscribed so the children learnt something in addition to schooling. That has changed, and many households have stopped buying newspapers; their value has diminished in view of the many scandals and people’s trust in the government has declined. There is very little one can expect from politicians, to contribute in terms of knowledge. The media can still. The country has 29 states and seven union territories. Educate us on the uniqueness of each, the difference in governance and there on.

I would rather read about informative prose, against the backdrop of current affairs. The reporting of the death of John Chau, on the Sentinel Island, it was the briefest of information on the tribes, barring their numbers. There was much more printed and said accusing the over ambition of missionaries. The man has died, and we cannot prove it was for conversion alone, we can only speculate. Reporting of controversies, scams on a priority, and debates, with a loud moderator, is quite distasteful, it appears like India is only a hotbed of corruption and controversy.

Rather than shout like hooligans, and report like it were from the land of crime, let us become elite. Let’s report with not just responsibility but with an ambition, as they did two decades ago. We need to make people wiser with wisdom and build the nation into healthy minded people, rather than raving banshees!