uglyhunK doT iN

With the plethora of news channels, with even more in the pipeline, tough times are ahead for someone like me who hates these news channels. Somewhere along the line these news channels started grossly abusing their power of voice in the mad rush to make money. They are the ones who decide which is worthy piece of news, make news out of nothing, conclude complex issues from trivial polls and worst of all, they project themselves as saviours who take up issues on everyone’s behalf.

These news channels never present news and instead they rub their views. I wonder why Indian government does not step in to regulate these channels. I remember sometime ago AXN channel is banned temporarily for showing so called inappropriate content. Going by that yardstick, all these news channels should be banned permanently, for inciting unrest, creating panic and fear.

Very recently, there was an incident somewhere in Tamilnadu, where an inspector was hacked to death by a small group infront of many people. The very next day, news channels were targeting two politicians who were part of the group when that incident occured. According to these channels, they were mute spectators to that ghastly incident and did not do anything to help that inspector. But the fact remains, one of the politicans already alerted a hospital and the ambulance was on it way. An even more shocking fact is that this whole incident was filmed by some xyz news channel crew. Hypocrisy is a mild word to use. There was another incident when a news channel crew filmed a man trying to commit suicide in a protest. Those channels shamelessly telecasted that scene and blamed onlookers for not coming to the rescue.

And the in thing now is “judgement through media”. These stories even beat reality show ratings hands down. When it comes to these stories, news channels have a radically different approach to find the truth (It’s a different thing that they will never let viewers know the truth). They first come to a conclusion based on conventional wisdom or who can cry more or who can make sad faces. Then they literally strip the culprit (based on their screwed up conclusions) day in and day out until viewers loose interest. This story very rarely attracts their attention again. What about the facts of the case?? Are you kidding me?? Anybody’s guess.

Sometimes I wish ours is like China or Iran when it comes to journalistic freedon. I know, this is an extreme view but such is the state of media in India. We are like zombies living in a pseudo-democratic society, voicing and nurturing the opinions and views of few sick bastards who are operating these news channels. These news channels hijacked everybody’s brain and their power to use it and so are having a field day in the country. As I pen my thoughts, there is this new movie being released in a few days by Varma (Rann) which hopefully will bring out the truth behind the life of lies these news channels live in.