The competition among news channels in India is reaching a crazy crescendo, where channels compete with each other to announce breaking stories. Incidents as frivolous as a squirrel dropping an acorn from a tree is hyped to the frenzy of Chicken Little where it is reported the sky is falling down. Experts, Panel Discussions, Studio Debates with members of the public and graphics showing how the acorn drop means the end of the world are just the tip of the iceberg of gimmicks which adds to the charade in Indian Television News.
Before elections, all of them turn out predictions which have fallen consistently flat on their faces. Yet, they dust themselves up and start reporting how the public surprised the media. There is an old Indian saying - if you slipped because you didn't look where you where walking, don't blame the ground for being slippery.
But when the news media resorts to hyping up minor acts of violence by airing certain footage over and over again through the day with a "LIVE" tag, it only creates tensions and escalates the violence by mobs baying for retribution and revenge. Time and time over it is been seen how public mood can be easily affected by false footage. Right after 9/11, certain television news channels had to apologize for showing unrelated footage of celebrations in the Middle East and connecting them to celebrations for the attack of 9/11.
When the media crosses the thin line or being a party in escalating violence through the media, it is only fair that the judicial authorities hit hard at journalists quacks trying to get a high TRP ratings forgetting their code of ethics and conduct. In an incident which took place in Rajasthan, India, between two caste based clans, television channels in India hyped the entire issue to a point where people believed that it was more of a civil war happening which was far from reality. Repeated "LIVE" footage beaming into the villages of Rajasthan, had opposing clans go on the offensive in fear of being attacked first by the others. The violence quelled as soon as leaders of both parties met with government officials. This left the Supreme Court of India ordering 3 states in India where the violence took place to find out "how did a burning match stick create smoke as much as a burning tree".
This is an excerpt from The Indian Express article by Tannu Sharma. (Police to SC: TV fanned Gurjjar flames, old footage called ‘live’) :
"Responding to the wrath of the Supreme Court, which called disruption and violence following the Gurjjar agitation a “national shame,” state police chiefs have said that television news channels and their coverage was to blame.
“The manner of telecast by 24X7 news channels perhaps was a contributing factor in the wide spread of violence to places beyond those at which blockade call was given,” A S Gill, Director General of Police (DGP), Rajasthan said in his affidavit filed before the apex court today.
While appointing senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan as amicus curiae*, the Court also directed him to consider the footage of news coverage on the agitation from various TV channels.
In their affidavit, the Delhi Police, too, blamed media coverage saying, “In some places, protesters hitherto peaceful became belligerent and tried to resort to violence on seeing the electronic media. It would not be out of place to mention that some of the electronic channels have given highly exaggerated and distorted version of the events,” H M Meena, DCP Headquarters, said in the affidavit."
Related Article:
Police to SC: TV fanned Gurjjar flames, old footage called ‘live’ - The Indian Express
*Amicus Curiae: is a legal Latin phrase, literally translated as "friend of the court", that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it.
Before elections, all of them turn out predictions which have fallen consistently flat on their faces. Yet, they dust themselves up and start reporting how the public surprised the media. There is an old Indian saying - if you slipped because you didn't look where you where walking, don't blame the ground for being slippery.
But when the news media resorts to hyping up minor acts of violence by airing certain footage over and over again through the day with a "LIVE" tag, it only creates tensions and escalates the violence by mobs baying for retribution and revenge. Time and time over it is been seen how public mood can be easily affected by false footage. Right after 9/11, certain television news channels had to apologize for showing unrelated footage of celebrations in the Middle East and connecting them to celebrations for the attack of 9/11.
When the media crosses the thin line or being a party in escalating violence through the media, it is only fair that the judicial authorities hit hard at journalists quacks trying to get a high TRP ratings forgetting their code of ethics and conduct. In an incident which took place in Rajasthan, India, between two caste based clans, television channels in India hyped the entire issue to a point where people believed that it was more of a civil war happening which was far from reality. Repeated "LIVE" footage beaming into the villages of Rajasthan, had opposing clans go on the offensive in fear of being attacked first by the others. The violence quelled as soon as leaders of both parties met with government officials. This left the Supreme Court of India ordering 3 states in India where the violence took place to find out "how did a burning match stick create smoke as much as a burning tree".
This is an excerpt from The Indian Express article by Tannu Sharma. (Police to SC: TV fanned Gurjjar flames, old footage called ‘live’) :
"Responding to the wrath of the Supreme Court, which called disruption and violence following the Gurjjar agitation a “national shame,” state police chiefs have said that television news channels and their coverage was to blame.
“The manner of telecast by 24X7 news channels perhaps was a contributing factor in the wide spread of violence to places beyond those at which blockade call was given,” A S Gill, Director General of Police (DGP), Rajasthan said in his affidavit filed before the apex court today.
While appointing senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan as amicus curiae*, the Court also directed him to consider the footage of news coverage on the agitation from various TV channels.
In their affidavit, the Delhi Police, too, blamed media coverage saying, “In some places, protesters hitherto peaceful became belligerent and tried to resort to violence on seeing the electronic media. It would not be out of place to mention that some of the electronic channels have given highly exaggerated and distorted version of the events,” H M Meena, DCP Headquarters, said in the affidavit."
Related Article:
Police to SC: TV fanned Gurjjar flames, old footage called ‘live’ - The Indian Express
*Amicus Curiae: is a legal Latin phrase, literally translated as "friend of the court", that refers to someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information on a point of law or some other aspect of the case to assist the court in deciding a matter before it.
1 comment:
I am in total agreement with you on this. Even I, sometimes, don’t understand what the 24/7 news channels are trying to achieve through some silly news stories being blown up to huge proportions causing disturbance all around. And then we have the rival channels trying to outdo them in that bit. True, Hype begets Hype! I wonder sometimes why have a 24/7 news channel when theres no content to fill up?
Media sometimes tend to lose its perspective and then the ‘market-friendly’ news are the ones which grab the pad. And violence/terrorism acts fall right within this bracket. - N
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