Broken News

We Indians have borrowed much from our former colonial masters and our indigenous press is unfortunately following in the footsteps of their counterparts in old Blighty.

Over the years we have seen an alarming rise of television news channels that sensationalise most stories whilst ignoring the basic tenets of responsible journalism. A celebrity breaking wind unfortunately today becomes breaking news. A cluster of windbags,posing as experts,hold forth daily on the idiot box on varied topics they know precious little about. Glossy newspaper supplements run stories on their front pages that are decidedly more advertorial than factual.

Filmmakers,designers,politicians,industrialists,it seems just about everyone requires a publicist these days to manage and manipulate the press.

Our tabloids rely increasingly on printing scandalous stories to generate readership and are getting bolder in their exposés of the shenanigans of the rich and famous. Sex sells and how!

Bollywood invariably takes precedence over everything else and we know far more about the private lives of our struggling starlets than we do about the portfolios held by our various ministers.

Of course,it can always be argued that the media is merely giving the hungry,attention-deficit public what they want,indeed deserve: pre-masticated sound bites and juicy,salacious nuggets that are highly appetising and easy to digest.

The great fear is that in an effort to keep up with the popular,populist media,the more ethical and responsible news organisations are also becoming increasingly lax in maintaining their once high moral standards.

Senior journalists,who once played such an integral part in shaping public opinion,have fallen from grace after being exposed as money-grubbing megalomaniacs.

Frank and fearless,the Fourth Estate in India has always been at the forefront of upholding the values of our republic. Ever vigilant,it helps expose the corrupt and keeps the other pillars of democracy on their toes. It has been a true torchbearer of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and a tireless guardian of our civil liberties.

Unfortunately,today we increasingly find the press operating as a lynch mob. Most accused are first subjected to a swift media trial and pronounced unequivocally guilty even when innocent. This seems to go down exceedingly well with the masses that view a public hanging as spectator sport.

These are obviously extremely dangerous trends and we seem to be careening wildly down a path of no return. After the hysterical and irresponsible press coverage during the Mumbai terror attacks of 26/11,the recent bomb blasts are finally being reported with equanimity and restraint.

Perhaps amidst all the mayhem,good sense will eventually prevail.

Fahad Samar is a filmmaker,inveterate traveller and intrepid chronicler of society.

samarofdiscontent@gmail.com