Breaking point of breaking news

Mumbai submerged, NDTV’s aerial footage of the blazing Bombay High or Sahara Samay’s first torchlight shots from inside the damaged Shramjeevi compartment of tangled debris and clothes (was that an arm to the right of the screen?) — the cameraman collapsed under the impact of a militant bullet in Srinagar… close your eyes and the scenes recur like bad dreams. TV news channels’ coverage has brought us one step closer to reality. There are no isolated islands to inhabit any longer — the world has drawn too close for that. The value of this is moot, but 24-hour live news — and webcasting — are here to stay. If in the process, the distinction between the mob-police clashes in films and Gurgaon have been blurred, well, it’s time we all appreciated that Hollywood and Bollywood don’t just peddle dreams.

On occasions of such distress, TV news performs a singular public service role: it provides the ‘real’ picture, acts as a SMS conveyor belt of information or messages between those trapped in Mumbai or the Shramjeevi Express, the authorities/services and anxious relatives. Transport delays, weather forecasts, telephone numbers (so what if you can’t get through), ‘‘I am fine’’ flash across the screen with reassuring regularity.

That’s the good news. The bad is that we still have to learn moderation. Sensational headlines (‘hinsa ki had’), exaggerated reporting (‘‘more than 700 injured…’’), the tendency to remain with one story too long at the cost of another (Mumbai was ignored for Gurgaon and then Gurgaon dropped for Mumbai), TV news habitually paints a picture of a situation out of control and blames the authorities.

On the evening of the Gurgaon outrage: ‘‘Three hours of violence and there is no sign of the administration…’’ (Aaj Tak) ‘‘…this is how justice is meted out to the weak…’’ (NDTV India) ‘‘… neither are there any ministers here nor anyone else (to quell public ire on Day 2)… there is little thought for the patients, the administration is more concerned with the CM’s visit… officers refuse to say anything’’ (Aaj Tak) ‘‘… there is no water, no medicines, there is a flood of public outrage…’’ (NDTV 24X7) ‘‘…anything can happen here at any time… there is no one to stop it…’’ (Zee News.). These are the milder comments. TV reporters scold and harangue officials relentlessly.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister and Mumbai’s Municipal Commissioner were held responsible for the monsoon’s intemperance. To CM: your Shanghai dream is shanghai-ed if you can’t manage a day’s rain; to MC: why is the drainage system so poor, so inadequate that it can’t cope with one day’s rain (emphasis on ‘one day’). Both were at pains to explain how much rain had fallen, how it hadn’t fallen so hard (in one day) for decades but many of the TV reporters weren’t listening – or didn’t care to.

Inefficiency, indifference, callous or violent behaviour should be exposed. Yes, the police were brutal but so were the rains in Mumbai. After every militant attack the media complains of ‘‘security lapses’’. BBC and CNN reporting on the London blasts refrained from attacks on the authorities, stressed the positive coping mechanisms. If they holster their lips, we shoot from the mouth.

Lastly, if the cut throat competition for ‘‘Exclusive’’ coverage endangers the lives of TV teams, as it has in Srinagar, time to stop the race.