Allow me to return to what I will call the ABC of TV journalism; ABC as in Amitabh Bachchan/ CNN-IBN. ABC featured in this column last week because AB was reading news for C in a context that engendered more than a few questions. ABC features this week again because a panellist asked C a terribly important question on AB and C that C deemed not worthy of an answer,or so it seemed.
C,while hosting a chat on whether Bollywood is gutsy enough in the face of mob politics,thought ABs seemingly gushy blog on Bal Thackeray was problematic when Thackeray Junior was being unquestionably nasty to one of ABs fellow film actors. A panellist on the show asked why didnt C ask AB questions like these when AB was reading news for C.
Thats the problem: news TV doesnt think theres a need for such a forum. You hear arguments like theres no time,that its difficult,almost impossible,to conceptualise a time slot that will function like the Corrections column or the letters to the editor column of a newspaper. Frankly,these arguments are bunkum. If you can show silly tweets on your show,you can jolly well find a slot for substantive critical responses.
But let no one say news TV isnt jolly good fun. In the same show,C asked how come AB can play good-guy-taking-on-bad-guy roles in movies but doesnt appear to be quite as committed a fighter for justice off-screen? The fun thing about this question was that it was asked in all seriousness. And the even more fun thing was that the panellists were all so patient when they explained that look,actors just read out lines given to them,you know,dont get confused.
Taking about being confused,I was considerably confused watching NDTV interview Uddhav Thackeray. T Junior should have been on the mat. He would have been,had NDTV persisted with just one question: Are you saying it is okay to threaten who you differ with,yes or no? I thought TV anchors were experts at asking one question repeatedly and demanding yes/no answers. But when a newsmaker truly deserved that interrogative technique,NDTV seemed content letting T Junior talk about everything Kashmir,Maratha patriots of yesteryears,Mumbais governance structure,South Africas apartheid era but that point.
T Junior may not have had a hard time,but inflation,be warned. CNN-IBN has declared a war on price rise. This was natural a morcha against inflation following a march for justice.
So,hows the war going? Pretty well,I think. For example,the CNN-IBN reporter anchoring the Delhi edition of the war interrupted the state food minister when the latter was promising to amend the civil supplies law. The reporter asked the minister,when you say amend,do you mean the law,and the minister said yes I mean the law,having said just 30 seconds before that he was thinking of amending the law. Also,one of the citizens said sugar was so expensive one might as well become a diabetic. Another citizen told the minister we have elected you unanimously.
If I were the food inflation rate I would fall just so that this stuff goes off the air.
saubhik.chakrabarti@expressindia.com
