Yakub Memon. Dinanagar. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. This week, these three names have jostled for TV screen space, elbowed each other out constantly, exchanged places in the rush of headlines.
Until Sunday night, it was all about Memon — “Yakub ko phaansi do” demanded Sudarshan TV, or the temerity of Salman Khan to tweet a reprieve request for him and then withdraw it hastily. This led one Hindu group to tell Sudarshan TV that “the Muslim in Khan has been awoken [sic]”, and Times Now to debate an issue of critical, national importance: “Why did Salman retract?” Because he listened to his daddy, came a prompt reply.
By early Monday morning, Dinanagar had reduced Memon to strapline news. All the news channels rushed to the spot and images from Dinanagar remained on air for the rest of the day, until news of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s sudden death pushed them aside.
Coverage of the “27/7” attack (Focus News) or “7/27” attack (Aaj Tak) was live but not seen live: We watched delayed footage, but got up-to-the-minute information. The ministry of information and broadcasting had “requested” news channels to refrain from live coverage, but some channels congratulated themselves on their delicacy: “Nothing live to hamper operations,” claimed NDTV India; “Being a responsible channel, not showing live visuals,” boasted Zee News.
In the absence of live footage, we heard excitable correspondents (India TV) report from the scene and watched visuals accompanied by the sound of shooting. It didn’t always make sense: A jumble of security personnel, bystanders, railway tracks, the occupied police station and a bullet-holed Maruti car. Periodically, an injured policeman appeared. News channels made the best of the situation, with Times Now by far the clearest in its presentation of events as they occurred from 5.30 am.
In the evening, channels were determined to make up for the lost opportunity of the day. Hindi news combined footage with loud, operatic music and ominous words: After 20 years, Punjab has been shaken up, the entire nation has been shaken, proclaimed Aaj Tak in doomsday tones. Zee News wondered whether this was an IS “visiting card” (no, definitely not, dismissed the experts), while India TV provided melodrama with a reconstruction of the attack.
Just as they were warming to the subject and the 9 pm conflict timezone, came news of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s critical condition.
DD News was one of the first to report this, but probably the last to announce the former president’s death. The Indian Express had reported that DD News was the only news channel to show live footage of the Dinanagar attack — well done, public broadcaster!
News TV was unprepared for Kalam’s death — have any of them prepared obituaries of important ageing/ ailing personalities? But they did the next best thing: Got immediate reactions and pulled out old interviews conducted with him in 2006, 2007. When his body returned to Delhi on Tuesday morning, TV news was there to receive him along with the top leadership of the country. They paid their respects in differing styles: Some (NDTV 24×7) barely described the comings and goings while others (Times Now) couldn’t stop talking.
Suggestion: Watch two new English-language channels: Star Movies Select HD, which offers more than slam-bang-thank-you-ma’am (watched Gone Girl and Black Swan on the weekend) and entertainment channel Colors Infinity, which is showing recent acclaimed American series, such as Fargo, Orange Is The New Black.
shailaja.bajpai@expressindia.com
