A large number of ethical journalists in the country may end up with cervical spondylosis, not due to age-related wear and tear, but for repeatedly hanging their heads in shame at the way some media organisations, especially television channels, kill good journalism every day.
The standard of journalism is falling by the minute, accelerating like an object falling from the sky with gravitational pull. The force leading to the acceleration in the case of television channels is due to the unhealthy competition to prove oneself more idotic than the other.
The concept of news has changed, as those claiming to be journalists do not even seem to know the definition of news or what has traditionally made news; hence any information is passed on as news. There is some consolation in that these channels and those masquerading as journalists term the matter that is telecast as content and not news.
There is reason to doubt whether the television anchors and reporters have had vocational training in journalism, understand what is journalism(and what is good journalism, for that matter) or the role of journalism in democracy.
They surely are ignorant about the contribution of good journalism and journalists in the development of our society or in the protection of democracy, even during the Emergency. Many journalists went to jail for practising good journalism; that happened during the Emergency and continues even now.
It is generally expected that members of any vocation would improve their standard of work day by day. Many of our television journalists are doing so, by giving momentum to their falling standards.
It is not that these journalists do not question the government — some of them do question the non-Bharatiya Janata Party governments, but do not dare to ask questions to the BJP governments.
The mantra of journalism, that news is sacred and opinion is free, has been changed to news is for creation of public opinion and it has to favour politics of hate and contempt.
There is nothing wrong in the replacement of the khadi-kurta-clad, sling-bag-carrying journalists by those wearing three-piece suits. The problem is that these journalists often prefer to sit in air-conditioned offices and studios, form opinions based on fictitious information fed to them, and feed that information as news to their viewers.
Often, when they go on the field they end up going to the wrong place. Very few journalists went to report the plight people faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Maximum air time was given to promoting the government, rather than to report acute shortage of oxygen or life-saving drugs.
Thousands died gasping for breath, in the absence of oxygen supplies, yet many of these journalists claimed that things were hunky dory in the country, notwithstanding issues like unemployment, inflation and violence due to the spread of hatred.
The government has been silent over cases of sexual offences against women, including our wrestlers, and the media has fallen in line with the government.
The media failed to ask questions about the source of the Rs 20,000 crore invested in Adani's companies or the vanishing of currency notes of Rs 500 denomination, worth Rs 88,000 crore, exposed by this paper.
The silence of the media on the vanishing of Rs 88,000 crore is an extremely serious matter.
It is an insult to the intelligence of the public, when the the media projects a qualified person, with a master's in developmental economics as pappu (childish) and a person with questionable qualification and who makes ridiculous statements as a vishwaguru (guru of the world). This is not merely due to their sycophancy, but due to their deprivation of intellectual capacity.
In the absence of proper understanding of news, almost all television channels had their reporters on the seafront, trying to balance themselves in the stormy weather, rather than being at places where human beings were affected by cyclone Biparjoy.
Creation of drama was more important than looking at the problems of the people affected by the cyclone. Television channels of Pakistan did a very good job on that count by visiting people likely to be affected by the cyclone.
The height of stupidity was a journalist, who was in the channel's studio, did a poor acting of how it would be if she was covering the cyclone in the open, instead of in the studio. The studio set-up and her acting were bad as her hair and her umbrella were steady, even as she pretended to be swayed by gusty winds. The least the channel could have done was to use a powerful fan to create a feeling of gusty winds.
The enactment was not only bad journalism, but a mockery of those stuck in the storm and of those risking their lives to protect the lives and property of people affected by the cyclone
The subjects for panel discussions on these channels generally pertain to communal issues, tilted towards creating an opinion against Muslims. It would be a misnomer to call it panel discussion, as these are often verbal wars, sometimes turning into physical fights between the panelists. This is what the commerce-driven television channels want, to get more television rating points (TRPs). Healthy discussions and debates are rare on channels.
Manipur, which has been burning for over 50 days, does not seem to exist for these journalists, as there is no mention of the violence there or of the state, in the news. Obviously, the news is blacked out as the BJP is in power in the state.
It is hoped that soon the quality of journalism in the country will be restored, with the entry of the younger generation. Till then, ethical journalists would rather have a pain in the neck, than be spineless.
The author is a senior journalist and media trainer. He tweets at @a_mokashi
