Media: the evil we love?

Media, much like money, has become a necessary evil. We love to hate it, yet can’t get enough of it. One of the remarkable social developments of the last twenty years or so in India has been the emergence of the media. Television news channels, newspapers, magazines all have mushroomed inorganically. From a state-controlled machinery to the coming of 24/7 watchdog, media has had an interesting run. The story of India in the last two decades has been exciting for good and for bad reasons. Media therefore hasn’t ever had a dull moment when they didn’t know what to cover. After all, so much around us has been happening all the time, there has never been a day less full than the previous day.

Yes, the media is crucified frequently for hungrily being after ‘sensation’ and not ‘news’ that matters. It’s often convicted of conducting legal, social, economic and political trial in the studios or in the press. Media has been in the eye of wrath many times for being the investigator, prosecutor and the judge all in itself. It’s also a fact that paid news does exist. Most of the media houses are owned by rich and influential people. It’s difficult to imagine them not having political affiliations, informal or otherwise. There will be bias, there will be patronage, as there also will be neutral coverage of important news.

Media has been an integral part of the evolving India in the twenty first century. It has furiously fought for transparency and accountability in public life. It has unearthed scams worth billions of dollars we wouldn’t have known happened. While it has often abused the concept of investigative journalism and equated that wholesomely to ‘sting operations’, it has also infused public office bearers with a sense of fear about wrongdoings.

India is a great country for journalists. It is the land of free speeches and right to expression. While we’re shamed by mass suicides by farmers, we’re also thrilled by the global success stories of our techies. We have millions living below the poverty line, and yet we boast of the number of billionaires making it to the Forbes list. Women chief ministers are ruling many of our states, yet we hear barbaric stories of female infanticide. It’s full of stark contrasts. Which is why media’s cup will always be filled to the brim.

My wish for the media is to keep up the good work they’re doing. They must however exercise more neutrality, and shun the culture of dodging the right questions under the debris of sensationalized twists. If they were to become the mouthpiece of something, let that be of the people of the country. Let them relentlessly report issues of people’s interest with as less pigment as possible. Let them appreciate that everyone’s private life is dear to them and that must be respected. For example, we’ll be better off knowing the actor in an actor rather than who someone is dating. That’s just not news; not even close! 

NEWS at the end of the day should remain as ‘North East West South’!