By Manmohan Dhar
It seems media houses across the country are slowly but alarmingly losing grip on journalism,in true sense of the term.
Journalism precisely speaking means presentation of facts characterized by description of events without an attempt at interpretation.
But, if we watch TV channels carrying news about the nation in particular and that of the world in general, we very seldom come across any reasonable journalistic approach being adopted by these media channels. What we see on a routine basis, is the rush for TRPs.
Every media house is in sort of a race, to show the other media house down.
And in doing so, they go to any extent.
Be it yelling, and not allowing others to express their point of view.
Be it inviting people from across the border, and listening to their most unrealistic, false and fabricated anti India propaganda.why? Do they want to listen to the facts direct from the horse’s mouth, or they just want to sensationalize the discussion.I suppose it is the later.How can they expect Pakistani panelists speak the truth about what is happening in India on account of fundamentalist terrorism unleashed by the Pakistan army through their stooge terrorist organisations, when they very well know that these army trained spokespersons, can never speak something that is not in line with the anti India stance taken by their army.
Anyways, they go on inviting them time and again. Sometimes some very hard cores, who leave no stone unturned in abusing and mud puddling our own country, and we listen to them.We may at times try to reprimand, but that always looks pretentious rather than anger and dissent.
Nowadays, it is a common trend among the media channels to exibit the percentage of their viewership vis a vis their competitors. They think journalism for the sake of journalism is a waste of time, and journalism for the sake of TRPs is the actual journalism. Now if this happens to be state of affairs, then for God sake where is the journalism.
Boosting of showing the news first, can be one of the examples of how these media channels make fool of their viewers.
Sometimes very important on the national front happens, and some media channel carries the story. And as if nothing has happened, other media channels will stick to Bollywood gossip and TV entertainment. Well, this really exposes them so very deeply.
Viewer is intelligent. He knows the magnitude of importance of a particular happening. And, when these media channels go on sensationalizing such news, they are doing nothing but a disservice to the cause of journalism. They think they have befooled the viewer, and the viewer knows, they are up to shaping their TRPs.
It is high time these media channels, realise and understand the mood of their viewers and start opening up New horizons of true journalism. Start giving space to legitimate and we’ll researched news instead of eye catching headlines with bright colors and bold layouts. Also they have to give up exaggerations, scandal mongering and nevertheless sensationalism. Self promotion and parade of false learning from so called experts is another feather these media channels feel pride in adding to their crown.All this will have to be shunned once and for all. Otherwise the day is not far when media houses will lose their credibility and their anchors will have to go from Piller to post to regain what they must have lost, and lost irreparably, in propagating yellow journalism.
Media houses hold their allegiance to corporate houses, but anchors don’t.
Anchors are the journalists and they should work for the cause of journalism and for patronage.
They should enter with a strong resolve to serve the nation not the boss. And, if they are strong enough to resist the pressure, they can be