I still have
the reminiscences, when people thronged
a television set for the national news on lone national network, Doordarshan
for the latest news. Over the past decade the fourth pillar of the democracy
evolved into a stronger unit and surging ahead with great power and authority.
News no longer is a monologue. The panel discussions of yesteryears were
usually very courteous and panellists would meekly agree to disagree.
Discussions were characterised by the absence of stiff oppositions and
overtones.
In sharp contrast, present day news channels are animated,
loud and boisterous. Typically featured by dramatization and sensationalizing
of news. As the era of 24 hours new channels have began to gain popularity, the
dynamics of the news, its presentation and documentation have undergone a
drastic change. It has become a livewire exuberating latest developments
relentlessly in the process of overdoing the news presentations its losing its sheen. Early
90’s passive mode of reading out the news has lent its way to the present form
of interactive and live news. Media has become very aggressive. The ubiquitous
media intervention and coverage has given much needed leverage to several
progressive movements and agitations by creating awareness and stirring up a
sense of duty in common man towards a cause. Media’s over enthusiastic participation and
its commercial aspirations have resulted in compromising with the principles of
journalism.
Provocations, incitements, heated arguments have become a
common parlance of the news channels. In this media frenzy generation, newsmakers
and their subsequent events are censured for good and bad reasons alike. The flourishing
trend of investigative journalism is mandating the need for scrutiny of the unquestionable
authenticity of their information. Undoubtedly it is rendering a great service
to nation since the intelligence agencies are tamed by the politician holding power. They seem to have mastered the art of gaining access to
widest possible array of the networks from where the latest information can be
sought. Indeed taking up the task of a watch dog responsibly. Unfortunately they seem to overdo it and thus
raising unnecessary passion and tempers among the public. It has made
successful stint of empowering the common man with information by effective
communication. Being presumptuous as expected in a strong democratic regime, it
is doing a disservice by unbridling tempers and extrapolating apprehensions
about the future of nation.
Definitely it is evolving and shaping itself into a vibrant
and dynamic unit. The brilliance it exudes in political analysis and especially
presentation of exit polls is amazing. The whole process of news presentation
which was a drab in yester years have pruned into a radiant system. It is no more
an exaggeration to say it has become an addiction to several sections of the
society. It has become widely popular among the masses as it is emotionally satiating
helpless and restless public.
In fact not everything is rosy about the media. On the flipside
it has become an effective tool which is being widely abused for it penetrative
capacity. To increase their channel viewership most of them are not refraining
from telecasting scandalous issues resulting in emotionally alleviating the
public tempers. People are getting charged up and incited. Irrespective of the palpable
changes in the media, it will be rendering immense service to nation if it can
elicit some perceptible change in public.
" Whoever controls the media controls the mind " - Jim
Morrison.
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