The Hindu today on page 3 had a feature by the special correspondent titled: 'Chidambaram's statement makes no impact on OU'. The phrases used by the correspondent about the time after the announcement are: 'devoid of any activity even as the Union Home Minister's...... announcement', 'except students sitting on relay hunger strike............'. The best was 'there was no reaction from the agitating students till the evening much to the disappointment of mediamen.
I wondered, 'What was the media expecting ?' That the students will immediately go on the rampage, breaking glasses, burn buses, issue emotional statements leading to unrest ........... I looked at it positively. I took it as positive, that for once, people may be thinking and discussing the issue before coming out with a statement rather than making emotional statements in haste. Which is good on the part of the students - this agitation has seen its share of violence. Now, it is time to sit down and talk. Talk keeping all issues in mind and settle this issue once and for all.
Here, the media has exposed themselves as news mongers, waiting for some titbit thrown so that they can dramatize it and add some pictures to put in the front pages. For the past few days, things in the context were looking more positive - with more discussions, more negotiations, more opinions by the stakeholders. Positive because, when there are discussions, the radical views get tempered and the important points get discussed in length before a statement is made.
But what do the media care. All they are bothered about is the TRP ratings and a lost opportunity for the media to go back with pictures to show the best of shots and get their careers moving.
Again, in this land of Gandhi, if we were to shun news about violent protests and put up pictures of peaceful protests in the front page, if the government were to listen to peaceful protests rather than the violent ones, then this idea of violence as a means to achieve ends will stop.
I wondered, 'What was the media expecting ?' That the students will immediately go on the rampage, breaking glasses, burn buses, issue emotional statements leading to unrest ........... I looked at it positively. I took it as positive, that for once, people may be thinking and discussing the issue before coming out with a statement rather than making emotional statements in haste. Which is good on the part of the students - this agitation has seen its share of violence. Now, it is time to sit down and talk. Talk keeping all issues in mind and settle this issue once and for all.
Here, the media has exposed themselves as news mongers, waiting for some titbit thrown so that they can dramatize it and add some pictures to put in the front pages. For the past few days, things in the context were looking more positive - with more discussions, more negotiations, more opinions by the stakeholders. Positive because, when there are discussions, the radical views get tempered and the important points get discussed in length before a statement is made.
But what do the media care. All they are bothered about is the TRP ratings and a lost opportunity for the media to go back with pictures to show the best of shots and get their careers moving.
Again, in this land of Gandhi, if we were to shun news about violent protests and put up pictures of peaceful protests in the front page, if the government were to listen to peaceful protests rather than the violent ones, then this idea of violence as a means to achieve ends will stop.
1 comment:
I am reminded of the serenity on Buddha's face - shown so peacefully and ubiquitously all around Sri Lanka
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