In the backdrop of the LHC experiment, I just learnt that a teenage Indian girl has committed suicide fearing rumors of the world's end projected by Indian news channels.
My 10 year old sister told me over phone that the regional news channels were alerting peiople over a possible earthquake.
Not many days ago, one of the channels was instrumental in spreading bomb blast rumors in Kerala.
When will these news channels understand their responsibility?
When will they stop projecting any tiny domestic quarrel as BREAKING NEWS?
This seems to be the age of sensational journalism and the only motto is to gain TRPs, even at the cost of irresponsible behavior.
Someday, all of this has to end.
Hi there!
You're not the only one to blame the media. I do, as well. Although one has to ask themselves why isn't the public to blame too. These days people imitate and believe anything because "the TV said it". The *CRITICAL THINKING* is absent from teaching and family education.
You live in India, I live in Argentina. The two countries (I believe) faced protests from agriculture sectors.
Yet in Argentina they, along with the wealthiest landowners, cut roads, didn't let supplies to reach the factories (causing lots of hardship for the industrial sector as well) and caused the lack of basic food supplies in the big cities. What did the media do? They sided with the protestors without questioning their means, objectives, and protest style.
Yet (a vast part of) the gullible middle class down herebought the media's argument in siding with the protestors. The same thing happened in Venezuela with its president and the private media. That's what inspired me to say "today's coup d'etats are done with the media".
I wonder what would happen in India if the farmers let the big cities without food?
Some inspirational material for you to read:
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737097743434902428
The Revolution will not be Televised
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-295652150252909057&hl=en
And this 1976 movie "The Network" is a must, about the power of the media in modeling "public opinion"... here we see a "Howard Beale" character telling people to get mad about... everything... and scream out the window. Surprisingly, most people do...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8513763692488955727&vt=lf&hl=en
Ask yourself who owns the media and you will have lots of answers, my friend...
Best,
FC
Posted by Fernando Cassia on September 11, 2008 at 07:12 PM IST #