The other day I met a friend of mine who was planning to go for a movie along with his family and I was surprised as that movie (Though awarded one) was not meant for the kids. When questioned, my friend quipped “It is still safer than watching the news channels nowadays”!
Jokes apart, but it is true. Usually one encourages their children to watch good programs on TV and once upon time news was also included in the list of good programs but not anymore. Nowadays they portray such a picture as if this world is a hell of a place and not worth living in it. I remember, a couple of years back I’d received a forwarded mail from a friend which had a message by then President, APJ Abul Kalam.
It read that, “When we have so many good things happening in our country, there are so many achievements on small scale to large scale. Why doesn’t that become a headline in the media?”
There is growth; we are going ahead, our country is leading in some sector, there are good things happening so if these things are brought as headlines there will be flow of positive energy and people will feel proud of our country. Well that does not mean that there should be no negative news. The job of media is to present true picture of course but how do you project it, matters a lot.
Specially when it comes to any sex scandal, molestation case, harassment case, or any celebrity’s personal life, even people’s extra marital affairs, media literally barges in to people’s home and set up their transmission system right there. The news which can be read out or be printed in the text with the impact required is projected with such a pictorial elaboration that it goes completely against the victim and she/he feels more traumatised and criminals are somewhere glorified in that bargain.
There is continuously repeat telecast of such video clippings and the channel appears to be more interested in projecting that they were the first to report about this.
One simply can not allow the child to watch the news when even an adult can not take it. But it seems this is selling because everything is TRP oriented. There is such large section of people who are watching news for such spicy reports? In that case media’s responsibility increases even more because it has the capacity to reach out to entire population of the country.
Instead of showing the deeds of some tantrik, or some story of miracles, it would be so nice if some reporter reaches out to villagers who have successfully done water harvesting and dealt with the water problem or an engineer who is living in the village and with the help of the computers and internet spreading the education and awareness. There are so many selfless people who are doing such incredible jobs for the growth of our country and they are not in limelight neither they are doing it for the same; but if such works are brought in the news, is appreciated, and if this is iterated people will be definitely encouraged.
One can tell their children to watch the news again and they can proudly say that there are good things happening in our country and they too can be part of its growth and be proud of it.