If you don’t read newspaper, you are labelled
uninformed. If you read one, you are more likely to be mis-informed. In this
age of non-stop verbal and visual diarrhoea, there is a growing tendency to
become aggressively prejudiced, highly opinionated on anything and everything,
whether connected or otherwise. Covering every inch of TV space with pictures,
events, both horizontal and vertical scrolling bars, your eyes straining to
catch everything, your mind becomes a minefield trying hard to decipher and
analyse. Ironically at the end of it all you are none the wiser! In fact you
are even more confused than ever. Such is the havoc wreaked by the 24*7 news
channels.
While some watch TV, some read newspapers to stay
abreast with current situations – be it political, social, academic or sports. They
do so with the fond hope of being entertained or enlightened or attaining both.
It is a tragedy of infinite proportion that instead of being a source of sober,
rational and analytical reporting, the media has allowed itself to be sucked by
a vicious whirlpool of one-upmanship. Sensationalizing news, ear-splitting
debates cause more damage than heal. Provocative statements, high pitch and
inflammatory arguments, selective outrage have become the norm. Panel
discussions are meant for gathering different views, finding solutions. Instead
they are being used as platform for spewing venom and scoring political points.
Fourth estate is a very powerful player. It
influences the minds of people. Word is mightier than the sword. The media uses
its (s)word so effectively that its readers or viewers remain glued to it. Of
late, it is disappointing that it is blinded by instant popularity by excessive
use of strong adjectives to catch your attention. Such is the power of today’s
media - particularly the electronic
media – that it has created unrest among family members, with each one taking
sides, adding to the sound pollution. Instead of creating and enabling an
atmosphere of social harmony, it is slowly but surely achieving exactly the
opposite.
Graphic description of crimes, repeating visuals
continuously, zooming effects all these and much more have tremendous effect on
the impressionable minds. You hardly get to see sober reporting of news. The
tone and tenor is always on sensationalizing and attention grabbing. Snappy and
catchy phrases, generous use of hashtags, simultaneous display of viewer’s
response via twitter, response counts make a heady mix, leaving no scope for
dispassionate analysis. Merely reporting news is no more a virtue. Pick and
choose, selective narration to promote or discredit a particular ideology
appear more newsworthy!
There appears to be no place for tranquillity. The
world is moving at a fast and furious pace. In business, workplace, profession
and every field, you see people passionately pursuing success in their
respective field. No problem. But pursuit of success is slowly being replaced
by ‘success at any cost’ which is really worrying. The irrational craving for
becoming rich and famous overnight is corroding the very edifice of humanity.
With your mind already crowded and thereby clouded with all the strategies,
this continuous news stream only add to your tension. Ever increasing negative
news is another reason for the psychological trauma faced by people young and
old alike.
Freedom of expression is the holy-grail of
democracy. Is it absolute? Should it be moderated? As a responsible citizen,
you need to draw a line of self-control. Assuming there are two options before
you: voicing your opinion in public to derive political mileage or cheap
popularity with total disregard to its consequences OR maintain saintly silence
which will go unnoticed. Which will you pick? Licence to kill is also a licence
not to kill – to borrow the lines of a James Bond movie! As a corollary,
‘freedom to express is also a freedom not to express? Instead of bringing ‘new
sense’, news is becoming a ‘nuisance’!
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