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Saturday, September 14, 2013

In the Aftermath of the Nirbhaya Verdict

We don't like this attitude of the electronic media. (We are saying this because we watch a lot of television news these days, one of the high points of our miserable lives.) The media goes into overdrive when there are protests, and announces that a verdict will be out soon. There are clips of stones thrown, tear gas shells lobbed, frenzied debats and after the storm abates when the real verdict is announced, there is a brusque-kind-of announcement and then silence. There is no analysis, no details, the issue is dead and buried. We guess that's where electronic media fails. Whereas, look at the print media. There are analyses and comments of all types, choose what you want. There is a plethora of opinion, go ahead, choose what you want. We like this aspect of the print media.

The electronic media goes where the noise is crazy, the din is unbearable, and heated discussions are generated. It is almost silent when the protesters have gone home. So this media is some kind of skimming service for news, a sort of fisher of news. So anything that doesn't make appropriate noises is ignored. Periliously close to "fisher of compliments" but we will let it be.

Look at the Nirbhaya gang-rape verdict. While a lot was made about the case, when electronic media sat in judgement over the details, after the verdict, there is silence. Of course, the bloody thing is golden, but we need some views and analyses. Why does rape happen. For example, in some obscure part of the newspaper we read that there were around 1200 rapes in Delhi alone in the past year. Shocking? Yes, it indeed is. Has any media tried to analyse the circumstances of these cases, found any similariites among them, drawn any conclusions? No, it seems.

Why are juveniles so attracted to rape. Is it because of our entertainment media? Or, are they addicted to easily-available porn on the net. Then the whole premise on which Bollywood is based is wrong. Also television reality shows and other shows where minors are brought to sing their hearts out, or cook their stomachs out, are very, very, wrong. In Britain recently there was a debate about whether schooling should start at age seven. Here children are competing on television at that age. 

We would suggest that media pundits should think about this.

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