Media Sensationalism-So who finally killed Aarushi?

The most powerful weapon in the hands of a democracy is its media.The ability to disseminate information in a jiffy makes it a lucrative sector.It is supposed to act as the voice of the people and give a true,unbiased,uncoloured perspective of the event and not affect the opinions that are made in the society.
But,sometimes,unfortunately incidents like Aarushi murder case forces us to think how ethical today's media is. Unnecessary penetration into the life of a person and holding him/her responsible for an act of brutality defames the person in front of the whole nation.People tend to look upon him/her as a disgrace to the country.(at least that was the case with me).That is the power of media.It can make you, it can destroy you.
Now,when we know the pros and cons of the media,how much responsibility lies on its shoulders?Well,there is something called 'look before you leap'.This is what every media personnel be doing before jumping into conclusions and blowing it out of proportion,which is not only uncalled for but also unnecessary.Media should aim to carefully examine,research,question,analyse and interpret each and every story it covers.
What we see these days is that every channel,every newspaper and every media organisation is fighting for popularity and credibility.Competition is good,of course,but only till the game is played well.Media should inculcate a sense of rational approach while reporting events to its public.By sensationalising they are almost crossing the border and being insensitive towards the people associated with it.At the same time they are confusing those who follow media regularly.It shouldn't be forgotten that along with responsibility comes accountability.With this,i wish to convey that yes,i accept media sensationalises news and events but that can be changed and it will..because there are still people who are doing their best to report the truth and nothing but the truth.And so,i would always be for media,pro media and with media!(It all means the same i know:)

Media and its Business with Children

Media caters to the children spread across the world.It gives them cartoons to watch(if they have a TV),information related to their homework(if they go to school); and knowledge(if they think of picking up a newspaper).So,media is providing a lot of avenues for children but how accessible are they?That in itself is a 'business.'
If a child is privileged enough to access the print or electronic media,how much of their time is actually utilised?Its a story of every modern-day household,where at 5 in the evening the mother is literally begging the child to drink milk while they are busy getting ready to set their play-stations for the day.It is here when 'Doraemon','Chota Bheem' and 'Pokemon' comes to the rescue!The child finishes the milk in a jiffy!Well..that again helps the dairy business!
Talking about how qualitatively a child takes in the content of media depends upon how the parents channelise them into interpreting it.If an advertisement shows that by sporting a cartooned bag makes the child popular among his/her classmates,its consequential that the child would raise a thought to fulfil his/her need...well..who doesn't want to be popular..eh?But if every time the child repeats the action of forcing to fulfil a certain need,be it a bag,shoes or even toothpaste,it becomes vital for the parents to understand the child's psychology and teach him the value of things first then later money.If that doesn't happen it would definitely become a business-producing high-headed arrogant kids.
Talking about reality shows that give a platform to youngsters to showcase their talent;in my opinion and many others-if the child is not in school-its child labour(According to Child Labour Act,2005,Any child below 14years should be in school).Talent is not running away..but time is.If they are taught marketing gimmicks and made to exercise their talents to the extreme-well that's not a substitute for school-that's business!(No wonder they call it 'Talent School'..whatever that means:).So its better if children are sitting on their benches discovering the world outside with just a pair of eyes or two(if the teacher is spectacled..haha..bad joke..i know)looking at them rather than making them look like robots with make-up and remote-controlled expressions standing in the spot light with crores of eyes staring at them.

Media-Its Challenges in India

As we all know our media industry is booming at a fast rate and is comparatively younger to that of the western countries.Its challenges varies according to the fields it caters to.When we talk about the urban media approaching the rural sectors,not many people there would be willing to cooperate with them.Sometimes,it becomes a sensitive issue approaching a sector where people are not accustomed to cameramen and journalists enquiring about their lives or related incidents.That again,limits the horizons of the urban media which is constantly trying to cover the rural pockets of the country.Which is why probably 'alternate media' is more successful as it is run by the people themselves.

Talking about the field of politics,given the influence that the government operates on media(as we are slowly coming to know more and more about:),it tends to dilute the power of the medium and its ability to report the truth.The latest trend being 'paid news' which highlights the commercial aspect of this industry.At the same time bringing forth how corruption is seeping into media itself.(as if nothing else was left!)

The biggest challenge however,lies in how media is criticised when they want to bring out the naked truth in front the people,be it a celebrity,a politician or even a common man.All the media houses get to hear is "why do you want to know?'What they fail to understand is that by virtue of being a democratic economy,everybody has the freedom to express,including the media.Also,the social personalities are always cribbing about how much the media twists and turns their words and make a juicy 30minute show out of it.Well,they are a part of the society and their actions are accountable for.We are the ones who make them and they turn around to question why we are interfering in their 'personal' lives.They are ones who have chosen the profession-not us.Their profession has no personal dimension as such.It is the publicity they have got from us that they are 'celebrities'!!

Well,although media faces a lot of challenges but at the end of the day this is not 'Satyug'..for all those who think that am pro-media..ofcourse I am!But that doesn't mean that it is as pure as gold.It has its own ways of attracting attention,generating revenues and all which might not be the optimal method to project information.However,media has a long way to go!Long live media!Hope there are no more of Radia tapesPlease!

Bhopal Gas Tragedy-Forgotten?.. Already?

3rd December 1984, a day that changed the lives of thousands of people in Bhopal, a day that left a deep scar on the history of our country, a day that literally slapped the political system of India.

The aftermaths and its blame-game continued as people looked upon in anticipation for appropriate justice.Media, on the other hand, was busy gauging each and every perspective to bring forth the truth in front of the people.Amidst all this,what could have the media possibly done to bring justice for the people?

Media should have been given a leverage to investigate into the case as the media organisations are proving to be well-equipped with a better network at a faster speed!But this again seemed like a far-sighted approach.But what was possible was that that all the media houses could have come together to become a strengthened voice of the people and pushed the government to increase the relief amount towards the victims.Whether by ads or public rallies,it could have made sure that these funds actually reached each and every household of the deceased and victimised

Whatever be the case one fact remains-media has both the power and the technology to bring about a change in a democratic country like ours,provided its opinions and proposals are taken seriously by the authority in power.