Das Munshi

Monday, June 18, 2007
Das Munshi's the way to go
Priyaranjan Das Munshi, India's I&B minister may have earned the ire of the media for asking the media to exercise restraint during the Gurjar protests in Rajasthan but he has a supporter in me. At that time, even I was carried away by the talk of rights of the media in a democratic nation. But what happened yesterday made me change my mind. The media can have rights only if it chooses to do its duty. I know I will find few takers for the argument I'm going to present but I find them completely logical.Well this Sunday morning, what took me by surprise was the news about a TV star Shweta Tiwari filing an FIR against her husband for physical abuse in the Malad Police Station in Mumbai flashing as BREAKING NEWS on some news channels. Fine, she's a star and she's filed an FIR, it needs to be told but how many times? Surely, it can't pass off as national news. And in no way is this BREAKING NEWS. Do some channels think we have nothing to do except to see their marriage breaking on national television? Do they think there was no other news and they had to show the same two images and video clips about a hundred times in half an hour between the dozen of them? Who's the media to intrude in their private lives? Surely, even as celebrities they are entitled to privacy. Will the media stop only after making one of them declare that he/she is ready to divorce the other? Such is the desperation of some media channels to boost their TRPs that they have now stooped to such lowly gimmicks. And one journalist questioned the husband of Shweta Tiwary "Are you still drunk?" and proceeded to ask many more private questions. And he was rude. Of course, it's wrong but then look who's talking. Later, the woman journalist and the news channel made this national headlines as well. I wish to point out here that I'm in no way supporting the man in question but it's a basic question of a couple's privacy. Why is the media so bothered? Shweta Tiwary is certainly not the next Presidential candidate. Her only claim to fame are a couple of soap operas and the dance show Nach Baliye. She's already filed an FIR. I'm sure the police will do their job. So, is there any reason for news channels to discuss Shweta Tiwary's marital history all throughout the day? Any sane person would say NO. I leave it to you to guess which channel(s) I'm talking about but I'd ask those guys: Aren't there more pressing issues facing the nation than Shweta's imminent divorce if at all it takes place? But in the game of TRPs, my voice would be lost in the loud protests by the woman journalist, the big flashes of BREAKING NEWS and the poor couple's marital discord.
10:20:58 AM
Posted By Anirudh G R Comments (1) Society
Comments
K.Venugopal Monday, June 18, 2007 8:27:12 PM
Dear Anirudh, Why are you so upset? What with the remote in our hands, dozens of channels to choose from or opting for switching off the TV and reading some good books or whatever? Journalists have a nose for news and hot news at that. Let's give them the freedom to dish out whatever they want (or think we want) - it is our choice to lap it or say no thank you.