SHOULD NEWS be REPORTED or MANUFACTURED?


Aristotle had once said that “Law is Reason, free from Passion”
Maybe the same can and should be applied to news too.

The Indian vernacular news channels are guilty of many things and free and fair reportage is not something they understand, believe in, or practice.

Yesterday on Zee News (possible the worst of them all) was a new program called “Halla Bol”
It is supposed to be a new 'awareness' program where they hope to enlighten and hopefully provoke the public to Raise Their Voices (Halla Bol) against supposed injustices.

Yesterday they wanted to Halla Bol against the nation’s politicians.

On the face of it and knowing how politicos are perceived in this country this should have been a relatively easy task.

However the producers had obviously not prepared well.

First the format: One you had a hyper-active main anchor in the studio with field reporters stationed in various cities around India.

After a brief lecture (tirade) against the politicians the anchor decided to go “live” to the waiting journos.

First off was a girl reporter (looking like she was barely out of school) in Bangalore surrounded by a group of about 10-15 people.

This is all in split screen format with the Studio Anchor on the left and Field Reporter on the right.

Girl Reporter: “Do you think that the politicians of this country have disgraced the country?”

Man in his 40’s (educated and obviously sane in a slow calm voice): “Now you cannot taint every one with the same brush. Why just politics, every profession has its share of corruption…”

Girl Reporter (slightly taken aback) : “ But what is happening to the country today. MP’s are being bought and sold?”

Man (still calm) : “But WE elected these MP’s didn’t we and so we can only blame ourselves not them”

Main Anchor (now very agitated and impatient) in Studio to Girl Reporter (who is very nervous and clearly out of her depth): “There are so many others standing behind you ask them, ask them” he shouts.

Girl Reporter thrusts mike in another man’s face “What you say?”

2nd Man (and this is obviously a decent neighborhood): “You know what I feel is that we need to focus on education and that is the only way we can bring about a change in…”

Anchor (who by now is almost jumping up and down and red with rage) to Girl Reporter: “Just ask all of them 1 by 1 if they agree that politicians are corrupt. Just Yes or No answer, just Yes or No” he screams.

Girl Reporter thrusts mike into 3rd Man’s face (who I suspect has done this before coz he coolly takes the mike from her hands and begins) : “ Corruption is actually the result of ….”

Livid Anchor decides that this is not going well so he tries another trick

“Ladies & gentlemen we are now crossing over LIVE to another correspondent in Delhi."

Camera feed of the startled girl in Bangalore (who is now gaping open mouthed at the camera) is abruptly cut off

Anchor "Yes. Hello….. Hello……… What can you tell us from Delhi? What do the people feel there?”

Guy Reporter in Delhi has clearly been overhearing the crazy exchange in Bangalore and who I must say, certainly deserves marks for innovation if nothing else.

Split screen reappears as the camera cuts to Guy Reporter standing alone in the dark in a deserted street with his back to a wall :

Guy Reporter: “The people here in Delhi are so fed up with corrupt politicians that they have all gone home. Back to you.”

Stunned Anchor: “We will be back after a short break… till then Halla Bol”

I personally had watched enough… didn’t bother to come back after the break…

This is what NEWS has been reduced to nowadays.
I don’t know about information but entertainment it certainly does provide.

WOW & CIAO

Love

Vish