Switch channels on TV and you will find a spectrum of analysis and updates related to politics. All news channels have devised a unique way of portraying this year's election. The bottom line is however that they are all nasty, funny or annoying. Far from reality
The nasty ones: Times NOW, NDTV 24x7 etc
They have all the smart chaps. They will make faces and blabber in non-stop english, making most of the politicians feel subdued. You will find all the hot-shots like Sheila Dixit and Arun Jaitely lining up for interviews/debates. I wonder if they get paid for all this. However, it seems that people like Rajnath Singh are not even considered for an invitation.
What you get out of these channels is an interesting and hot debate with more or less no result. Its filled with smartly framed and spontaneously moulded questions. Many of the participants keep quiet, failing to understand the depth and shrewdness of the question. Kapil Sibbal and genre are the likely winners who end up making
a mockery of opposition party or its leaders.
What cuts me out is the judgmental nature of these channels. Instead of sharing views and reaching conclusions, they prefer labeling people and parties. They project that they are sophisticated but i would rather call them smart. What's the outcome ? TRP ? .. i don't think so !
The funny ones: India TV, Live India, News 24 etc.
Talking about TRP brings in the most celebrated channel, India TV. Given the political environment, all you expect is a palm or a lotus. But here is the stand-out channel. A small extract of what i understood of what they want to say:
"Pakistan mein Taliban, Hindustan mein Taliban, Pakistan ke raaste Afghanistan se Hindustan aya Taliban, Rajasthan ke registan mein seena taan ke Taliban" .. and i think i heard Vietnam somewhere too !
One more .. "Baitullah ka phone aya, Baitullah ka phone kaise aya, Baitullah ka phone kyu aya, Baitullah ka phone kaha se aya, Baitullah ne kaha baki baat baad mein bataunga" .. what the f ?
When they get back to politics, they give different scores to parties based on god-knows-what parameters. But they do say that the 3 stooges sitting in the studio are experts. On the other hand, 'Live India' has an IPL going on, 'Indian Political League'. The lady "news" reader carries a bat with her 24x7. The funny thing is that she keeps playing with it. Once, during the Indian cricket tour of New Zealand, she was pretending as if she was reporting directly from the cricket ground at New Zealand. Poor video mixing made it look hilarious.
But, what's the harm. Who takes these channels seriously. I mean i hope nobody takes them seriously. You watch them to relax. They act as something on which you can laugh, comment, abuse or take your frustration out. I think they are doing social work. Good job. Period.
The annoying ones: Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News, Headlines today etc.
What is wrong with them ? They carry the highest TRPs and still they are so boring. Forget about being of any use. Headlines today once invited Raghu (Fame Roadies) to represent Indian Youth !. Beat that. The other big channels in this category are somewhere between making sense and India TV. They need to either rise up above the nasty ones or join hands with the Taliban specialists.
--
We need new news channels !! .. although i don't have a firm opinion about CNN-IBN .. anybody ?
--
The nasty ones: Times NOW, NDTV 24x7 etc
They have all the smart chaps. They will make faces and blabber in non-stop english, making most of the politicians feel subdued. You will find all the hot-shots like Sheila Dixit and Arun Jaitely lining up for interviews/debates. I wonder if they get paid for all this. However, it seems that people like Rajnath Singh are not even considered for an invitation.
What you get out of these channels is an interesting and hot debate with more or less no result. Its filled with smartly framed and spontaneously moulded questions. Many of the participants keep quiet, failing to understand the depth and shrewdness of the question. Kapil Sibbal and genre are the likely winners who end up making
a mockery of opposition party or its leaders.
What cuts me out is the judgmental nature of these channels. Instead of sharing views and reaching conclusions, they prefer labeling people and parties. They project that they are sophisticated but i would rather call them smart. What's the outcome ? TRP ? .. i don't think so !
The funny ones: India TV, Live India, News 24 etc.
Talking about TRP brings in the most celebrated channel, India TV. Given the political environment, all you expect is a palm or a lotus. But here is the stand-out channel. A small extract of what i understood of what they want to say:
"Pakistan mein Taliban, Hindustan mein Taliban, Pakistan ke raaste Afghanistan se Hindustan aya Taliban, Rajasthan ke registan mein seena taan ke Taliban" .. and i think i heard Vietnam somewhere too !
One more .. "Baitullah ka phone aya, Baitullah ka phone kaise aya, Baitullah ka phone kyu aya, Baitullah ka phone kaha se aya, Baitullah ne kaha baki baat baad mein bataunga" .. what the f ?
When they get back to politics, they give different scores to parties based on god-knows-what parameters. But they do say that the 3 stooges sitting in the studio are experts. On the other hand, 'Live India' has an IPL going on, 'Indian Political League'. The lady "news" reader carries a bat with her 24x7. The funny thing is that she keeps playing with it. Once, during the Indian cricket tour of New Zealand, she was pretending as if she was reporting directly from the cricket ground at New Zealand. Poor video mixing made it look hilarious.
But, what's the harm. Who takes these channels seriously. I mean i hope nobody takes them seriously. You watch them to relax. They act as something on which you can laugh, comment, abuse or take your frustration out. I think they are doing social work. Good job. Period.
The annoying ones: Aaj Tak, Zee News, Star News, Headlines today etc.
What is wrong with them ? They carry the highest TRPs and still they are so boring. Forget about being of any use. Headlines today once invited Raghu (Fame Roadies) to represent Indian Youth !. Beat that. The other big channels in this category are somewhere between making sense and India TV. They need to either rise up above the nasty ones or join hands with the Taliban specialists.
--
We need new news channels !! .. although i don't have a firm opinion about CNN-IBN .. anybody ?
--
8 Comments:
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The Future Mantra
woila ! .. i m popular :P
Now that you point that aspect of NDTV out...I realise it is true. English news channels aren't just considerate enough of the language divide and the Hindi news channels are, well, TRP rakers at best.
CNN-IBN is a bit more tolerant than NDTV, but doesn't differ by a lot.
What you said is totally true. Just look at the election coverage. The media fails at their role here of setting an agenda attached to this poll. There's no debate on development, education etc, but they were all busy in reporting who left who and who joined hands with whom. In election time people look towards media for assessment of party's policies and engage them in some fruit full debate.
hey vinu
almost real picture of indian media potrayed by u . regarding INDIA TV one excerpt i wud share with u is: kaisa hai swarg , kahan hai swarg, humne dekha hai swarg ko, hum dikhayenge aapko etc etc till u finally do harakiri and find out that they referred to a description from some hindi scripture and did some animation to show u .
ABOUT ndtv 24x7 or even hindi version ndtv india has a content and is worth watching. some hits are MUQABLA ,ZAAYKA INDIA KA , THE GREAT INDIAN TAMASHA ETC
i forgot that i do like "the big fight" ..
and great additions guys !
hi vinay,
IMHO, CNN-IBN appears to be pro- congress.
No doubt they have bunch of smartest guys in the business but there debates seems to dominated by congressmen.
You must have seen the documentary, Outfoxed. I have observed similar tactics used by CNN-IBN to dominate the non-congress representative.
Apart from that their analysis seems to be well researched and quite incisive.
Good post btw.
CIAO
_rd
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