-Shibani Mehta
Post the Nepal Earthquake
Reporter: Are you hungry?
Child (around 8 years old): Yes, I am very hungry. I haven’t eaten all day.
R: Aren’t you feeling cold?
C: It is very cold but I don’t have a home. I want a blanket but I don’t know whom to ask.
R (turns to camera): As you can see, this little child is hungry and cold. He has lost everyth…
Annoyed, I switch the TV off. Yes, there is before anything else, a deep sadness. There is solidarity. But making children recite well-rehearsed answers in an attempt to boost TRPs is no less than making a mockery of the tragedy.
Watching the news is a heart-wrenching experience for nearly everyone. I am, most often, infuriated post my dose of primetime news. Disgruntled by the abysmal deprivations of people and how the state is unable to fulfil their higher expectations, I have always wanted to be a part of the solution. My unwavering faith in the government was further fuelled by this desire. But the press’ constant reminder of the system’s failure was building cynicism.
Violence. Abuse. Death. Hunger. Sorrow.
There is despair everywhere. It seems to me that those who could do something to better circumstances aren’t. Only recently did I understand that there could be more than one narrative – there is disappointment but there is also hope. The dominant narrative doesn’t always represent the whole.
Why then does only tragedy make headlines? A common defence is, ‘because that is what the janta wants’. Well, sir, that’s a poor excuse. There is not doubt that most of us prefer to watch sensible reportage to chest-beating hysteria. I agree with Sonia Singh, Editorial Director at NDTV when she says Freedom to tell a story is very different from freedom to choose the story you are telling.
There is no denying that Press must thrive like any other industry. After all, the bills have to be paid. Journalists frequently (and mostly involuntarily) indulge in a self-imposed censorship because of the fear of livelihood. It is then quite worrying that substance of a news feature is being judged on saleability and not truth. Many newsrooms are forced to resort to creating hysteria.
Blinded by the need to sensationalise, an Indian news channel ran a story on the Nepal Earthquake using a photograph of Vietnamese children taken in 2009 without authenticating its source. It was downright racist and insensitive. This disgusting obsession to embellish must not be allowed to shadow rational, responsible reportage. Twitterverse erupted when the photographer sourced the photograph. People could not help but indulge in the usual mudslinging and pointless slacktivism.
#Presstitutes was trending once again.
One of India’s bestselling authors and favourite punching bags tweeted an implicit reaction to the controversy early on a Tuesday. While most of the replies where jabs taken at his body of work, not many challenged (or even accepted, for that matter) his statement. I was in strong opposition. Those who have the power to change perceptions cannot and should not helplessly claim that they are bound by their audience’s preference.
The Press in India has fought a long, hard battle to break away from the shackles of State control. Currently, there are over 750 private satellite television stations in the country. By compromising on their fundamental principles, journalists are putting their freedom and credibility in jeopardy. In a joint message, the UN Secretary-General, the Director-General of UNESCO and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that quality journalism “enables citizens to make informed decisions about their society’s development” while also working “to expose injustice, corruption, and the abuse of power.”
The press is as much an institution of fair and good governance as the legislature or judiciary. It must strive to remain so. Until then, as I watch the 9 p.m. debate, I’ll remind myself that Mr. G isn’t probably sharing the complete story. 
P.S. Even as I write this, my Twitter feed is being flooded with updates on the hit-and-run case involving a popular Hindi film actor. Yes, I am curious about the court’s verdict but honestly, I don’t care about what he had for breakfast or which car he’s being driven in to court. C’mon, guys! __________________________________________SM_______________________________________
The Externality 