Drama, thy name is every man…
Journalism has turned into clownery and comedians into news reporters.
As kids we had this ritual where we would be plonked in front of the TV and consumed whatever was dished out. Both, on our plates and on the screen. We took in every word that was discussed and also had our own inputs for the same. We had our own favorite news anchors, the stalwarts of NEWS media and even debated on which channel provided more reliable content.
Then there were the newspapers of course. If you read diligently it could take up a major chunk of your morning routine. a routine dad still follows to date. He is a human encyclopedia where current events are concerned. I gave up my habit way back. My go to pages would either be the editorial where people had their own light take on current events which made it more palatable to consume or the huge supplement that arrived with the Sunday times, sort of an extended version of the editorial page.
My family too was divided on what brand of newspaper to read. For a long time it was ‘The Indian Express’. The loyalties soon changed towards ‘The Times of India’ while debating on whether ‘The Hindu’ would give more authentic or quality stuff. The Hindustan Times didn’t need to be requested. The paper boy pretty much shoved it down our throats. So, only when I was really bored, I would read all the papers start to finish.
The reason being that the rest of the stuff didn’t really make a dent in my memory. A TV advertisement by a leading print media back in the day had a satirical take on the same. Not sure why they were critical about their very bread and butter, but one scene of it basically spoke about how the daily news was so repetitive that it didn’t matter if you read the newspaper today or few days later. Nothing would have changed. Toh, kya farak padta hai? (What difference does it make?)
(I tried searching for the ad to post it here. Can’t find it though.)
Take for example, the recent news in Kerala. They discuss everyday how an elephant made it’s way into the city limits. It sure keeps the viewers and the forest authorities busy. After 2 weeks, it is the same scenario playing again with a different elephant.
On the political front there it is a new samaram / strike everyday. Sometimes by the employee union, at times by some wayward student political wing wielding arms instead of pens( a practice going on for decades) and at other times by an other bunch of people and students to counter the forsaken scenario created by the above mentioned ‘sword is fancier than the pen’ lunatics. Law and order being non existent. In conclusion, the combined idiocy of the people and the government is mightier than both the pen and the sword.
The recent Kalaoltsavam(cultural fest) had the participants singing full throat inside and the miscreants yelling louder slogans outside. Even then, my mother needs an hourly update of this clownery. Hence, I find the entertainment section to be the most genuine. At least it lives up to it’s name. It doesn’t disguise entertainment as NEWS.
NEWS has turned into a high adrenaline and high octave drama. A screaming news anchor and even louder invitees. I agree that the nation wants to know, but definitely not at the ear shattering decibel levels. It has become impossible to decipher who is making what point. If Big Boss had an equally cacophonic NEWS version, it would have to be our prime time NEWS channels.
Three years of no TV in Kolkata was peace in certain respects. The work place could sometimes be an other Big Boss playground and the missing drama would be provided by my mom dearest back home. So, some quiet was indeed welcome. I could very happily forgo the excess external stimulus. We made up for it by buying every brand of newspaper available.
Journalism too is politicized today. We now discuss where a certain NEWS channel’s or anchor’s loyalties lie. Not just national but so is also the case with international media. It is common knowledge today that the world of journalism is polarized too. Cherry picking news stories, editing out what does not suit their narrative, selective coverage, getting confrontational with guests not of one’s liking, inflammatory click bait headlines. Name it. I am not generalizing here. I am sure there are a few who have preserved their sanity, but you get the broad picture.
So, we sought the internet instead. Slightly more trustworthy if you get your news from varied sources, listen to experts, read relevant content and then form your own opinion on it. Needless to say, the internet is even better at reinforcing your biases. In fact if you notice carefully, you can draw a pattern as to which side of the political spectrum your algorithm is picking up news from.
The biases and polarization has turned malignant to an extent that artists today refrain from giving their own opinions on a controversy. Stand up comics think twice before taking up political comedy as their content. Lest they be the receiving end of someone’s ire. If nothing, they are less biased in comparison to the mainstream media. Most of them go ahead and roast everyone. They are like your new age court jesters who help you swallow that tasteless pudding of current affairs with dallops of humor.
So, what do I read? I read the entertainment section in the newspaper and trust the internet for other relevant news. If I am starved for entertainment post the mandatory dose, I read the whole newspaper or watch TV.
Kyunki, kya farak padta hai?
