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Journalism Trends in India: For Good or for Bad?
The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring. ~Warren Chappell How often do you read a paper and think: ‘this is not what I want to read’ or switch channels because the news being telecast is not really news? There can be several reasons for this, but the most important one is that Indian media and journalism is in a state of flux and is slowly evolving to include a variety of media for dissemination of news. The Indian media like most other sectors is experiencing a boom. Foreign companies are looking to enter the market and existing media companies are constantly evolving. So where is journalism headed? There was a time when journalism was a hallowed profession and the journalist was credible. However, now, thanks to the internet, the newspaper is not the only source of information and news. So with an increase in the number of media for distribution, the competition is tough and everyone is in the race for getting an exclusive. As a result, at times they forget the need to just present news. This in turn has led to the evolution of ‘citizen journalism’ – a term used frequently these days. This allows viewers/readers to report news. It may be amateurish and lack the finesse of the professional, but at least it is authentic. Citizen journalists can be paid or unpaid. In fact this model is very popular among websites as is the case with portals such as www.ohmynews.com and www.merinews.com. Another method that is becoming increasingly popular is blogging. What began as means to keeping an online diary is now also being used to give out credible and current information. The flipside though is that the information thus provided can veer one way. Besides, there is no way to guarantee the veracity of the information. The Indian blogging sphere is still in its nascent stage, but it holds immense promise as an alternate thread of news dissemination. The reason why such alternate channels flourish is because there has been a decisive shift in the way news is delivered today. It has been condensed into little “byte” sized portions which can be easily chewed and digested. Newspapers also do not stress on large features or investigative pieces. News here too is carried in snippets usually accompanied with large pictures. Channels and newspapers are slowly but surely moving towards “packaging information” – some bits that inform while others that entertain the reader. There is no “news” anymore or rather just about anything is news these days. Take the instance of the famous Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai’s recent marriage. The flurry of activity that followed the speculation on whether or not Ms. Rai will change her name after marriage was unbelievable. To some it may not be news, however television channels carried 30 minute slots on this very subject. Real events, stories about everyday heroes and news that effects the common man is often relegated to the lower ranks. Is this truly because we the viewers actually don’t want this information or is it dictated by what the advertisers and networks want? However, one way or another, sensationalism is here to stay. As a result of this, investigative journalism has also taken on the ominous tone of sting operations. So much so, that the judicial machinery and ministries have had to come out with a set of regulations for this kind of investigative reporting. News broadcasts will now be given a rating which also points to the kind of news that is being shown. And, in this age of sensationalism very little grassroots work it to our front pages. Frontline and, to an extent, Tehelka seem to be the only mainstream publications that carry such information. Today there are over 30 news channels – local and national put together and there is not that much happening to fill these channels round-the-clock for 24 hours. Hence each channel tries to do something different, something radical so that you it does not lose eyeballs. Journalists tend to get overly familiar with the people they are interviewing At times this makes it difficult to maintain objectivity. In a recent interview of Richard Branson, Shireen Bhan was dumped in the pool. While some look at this as frivolity, it takes away any credibility of the interview. Media, like other knowledge-driven industries, is also seeing an influx of foreign capital. But this is also the industry that is called conscience keeper of society. So, these investments need to done with care. There can be several instances where conflicts arise. Indian journalists will have to move towards a more quality driven approach. Another sign of the changing times is the fact that a good journalist will be one no matter what the medium. The days of popular print journalists or a popular face on television are not gone but we are seeing a new definition emerge. Platforms and technologies will merge and good journalists will be able to deliver, irrespective of the medium.
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