Archive for the ‘Media’ Category
Why Elections in India will not be won on Social media, Not Yet
When Modi won elections in 2014, we noticed something new. Modi was miles ahead of his counterparts when it came to social media. We attributed the spread of huge Modi wave to social media. Some even thought that elections henceforth will be decided on social media. Bihar elections demolished it all. Social media was hinting at NDA victory. The results were upside down. What went wrong?
My take is, elections in India will not be won on social media anytime soon. The depth and diversity of internet is still languishing at the bottom. Apathy and social ostracization is still rampant in our country.
Let me explain by relating what happened in my home state UP. When Mayawati won historic 2008 elections, people were stumped the same. All surveys went haywire. Even the pan shop talks betrayed the results. Why? Analysis revealed that Mayawati voters came more from backward castes. Given the non-inclusive growth in India, these people lie at the bottom of social and income levels. At pan shop talks, they hesitate speaking their minds for fear of social ostracization by affluents of the society. Even in surveys, wary by years of apathy, they don’t openly support Mayawati, a Dalit. This ends up in wrong calculations. I call it the ‘Vocal Effect’.
Supporters of lower caste parties/leaders are less vocal. Supporters of forward caste parties/leaders are more vocal. Same behavior has moved to social media. Neither the spread of internet is across castes, nor are all of us vocal. Hence we always find Modi and AAP supporters more vocal on social media. Recently Congress people have also joined in, but are again not that vocal due to fear of being trolled for past scams.
Imagine what will happen if you comment on facebook that you support Lalu Yadav or for that matter Congress. You will face nasty comments, will be lambasted. Now imagine if you were a Dalit and posted status, “I support Mayawati”. We all know what humiliation will be meted out in comments section. So people choose to remain silent. I would have chosen silence too.
Hence I feel it’s still a long way to go when social media discourse could give clear directions. It would require equal penetration of internet. It would happen when backward castes are no longer made to feel backward. It would happen when social ostracization and social media trolling ends. Not anytime soon.
Nationalist from NRI Quota: Ravish Kumar kills it!
Ravish Kumar, NDTV, is a killer man. I have been a fan of him for quite some time now. In fact these days his is the only debate show that I see on Hindi news channels.
His specialty is he says pointy things in a calm manner. It hits you right where it matters. No diatribes, no high pitched voices, simple observations with a smile.
Sorry my NRI friends, with intolerance debate reaching absurd levels, he has hit you guys and hit you bad. This is what he has to say on Aamir Khan and intolerance debate. “All those who have recently become Nationalist from NRI Quota, beware, you might soon be put in the same category of bhagodas (deserters), which you are calling Aamir Khan”. He did not defend Aamir here but made a pun on the absurdity of it all.
Ravish Kumar, Sir, you can easily replace any Talk show host from Jay Leno to Kapil Sharma. You would beat them all hands down. Your smile is your most potent weapon. And you know how to make perfect puns.
Brutal Lust for TRP’s and Downfall of Arnab Goswami
Half the time I turn on news channels, I am witness to an advert as to how that channel is No. 1. How it beats others in a given time slot, event or what not. It is not about News anymore. News has taken a backseat. It’s about money, money, money.
As I wrote sometime back, Arnab Goswami’s triumph as per the advert rates backed by TRP’s, gave rise to an army of imitators. Each following his footsteps in shouting match, disrespecting panelists, twisting facts for making interesting story.
It was the day journalism kinda lost. Journalism is the business of News not Views, was a thing of the past. What it gave birth to was motivated news. And the worst kind of, “pick and choose” which story to run based on TRP it can generate.
But days of such yellow journalism are only few. Change has already started happening. Recent viewership of CNN IBN has left Times Now behind and it has come as a fresh whiff of fresh air. A new breed of news readers and anchors headed by Zakka Jacob, have brought a welcome change. Gone are the days of mudslinging and shouting slugfests.
I commend Zakka Jacob and team and would urge them to remain as they are. There will be temptations and pressure to go rogue and initiate a shouting match. But please don’t. Ethics and honor in journalism are hanging by a thread. Hold it together.
Fast-Track Talwar Case Campaign: A case of Rotten Journalism by Times of India
As if “Times of India” group was not content of unleashing that shouting headache on us, now they want to sway public opinion to achieve social injustice. Their latest gimmick is “Campaign to Fast-Track The Talwar Trial”. They are asking people to Join Times Campaign.
What a load! Do they even know what fast-tracking means? If these pretentious and arrogant people don’t know, let me explain in simplest of words. Fast-Tracking this case means, delaying justice to someone else. Someone else who might be as eagerly waiting for justice to be delivered. Maybe more. Someone else who was waiting so eagerly for his hearing date, but would be delayed. Someone else who do not have money to such fanciful and expensive lawyers.
Just because ToI thinks, we should delay justice to some unknown, poor man, whose case hasn’t got traction to get ToI readership and TRP’s, and fast track the case for Talwar’s why? So that their shouting headache should go on air and ride on his high horse of righteousness.
I mean media get a grip. It’s okay raising issues. It’s okay reporting news. It’s okay highlighting corruption and demanding justice. But to delay justice to some poor man that hasn’t graced your newsroom or been a part of the mainstream news is not good.
I am not against Talwar’s right to justice. They are entitled to it. But it should be equitable. Media has no right to make some case more important than others. I understand in crimes of rape, it is necessary to get justice faster than others, and hence we as a society support jumping the queue. But latest ToI campaign smacks of rotten journalism. Not unlike their cheap news on Deepika Padukone not long ago.
Fight for more courts, speedier justice for all. But if you start to cherry pick readership and TRP worthy cases and start campaigns in their support. You tend to lose public confidence. Already a number of surveys have cited media as the main reason behind all that ails our society.
We don’t want good media to fall prey to the deeds of such bad media. People from good media stand up, be counted and raise their voice against such bad media.
ArpitGarg's Weblog 