Posts Tagged ‘ndtv’
NDTV: Stop crying wolf
NDTV’s founder is being investigated by CBI for a financial crime and the channel and its reporters are out their crying wolf. Coming from the organization (read news channel), which always pitches for investigation on corruption and criminal issues, it’s sad to see them so rattled by an investigation. If there is nothing to it, the channel will come out scot free.
From their own admission, an old associate of NDTV has filed the complaint, which is now being investigated by authorities. Why so much fuss? It’s sad to see NDTV releasing a statement that businessmen duping millions are going scot free but the channel is being targeted out of the turn unfairly? I mean are you serious? What do the other crimes have to do with NDTV investigation? This sort of defense used to come from crook politicians, right?
Law should be equal for all. Is the owner of a news channel any different from a common citizen? NDTV sure thinks so. How dare you investigate us? We have free and fair judiciary. If you are innocent, why so scared? Why associate it with freedom of press? Only crooks do that, from my experience.
More than the investigation by CBI, the response of NDTV and its ilk has saddened me. A news channel should be above reproach and open to any and all investigation. Only then can it raise questions against the culprits. If a news channel would seem rattled by investigation, would seem fishy.
I suggest NDTV not to waste the “freedom of press card” when they themselves are being investigated. No one will have sympathy for you. Let investigation continue. What you can do is, expose the Govt. and its ministers. Expose the corruption. Indulge in good media work. Also would urge the NDTV reporters not to cover for their bosses. How do you know they are innocent or guilty?
Crying foul will not help here. Time for some good investigative journalism, not propaganda.
NDTV and the fight for TRP’s
I said this in the past and I will say in again, there is a cut throat race for TRP’s among News Channels. Earlier we saw Ravish Kumar doing a blank screen against the Channel that is getting TRP’s and now we see Barkha Dutt doing the same.
I don’t like Barkha and Arnab equally hence I will try to remain unbiased in my analysis. Why Barkha Dutt wrote what she wrote. From the days of Nira Radia tapes, which Arnab have used time and again to hit at paid journalists, Barkha Dutt have not been able to hit back. Barkha Dutt was the most prominent journalist to have been named in those tapes. No other News Anchor apart from Arnab went against these people. The rivalry was sown that very moment.
Slowly Arnab ate away the TRP’s and hence the Advt. revenue of other News Channels. NDTV was a major casualty in this. Low TRP means less money. Therein lays the sudden outburst. It does not lie in Arnab shaming her for Radia tapes, it does not lie in pointing out Hafeez Saeed naming her as a well wisher, and it does not lie in calling her anti-national. It lies in the TRP and the money.
That Barkha Dutt has to write a blog to put forward he point of view is a sign enough as to how many people watch her show. Few years back she was the one who used to set the primetime news agenda. Nowadays hardly anyone watches her show. It is the frustration. Arnab would be grinning ear to ear. He likes any and all publicity. If people talk about his show, it is a win enough for him.
It’s sad to see a leading News Channel going down the barrel. But it happens with time. Some survive, some perish. I think Arnab’s success lies in the fact that he chooses topics based on what will get more TRP’s. NDTV and Barkha on the other hand have not been able to get out of anti-RSS, anti-BJP ideology and a lot of times end up losing TRP’s as they just can’t give prominence to News that goes against that ideology.
All said and done, the clash has the potential to bring out dirty laundry of media out in the open. And who would not relish it!
In Reply to Ravish Kumar, NDTV
This is in reply to Open Letter from Ravish Kumar.
Ravish Kumar ji, there was a time when I used to watch your show. It was within last 3 years. You see I am also an emotional kind of guy just like you. To watch a news show, I must be able to respect the news person at some level. I had respect for you and hence I watched your show. For the same reason I like to watch Kapil Sharma and not Comedy Nights Bachao.
Just as a proof that I indeed liked you, here is the link to the article I wrote on 10 Sep 2014. And another on Nov 26 2015. The way you grilled opportunistic Kiran Bedi, I admired you. I liked you as you brought with yourself a real thing, which has gone missing on News Channels. A phonyism has engulfed not just news but society in general; amidst that I saw you a glimmer of hope. Then the black screen happened.
I would be honest; I lost more than a bit of respect for you that day. It was more because the reason you chose to do that. The TRP race. It felt as if you were irritated with the fellow channel that got TRP’s and you wanted that TRP for yourself. I would have liked had you berated against the bad Govt. policies or phony politicians. But the reason you chose was as phony as it could have been.
Now you complain about online trolls. You know when people start complaining about online trolls, is what I call the ultimate stage of phonyism. When you refer to ‘change’ in last 3 years, I know you are referring to the current dispensation. I just want to tell that last 3 years have seen infinite increase in online activity, fake accounts, paid accounts and what not. It is the real reason.
There are stages for success. People get successful and then more successful and then they start complaining about online trolls. Karan Johar was also complaining couple of weeks back on NDTV website about twitter trolls. Any public figure can complain about that. You don’t think Modi gets any less abuse online than you do? Take any public personality, you would be better, I bet.
Today’s letter that you wrote to MJ Akbar, I didn’t like that much. I’ll tell you why. I like upright people. If you hated him becoming minister, you should have said so straight. You went about beating around the bush trying to mock him. The holier than thou attitude doesn’t help Sir.
I sympathize with you that your mother was called names on twitter and your channel name was abused, but that is how social media has grown. If you want blame, blame twitter for not controlling such accounts. Blame the IT policy for that. Blame courts for not censuring people online. But don’t play a victim card here Sir. When people with money start playing victim card to online trolling, it doesn’t seem nice.
It’s like a slap on the face of poor people with real problems.
India’s Daughter: TRP Lust
Arguments, counter arguments and then some. This has been going on over the BBC documentary India’s Daughter. It has boiled down to the clash of two leading media houses. Both wanting to outdo each other in TRP race.
The media house who was to air the said documentary has begun rally in support. Rival news channel, has gone to town all bonkers against it. The sad part is, this war is not ideological. These channels could have easily switched places, and would have justified themselves too.
This is TRP race my friend. Documentary will get more eyeballs now, in this internet age. All those who didn’t knew about the details of interview, will know now for sure. So all the campaign against it will backfire. But who cares. As I said, it’s not ideological.
The flouting of norms and ethics has become a passe. What else could be expected of Radia-taped journalists. Why add to the horror of the victim’s family by airing the face and views of a monster. Who cares. As I said, it’s not ideological.
As long as the TRP’s are coming, it’s all good. Someone has the pressure to reach No. 1, other is under pressure to remain No. 1.
The irony is, I too seems to be in on the race somewhere, by writing this. Sigh!
Best Hindi News Anchor
In this era of 24×7 media, the number of news channels is increasing day by day. Most look clones of each other though. For those who doubt, here are some names, India News, News India, India TV, News Nation, News 24 and News Express.
The fight is on for the prime-time with each channel lining up its own set of debate moderators. I claim to be one of the avid viewers of these debates. Even then if you ask me who the best Hindi debate anchor is, I will struggle.
Each one has his/her own style. There are likes of Gentle Shweta Singh Aajtak, Probing Neha Pant Abp News, On the money Saurav Sharma India TV, No nonsense Abhigyan Prakash NDTV, Luxuriously lazy Deepak Chaurasia India News among others.
But one Gentleman that stands out for me is Ravish Kumar NDTV. Hailing from the Hindi heartland, Mr. Kumar is one person who holds debates in the true sense. He eases the participants into such a comfort zone where there are no high pitch voices, no headaches. He passes such canny silent remarks which rattle even the toughest. He gives everyone so much time that the real nuances of the debate come to the fore.
He take no side, lose no temper and raise no voice; still is able to bring out the story. He laughs; he seems lazy; he jokes; he uses vintage proverbs and brings in a mystic touch. He proves that to make your voice heard, you need not be loud. He believes that all views need to be heard, however absurd they may be.
He speaks the least, still is able to steer the debate with his wit and wisdom. He shows that true value of a smile is not lost as yet.
Well done Mr. Ravish Kumar.
ArpitGarg's Weblog 