Indra’s Drishtikona (Viewpoint)

Mucky (?) or Muddy Media

Posted : September 20, 2005 at 7:42 am [IST]

On Saturday night or technically on Sunday September18 (as it was 3.30AM), I surfed through ‘Outlook’ September 26 issue. Articles highlighted on the front page were ‘Women Buy Men for Sex’, ‘First-hand encounters with Indian gigolos’ + ‘Nationwide survey on Forbidden Sex’. I couldn’t feel like pursuing further. I switched over to ‘Business world’ and other news sites. At around 10.30AM, my wife brought me in ‘India Today’ of the week from the main gate, as I am a 15-years subscriber. She handed over with a smile on her face. I was amazed. This national weekly too had the cover story on the same topic-’Sex & the Single Woman-an exclusive survey’ that has covered 46 pages of the magazine. ‘Outlook’ has taken 22 pages. Normally the cover story is one big article going 5-10 pages. But perhaps those who run the magazines must have thought the issue very special on a subject of national importance, so they have gone on that extensively.

Firstly I am surprised to find the same topic in both the magazines. Is it just a coincidence? Or have they got some intelligence agencies working on the other to find out what is the hot the other is coming out with? Does some ‘Sex Day’ on the line of ‘Valentine Day’, ‘Teachers’ Day’ or ‘Children’s Day’ fall in this week? I made a telephone call and asked Mr. Singh, the advocate by profession who keeps himself update on that. His answer was in negative. In evening, after the Sunday market, I happened to visit him. He handed over the hard copy of ‘Outlook’. He looked disgusted too.
‘India Today’ must have spent in lakhs to get the survey done in collaborations through professional organizations such as AC Neilsen-Org-Marg. And similar must be the cost for ‘Outlook’ too. So to them, this must be a national issue like opinion polls on political future of the country such as national elections. It will be worthwhile to know the objectives of the issues and the purpose the revelations are expected to serve from the horses’ mouth. Will they be forthright to tell that in plain language? Or is it only because the subject is hot and can sell well? Have they considered its effect on the readers? Can there be any negative impact on the immature youngsters? Is it not indicative information based on some limited samples?

I had another surprise in evening when I heard the TV channel of ‘India Today’ Group showing a TV show too on the basis of the findings late on the Sunday night. I didn’t have stamina to keep awake to listen to that or watch it.

In democracy with the utmost freedom granted to media, they have got all the rights to come out with any subject. But are there no other burning issues that need media probe to help the nation and the society?

“Why don’t the media fight against corruption with the same zeal? Why can’t the media talk of the maladies of the education and inefficiencies and negligence of teachers? Why can’t it help in building up the mass support for economic reforms with success stories and other aids? Why can’t it propagate sensible population policies, when it did participate vehemently against it with many concocted stories in 1977? Why can’t it talk of the result of China’s growth or against its one-child-only policy? Why can’t it write about judicial reform, police reform, civil service reform and all sorts of other such things that worry people?”

Is it not the responsibility of the media to get the NREG scheme implemented without any leakages that many doubt? Why can’t it come out about the mafia and its collaboration with the police? In the same issue of ‘Outlook’, there is an article on ‘climate change’, which can become the subject matter of a special issue because of its importance for the nation. ‘India Today’ has published one article on the performance of railway that seems to be totally one-sided. Railway can serve the nation in much better ways. The magazine could have made it the subject of a special issue by covering various aspects.

There are many good works going on in areas of education, research, social services, and innovations at the grassroots, road building, and then industrial development. Why can’t it come out with special issues on power shortages and what can be done about it? Why can’t it gets opinion polls and market researches done and publish special investigative special issues on these topics?

We expect the media to work on more important national issues to take the country out of the morasses it is in for many reasons.

- Indra

Category: Religious/Social issues |