Skip to main content

Of thought leadership and Indian Media

 Recently, the Supreme Court came down heavily on Television channels for using ‘hate and all such spicy things’ to increase their ratings especially during their prime-time debates. Terming hate speech a ‘poison’ affecting the social fabric of the country, the Supreme Court asked, “Where is our nation headed to if hate speech is what we are feeding on?” Mainstream channels still hold sway and the role of the anchor becomes critical. Media must have freedom of expression but should know where to draw the line, the apex court added.

The Supreme Court’s rap for Indian Television media comes at the heel of several controversial and often polarizing discussions that prime-time debates usually delve upon. These vitriolic debates often reach heated heights when communally or socially inflammatory issues are discussed with an eclectic ‘panel of experts’ who most often out-shout each other.

Media traditionally is called as the fourth estate, the fourth pillar of democracy that is the watchdog of the constitution. Also, media is a big driver of public opinion. Media is what Habermas calls the public sphere, a forum of discussion and debate – the home ground for shaping and re-shaping that elusive but immensely powerful force called as the public opinion. In this way, media acts as the thought leader that drives opinion formation and dissemination. And the opinion of the majority is what propels change – be it social, political, economic or cultural.

In this scenario, a media that has hate speech on its agenda or runs entire disinformation campaigns and at times, even media trials to gain better TRPs and influence a large and diverse population is an alarming trend. The narratives that are put forth in media, quite often, are aimed at creating an ecosystem of hate and extreme polarization. Often, these narratives are guided by undercurrents of fear towards the other. And the opinions birthed by these narratives are often detrimental to the social fabric and the ethos of the nation state, itself.

Introspection, accountability and greater social responsibility is the need of the hour when it comes to media in India. In line with what the Supreme Court has noted, it is time for the thought leaders to think, introspect and gain a fresh perspective on the path ahead.  It would go down well if media gets back to the basics of fact-based journalism and engages in a bit of self-regulation and holds itself accountable for the greater good. This way, the thought leader can actually have the right kind of sway over public opinion and steer a unified nation towards a better tomorrow.

Published in Together magazine, November 2022


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Vodafone Facebook Ad - A Funky Way To Promote Facebook ?

The new Vodafone Facebook phone ad is super-cool. Love the drama, the excitement and the theatre that they’ve built around a tiny little phone. Facebook in mobile phones is no new trend but the ad guys here, have taken it to a different level with this really neat ad. The first time, I saw the ad, I really thought it was an ad for Facebook but then, again, it was for the FB button on their new phone (which btw is very attractively priced!). Once I got over that initial confusion, I really got down enjoying the fun. The stunning backdrop, the cutie-pie hero those ‘oh-so-appropriate’ props, the dance and the peppy music. Loved them all. Not to forget the nearly unforgettable, ‘always playing in your head’ lyrics. I could easily relate to the lyrics because that so described a die-hard FB fan like me who eats, sleeps, drinks and lives FB. But then again, will it sell more of those phones? Maybe. But will it get more users on Facebook. I guess, it will.
Post a Comment
Read more

Not Quite Quiet.

 I spend a day alone. In quiet reflection. But again, it’s not quite quiet. There’s me and my cesspool of emotions. Turbulent. Rocky. Choppy. Like a sea on tide. I’m trying to ride the swirling ebb and flow. Abysmal despair alternates reams of hope Like a lone oarsman caught amidst raging waters I glide and slide. Uneasily. Visions from the past; Stories wrapped in wreaths of pain That seemed long dead and gone, Rise above from deep inside. Like a tsunami Brutal and destructive. I let it take hold. I let the emotions flow. Wild. Feral. Untamed. Seeping through my very being. While I lay still. Very still. Waiting patiently. For the waters to reside. For calm to reign. For healing to begin.
Post a Comment
Read more

Of flowering trees and the magic of youth

It’s spring in Bengaluru. The Cherry Blossoms (Tabebuia Rosea trees) lining the roads are in full bloom.   The trees covered with pretty pink flowers look like giant cotton candy. If I choose to ignore the bumper-to-bumper traffic, the street hawkers and the incessant honking, I would say I am in some pink, fluffy fairyland. Or should I say, Barbieland? The roads, too, are covered with pink petals and it feels surreal. Of course, all’s not pink here. There are the Copper Pod trees covered with yellow flowers. So bright and cheery that it almost makes me smile. Then, there are the flaming red flowers of the Gulmohar, infrequently firing up some quaint street corner of my favourite Bengaluru hangout, Koramangala. Yes, spring is glorious in Bengaluru, indeed. And you know what else is glorious? The vivacious laughter and the carefree capers of youth. I teach in a college in the city. Every day, I see young people - teens and newly minted twenty-somethings - walk into my classroom ...
Post a Comment
Read more