Of late, there has been a spate of unsolicited advices being given to TV news channels. Sample one: the wife of Mahipal Maderna, neck deep in a sex scandal in Rajasthan told TV reporters: "You news channel guys, you are worth hardly Rs ten thousand. Why don't you go, sell vegetables? Why do you reach everywhere carrying your cameras?"
A few days ago Justice Markandey Katju expressed his feelings in a similar manner. He berated people working in the media as those having a very poor intellectual level. His grouse was that when he opened his TV set to watch a news channel, he had to watch Kareena Kapoor and Lady Gaga in the news.
It is unfortunate that some of these people have failed to notice the sea change that has come in TV news channels in the last two years. Nobody was complaining when TV news channels were telecasting stories on ghosts or showing comedy shows, but after there has been a spate of news relating to Anna Hazare and Swami Ramdev on news channels, with young men carrying the tricolour and chanting Vande Mataram, too many people have been facing a strange problem. Let me give you some latest examples of how self-regulation has brought about a sea change in TV news channels.
On the day when Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had a "godbharai" ceremony at her house, almost all news channels had their Outdoor Broadcast vans outside Bachchan's house, with cameras peeping at every nook and corner. Amitabh Bachchan mentioned this in his blog and said he did not like so much TV reporting on a family event.
TV news channel editors discussed among themselves and decided not to cover Aishwarya's delivery. The editors decided that they would keep the sentiments of Bachchan family in mind while telecasting news about the new arrival on the family. All TV cameras were moved out, the Outdoor Broadcast vans were withdrawn.
Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog: 'A word of kindness to the electronic media for their non-interference and dignified distance. Thank you.'
Sonia Gandhi got herself admitted to a hospital in the United States for a surgery. The news was unexpected. People were curious to know what happened to her, the disease she was suffering from and when she would recover. It was a big news for TV news channels, but Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told the media that the Gandhi family considered this as its private matter and no details were given about Sonia Gandhi's treatment to the media.
TV news channels respected the sentiments of Gandhi family and telecasted not a word more than what was disclosed officially. No TV camera followed the Gandhi family, nor was any body sent to the hospital where she underwent treatment, neither did anybody pester the doctors, nor did any news channels bring doctors to the studio to do shows on Sonia Gandhi's treatment. Even after Sonia Gandhi's return, no investigative work was done about her disease and recovery.
Mohammed Azharuddin's young son met a tragic accident. The mishap on a speed bike was big TV news, the son fought a valiant battle against death in the hospital, and after he died, Azaharuddin's friends stold media they did not want TV cameras outside their residence. Soon afterwards, all the TV news channels withdrew their reporters and cameramen. The entire tragedy was reported with due gravity, and when Azharuddin came out of grief, he thanked the TV news channels for their restrained reporting.
These three events were big news for the media in any country of the world. Were it New York or London, nobody could have prevented the news channels from reporting these events in a sensational manner (remember Princess Diana's death?), but in India, TV news channels shared the privacy of these families, and while respecting their sentiments restrained themselves. Yet there are some people who say that TV news channels in India are insensitive. They still say that all the news channels are in the TRP ratrace.
If these three examples are insufficient, I can give hundreds of other instances, issues and events which were highly sensitive and Indian TV news channels dutifully restrained themselves.
When the Allahabad High Court gave its historic judgement on Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, TV news channels in India showed a remarkable sense of responsibility.
The chariman of the self-regulating Authority set up for News Broadcasters Justice Verma directed that news channels should confine their reporting only to the verdict, and should not make any such comment or show images which could inflame communal passions. News channels dutifully followed suit.
The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh sent message that the Gujjar movement in Rajasthan was being given undue coverage by news channels and this in turn was inciting passions. The broadcasters then decided that they would restrain themselves from inflaming caste sentiments.
A deadly bomb exploded outside Delhi High Court, but the news channels restrained themselves from showing victims in a bloodied state. An MLA from Malegaon distributed a video DVD to news channels which could have incited passions, but the channels decided not to telecast it. There were communal riots in Bharatpur and in Moradabad, but not a single news channel tried to inflame passions and reported the communal violence in a restrained manner.
Yet some people continue to say that TV news broadcasters only show news which are sensational news and inflame passions. The question is how to convince such people. In reality, these people are those who hardly watch news channels and mostly rely on hearsay. There are those too who have been exposed by news channels, and I do not have to say much about them.
We can understand the anger of mafia don D P Yadav of Uttar Pradesh. He still feels that had it not been for the news channels, his son could have escaped punishment even after commiting a murder. At least, he could have stayed in hospital feigning illness, but the news channels did not allow him to come out of jail. And when he came out, the news channels reported in a manner that he was immediately sent back to jail.
One can understand the anger of former Haryana minister Venod Sharma. His son Manu could have been easily acquitted for Jessica Lal's murder had it not been for the news channels. He could have easily come out on parole, gone to his favourite discos, but the TV cameras made his life horrible. Manu's lawyers repeatedly told the court, M'lord, this appears to be a media trial.
Powerful politician Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi is in jail for several months now. Her lawyers told a packed courtoom that all this was because of the pressure from TV news channels. It is because of this that no court is ready to give her bail.
One can understand when such people make uncharitable remarks about news channels. The problem is with those who without watching the news channels demand that news channels should be regulated. Such people should at least watch the news channels first. There has been a sea change in the working of TV news channels in the last two years.
Amitabh Bachchan, Sonia Gandhi, Mohammed Azharuddin will tell you how a big change has come in TV news reporting. Ask Anna Hazare whether it was the TRP race or a sense of responsibility that led the news channels to reach out his voice against corruption to the people. Ask Ambika Soni whether or not news channels listened to each and every advice of the government in times of crisis. Ask Justice Verma whether the news channels accepted his advice to the T? Ask those millions of Indian viewers how news channels fight for their cause dayin and day out to give them justice.
Mistakes do occur, but they are few and far between, and there is still scope for improvement, but the last two years has registered a vast improvement. I can claim that there cannot be any other instance any where in the world, of so much improvement in news channels through the process of self-regulation in so little a time.
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