Breaking news is back breaking
A former beauty queen murdering her parents in cold blood in the small UP town of Meerut made headlines.
Yes, the case was sensational as such crimes are rare. But the way TV channels went after it showed the media in maniacal light yet again.
To say the least, the re-enactments of the crime by these channels were not just outrageous and insensitive, but also a slap on any kind of histrionic skills.
Then came the theories. Screaming "breaking news" on most channels changed versions, theories, sequences and everything else like a convulsive chameleon.
First, they branded Priyanka and her friend Anju, both of whom had first murdered Priyanka's mother in her own bedroom and then stabbed the father to death with a kitchen knife, as the ultimate killers who happen to society only once in a while.
Of course, all old norms of journalism have become as defunct as honesty has in the societal value box. The two girls, even before they were produced in court, were shown front-faced on every channel. Neither the two girls, nor the cops gave them any cover.
Hiding an accused from public gaze has been a traditional more of sleuths. On its part, the media is required to blur the face. Far from doing so, the bespectacled girl and her accomplice occupied full-screen footage for most of the day. So, it was only strange to see that the channels suddenly realised their mistake and started blurring the faces of the two girls, two days after full blast visuals!
"Breaking News" has become such a scourge that checking of facts, any kind of prudence or restraint, backgrounding or any work which verifies the real story from a real source has become mostly non-existent.
Younger than Priyanka TV reporters, with mostly little or no job experience, are dashed off to the crime scene and asked to start singing. Mostly under pressure from their big bosses, and nudged into letting out unverified, rumour-oriented versions, these 20 something reporters have no qualms of going wrong. They change version, sometimes even two to three times a day! What of feeling sheepish or even contrite, the news channels call it a new twist or a new break.
About time that some penalty regulation is imposed to curb the visual media into first becoming victim of it own over ambition and then victimising the audience with a misinformation campaign, thus building up a very wrong public opinion on a case best left to investigators and the court to look into.
One wonders when the owners of these channels will come into play and instruct a sane telecast of news. One also wonders how many cases the visual medium will take to learn from its mistake.
They mocked at Gudia's plight, they messed up Aarushi, they abetted the suicide of an old couple by erroneously casting the man as a rapist of his niece, they also wrongly branded a local teacher a prostitute. Of course, in the last case, the "sting" reporter was arrested but no harm came to the channel which aired the offensive goings-on without even once asking themselves, the cops or the reporter if what was being alleged had even an iota of truth.
Coming back to Priyanka, and the gory details that have come out about how tortured a childhood she had, a little sensitivity should be accorded to her. If there is even an iota of truth in all that she has said, she needs help, not ruthless scorn. Raped by her own extended family, taunted by her father as an illegitimate child and kept out of property on that ground.... What more can one take?
This is not to justify the crime or the criminal but only a request to treat the case with some kind of restraint.
Yes, the case was sensational as such crimes are rare. But the way TV channels went after it showed the media in maniacal light yet again.
To say the least, the re-enactments of the crime by these channels were not just outrageous and insensitive, but also a slap on any kind of histrionic skills.
Then came the theories. Screaming "breaking news" on most channels changed versions, theories, sequences and everything else like a convulsive chameleon.
First, they branded Priyanka and her friend Anju, both of whom had first murdered Priyanka's mother in her own bedroom and then stabbed the father to death with a kitchen knife, as the ultimate killers who happen to society only once in a while.
Of course, all old norms of journalism have become as defunct as honesty has in the societal value box. The two girls, even before they were produced in court, were shown front-faced on every channel. Neither the two girls, nor the cops gave them any cover.
Hiding an accused from public gaze has been a traditional more of sleuths. On its part, the media is required to blur the face. Far from doing so, the bespectacled girl and her accomplice occupied full-screen footage for most of the day. So, it was only strange to see that the channels suddenly realised their mistake and started blurring the faces of the two girls, two days after full blast visuals!
"Breaking News" has become such a scourge that checking of facts, any kind of prudence or restraint, backgrounding or any work which verifies the real story from a real source has become mostly non-existent.
Younger than Priyanka TV reporters, with mostly little or no job experience, are dashed off to the crime scene and asked to start singing. Mostly under pressure from their big bosses, and nudged into letting out unverified, rumour-oriented versions, these 20 something reporters have no qualms of going wrong. They change version, sometimes even two to three times a day! What of feeling sheepish or even contrite, the news channels call it a new twist or a new break.
About time that some penalty regulation is imposed to curb the visual media into first becoming victim of it own over ambition and then victimising the audience with a misinformation campaign, thus building up a very wrong public opinion on a case best left to investigators and the court to look into.
One wonders when the owners of these channels will come into play and instruct a sane telecast of news. One also wonders how many cases the visual medium will take to learn from its mistake.
They mocked at Gudia's plight, they messed up Aarushi, they abetted the suicide of an old couple by erroneously casting the man as a rapist of his niece, they also wrongly branded a local teacher a prostitute. Of course, in the last case, the "sting" reporter was arrested but no harm came to the channel which aired the offensive goings-on without even once asking themselves, the cops or the reporter if what was being alleged had even an iota of truth.
Coming back to Priyanka, and the gory details that have come out about how tortured a childhood she had, a little sensitivity should be accorded to her. If there is even an iota of truth in all that she has said, she needs help, not ruthless scorn. Raped by her own extended family, taunted by her father as an illegitimate child and kept out of property on that ground.... What more can one take?
This is not to justify the crime or the criminal but only a request to treat the case with some kind of restraint.
Published on November 23, 2008; http://www.dailypioneer.com/136208/Breaking-news-is-back-breaking.html
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