For all the filth that some journos churn out, there are some nice people out there who engage in a good, decent debate and are ready to own up mistakes, if any. Just like we are ready to own them up, if any.
Recently, Haryana special task force police were caught taking bribes, and CNN-IBN ran an exculsive. One of the ticker said something to the effect "Have our police force sold out". Smitha Nair was achoring the program and I tweeted to her asking how fair it is to have such a ticker, and also this.
@smitharnair it's like this - will you like it if i use a headline "Has media sold out?" after reading a paid news article? :)
http://twitter.com/ssudhirkumar/status/10521429937
She was gracious enough to reply back the next day saying this:
@ssudhirkumar hey am sorry- didnt reply earlier- i agree with you- didnt notice it then- will tell the producer
http://twitter.com/smitharnair/status/10569250038
Another example is Rajdeep's reply here, or a discussion with N.Ram here.
Also, please follow @Mrityunjoyjha for some real insights, and decent conversations.
And finally, I had a discussion with Anubha Bhonsle of IBN on the M.F.Hussein saga. Check out how decently we were able to debate.
The discussion started with her tweet: Husains son confirms the master has accepted Qatar nationality. What a pity ? Has India failed the master ?
I asked her how fair it is to use the word India, and also if he is not coming back fearing arrest or fearing violence. ( ot verbaitm, but something to this effect. not able to find my tweet now)
She replied back: @ssudhirkumar most cases against him have been dismissed. the trouble starts when the law is not valued and violence starts
@abhonsle I'd prefer a more informed debate on this, than just "have we failed him", "is it a national shame" etc? Your views?
@ssudhirkumar yes and twitter is hardly the forum for a detailed honest debate.
@abhonsle now if he chooses to go out of the country fearing arrest, how have we failed him?
@ssudhirkumar he should come bk to india, respect its law n hv faith in our policing. Those opposing him should be willing 2 do the same
@abhonsle fully agree.... which brings back to my first question :) how then, have we (as in India) failed him? :)
@ssudhirkumar by driving him away
The debate had to end there...I again sent a tweet saying generalising "we" and "India" does not do justice. And also wrote a letter to the Editors Guild on the same topic (not the debate with Anubha :D). The letter is here.
The main point I wanted to make here is that such civilised debates are what prompts more people to engage meaningfully. Click on the "Trsyts with MSM" label here to see an exact contrast to all the above discussions :)
Recently, Haryana special task force police were caught taking bribes, and CNN-IBN ran an exculsive. One of the ticker said something to the effect "Have our police force sold out". Smitha Nair was achoring the program and I tweeted to her asking how fair it is to have such a ticker, and also this.
@smitharnair it's like this - will you like it if i use a headline "Has media sold out?" after reading a paid news article? :)
http://twitter.com/ssudhirkumar/status/10521429937
She was gracious enough to reply back the next day saying this:
@ssudhirkumar hey am sorry- didnt reply earlier- i agree with you- didnt notice it then- will tell the producer
http://twitter.com/smitharnair/status/10569250038
Another example is Rajdeep's reply here, or a discussion with N.Ram here.
Also, please follow @Mrityunjoyjha for some real insights, and decent conversations.
And finally, I had a discussion with Anubha Bhonsle of IBN on the M.F.Hussein saga. Check out how decently we were able to debate.
The discussion started with her tweet: Husains son confirms the master has accepted Qatar nationality. What a pity ? Has India failed the master ?
I asked her how fair it is to use the word India, and also if he is not coming back fearing arrest or fearing violence. ( ot verbaitm, but something to this effect. not able to find my tweet now)
She replied back: @ssudhirkumar most cases against him have been dismissed. the trouble starts when the law is not valued and violence starts
@abhonsle I'd prefer a more informed debate on this, than just "have we failed him", "is it a national shame" etc? Your views?
@ssudhirkumar yes and twitter is hardly the forum for a detailed honest debate.
@abhonsle now if he chooses to go out of the country fearing arrest, how have we failed him?
@ssudhirkumar he should come bk to india, respect its law n hv faith in our policing. Those opposing him should be willing 2 do the same
@abhonsle fully agree.... which brings back to my first question :) how then, have we (as in India) failed him? :)
@ssudhirkumar by driving him away
The debate had to end there...I again sent a tweet saying generalising "we" and "India" does not do justice. And also wrote a letter to the Editors Guild on the same topic (not the debate with Anubha :D). The letter is here.
The main point I wanted to make here is that such civilised debates are what prompts more people to engage meaningfully. Click on the "Trsyts with MSM" label here to see an exact contrast to all the above discussions :)
1 comments:
Obviously, in the first place media is wrong in inserting so much PoV in their news. The opinion forming part may happen in separate shows, when in discussions with experts, commentators, studio audiences, etc. This news' mixing with PoV is very dangerous and distasteful.
For example, all that that should have been reported in case of MF Hussain is that he had obtained Qatar citizenship! Moreover, I seriously doubt if such news even deserves prominence. But notwithstanding all that, PoV-insertion only reflects personal biases and/or motivations of the news editors.
I just wish more and more people join twitter, and become aware of techniques media employs to manipulate their audience. And with that, I hope, a market for fair, sensible and balanced news channels would be created. Till that happens, we will have to do with the current crop of story tellers trying to pass off as journalists.
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