Editor-in-Chief of CNN-IBN, Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted this last night:
"tempted tonight to say final gnight on twitter. too much bile and dare i say ignorance,packed into 140 characters! gnight"
Let's come to the bile part later. Let's talk about ignorance first. To cite an example, we don't have to dig back way too much into the past. Just about an hour before he sent the above tweet, he had this to say:
"it is to credit of anna and co they forced govt to come up with lokpal bill after 42 years. cant they wait a few more months?"
Unassmuing followers would now think that the draft Lokpal bill prepared by this awesome UPA government is the first one after 42 years. Even before going to Wikipedia, I can quote from memory that Atal Behari Vajpayee introduced the bill in Parliament 2 times, and ManMohan Singh introduced it twice already! Now let's go to wikipedia. No no, let's go to CNN-IBN website only. Here.
"The first legislative attempt at Lokpal in India fell after the bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but could not get through in Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and in 2008."
I am tempted to end the article saying, "I rest my case" but I don't want to.
Because he also said this last night -
whether on twitter or in tv studios, we are becoming a noisy society, not a knowledgeable one. sad.
Since no one making the "noises" here exactly owns twitter, I guess it is fair enough to turn our attention to TV studios and people who run them. Just one question - what exactly has been done to make the TV studio less noisy and more knowledgeable?
Finally, this tweet (last evening only) -
when we expose kalmadi, raja, ashok chavan etc, we're on right track. when bsy and reddys exposed, we're biased!! amusing.
Since it was not IBN that first exposed Raja, Kalmadi "etc", it is fair enough to presume that Rajdeep is talking about the entire media when he says "we". So here are some questions (or bile) - When Kalmadi was exposed, many informed bloggers and tweeters (the bile throwers) questioned why Sheila Dixit is being let off lightly from the media focus. When BSY and Reddy brothers were exposed, the same informed bloggers and tweeters (the bile throwers) questioned how fair is it to isolate YSR/Cong government in AP from the mining scam. Where is the bias picture coming in here?
If you (as in media, not just you Rajdeep) have a problem with a particular tweeter or a blogger, what on earth is stopping you (as in media, not you Rajdeep) from directly debating with that person? For example, this blog and many others have documented instances of your (this time it is you Rajdeep) own Senior Editor spewing venom on tweeters who have been decent in criticism. When you (as in media, not you Rajdeep) have lakhs of followers, how fair is it for you (as in media, not you Rajdeep) expect there be NO criticism at all. Who gave you (as in the media, not you Rajdeep) the exclusive right to brand the entire blogging/tweeting community as "bile" , "mob", "nuts" etc etc? Your crass generalization of any topic, mood, and question has lowered the level of public discourse and here we are - witnessing this spectacle of the pot calling the kettle black.
There are abusers. Hell, a nobody like me gets abused on twitter, at times! If I were to follow your (media, not you Rajdeep) path, I should have raised a hue and cry, screamed victimhood and garnered some sympathy. There is so much information flow out here. There are many many people who are decent, lend dignity to debate and question incisively. If that bothers you (as in media, not you Rajdeep), it only speaks volumes about your openess to debate. And don't get into rhetoric again - give specific examples of accusations you (as in media, not you Rajdeep) make. Banal tweets such as "thanks", "that's so sweet" is no interaction. There is immense scope for meaningful interaction online - it is sad that none of the English TV media community chose to utilise it for betterment.
Dear English TV media anchors and their fanbots - If you choose to run away from meaningful debate citing a few abusers - the loss is yours. Not ours.
PS: Please don't use the words "ignorant". Doesn't suit you (as in media, not you Rajdeep)
11 comments:
Wow Sudhir!! Assala thaggaledu ga :) Nice one as always!! :)
As somebody Tweeted a few days ago that 'the so-called liberals are most intolerant of people when it comes to countering their argument, they remain liberal only when everyone kowtows their line'. Such is the case also of media moguls like Rajdeep or a Barkha.
You have exposed them well in your blog. Hope such libtards exit their studios too like they quit twitter and save Indian from their daily grind of hatred! Expect Rajdeep to do a show on 'Hatred on internet' soon ;-))
For those (as referred to "we" by Rajdeep Sardesai) who thrived till now on the licensed freedom of the press, practiced by those who own the press, conforming to those who issue the license, or ads, are naturally ill at ease in a forum where that freedom is a given, to all not just press owners. For them it's ignorance if you don't know which side of your bread is buttered.
The media is feared about internet. Eye opener for media. media drama no longer possible in India especially for English media because people are well aware they biased.
Good one, Sudhir.
Loved reading every word of this post. Serves well to this 'Ran-Chhod' TV icon.
He blocked hundreds of us when people posed him searching questions and pointed his channels glaring mistakes. Once he ran a 'sorry' bulletin for his channel's cooked up tweets. On other occasion his other editor too apologized on twitter when she was accused of pouring her disdain here. When they do it, it is not bile!
Finally now not being able to handle his own contradictions, Rajdeep runs away blaming tweeple of their bile & ignorance!
So the gist is, that their iconic persona has of late become so fragile that it takes just 140-characters to demolish and shatter it. If that they be the case, it looks silly when they make tall claims of demolishing the monsters of corruption issues like 2-G etc.
well done. Even in debate all the comments or interactions are not being displayed. They have selectively allows postings which supports their views and causes.
Dear Sudhir,
Thank you for exposing this once more. I can only reiterate my point Alternate media is the grave yard for these self obsessed media people & are unable to come to terms with a level playing field that exists today.
Nowhere to hide for them scurrying around endlessly without finding shelter the past is waiting round the corner to hound them further for this misdeeds. The prospect of what the future holds for the scares these worthies witless.
What goes round comes around.
Have written reams on these people hope they will read & mend their ways or perish is the other alternative.
Sincerely
Anil Kohli
Rajadeep Sardesai is so banally hypocritical as, say, Adolf Hitler was so banally cruel. The man was born with not two, but many tongues. He carries two-facedness with such nonchalance that feeling disgusted about it is a disproportionate emotion on the underwhelming side. Take that "noisy TV studio part". A porn movie-maker bitching about sex in cinema would sound more honest. Screaming and yelling that resemble a drunken street brawl are a routine occurrence on his shows. He triggers it, adds fuel to fire and then goes through the motions of containing it. This is the TRP game. He needs to stage this circus because he needs a good enough number of idiotic viewers to keep his crappy channel stay afloat. I'm kind of amazed by him actually. It is not possible that any human being can be so utterly un-selfconscious about his duplicity. I conclude therefore that Sardesai has developed a very thick coat of skin as his defence mechanism. Dermatologists and Evolutionary Biologists should study this chap.
Very Well written.
Keep it coming.
since i saw this guy in an interview cozing up with shah rukh khan, a romantic film hero, and suggesting him that he is a prime ministerial candidate , i've had serious doubts...
My public response is: "very well written; nothing to debate", the heartfelt response has already been penned by Oldtimer above. :) Thanks for bringing me to this post. :) I welcome your "spam" in my twitter mentions-line. :D
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