'First' at a cost

FREEZE FRAME

Why is it that we rarely find a truly riveting story?

The way TV news channels seem to be sprouting, Indians must be the most news-loving people on earth. At last count, there were over 30 news channels in various languages.

In English alone, there are more than six and in Hindi close to a dozen. However, if you look at the ratings, the cumulative share of all news channels put together is less than that of Star Plus. However, the ad-spend on news channels is estimated to be Rs 1000 crore.

What is attracting new players is the huge potential "� 120 million TV households and a healthy growth rate of over 20 per cent in advertising plus the promise of more paying subscribers. However, even with so much news on air, it's rare to find a truly riveting story. What is disconcerting is the lack of innovation in broadcast journalism in India.

It was understandable in the early days of TV news that broadcasters followed the pattern of successful foreign newscasters mainly American like ABC/NBC/CBS or British like BBC/ITN. From sets and graphics "� the look and feel "� to presenters and programming, there is so much mediocrity on our boxes that it makes Bollywood appear a treasure trove of talent. In fact, if it were not for the falling standards in Indian journalism per se, the shortcomings of TV news would be more apparent.

This is not to say that all that is there on the tube news is bad. TV and more significantly news on TV has changed the attitude of contemporary India to a number of 'burning' social and economic issues. There are shining examples of reportage on Indian TV which would do any network or even nations proud. These are alas few and far between.

Media, the world over, is oscillating between sensationalisation and trivialisation, obfuscation and inquisition.There are a host of half-baked professionals on the scene that neither have the skill nor the training to handle a hot medium like television.

Their over-made up faces, slapdash clothes and tele-prompted interlocution in frayed accents makes one cringe. So you end up with either insolent kids doubling as news anchors or inter-college debates in the guise of discussions.

The worse part is that we have the same handful of guests who keep hopping relentlessly from one channel to the other spewing wisdom or venom without fear or favour of the hapless viewer. With no exception all our news channels are one-trick ponies or rather each with one star anchor/reporter and now the inevitable hidden camera! The race to be there first means every story is breaking news "� even if the news is not worthy of telecast on the neighbourhood cable channel.

To spice these things are the now popular sting operations. No doubt vigilante journalism is important "� in fact necessary in a hugely corrupt and politics-infested nation like ours. However, there has too be some sense of proportion. There is a general dumbing down and partisan use of media specially TV. The dilemma is about engaging minds and retaining eyeballs and yet upholding the principles of the fourth estate.

Amit Khanna (The author is Chairman of Reliance Entertainment and the views expressed are his own)