A more responsible Media, please..

I was left quite depressed yesterday after watching this play called 'Accidental Death of an Anarchist'. Although I did mourn the poor fellow's death, I was saddened mostly by the repetitiveness of the issues - politico-bureaucratic callousness, corruption and public apathy - that were and continue to be discussed through popular art that is intended for social enlightenment, awareness and change

The story revolves around the 'accidental' death of a resourceful, sharp and dangerous criminal-type, who is later revealed to be an anarchist (editor of 'Sangharsh' magazine and all!), inside a police station. While the death is never actually enacted and only a jump out of the window is known, the investigation by some justice commission unravels the goings-on in the police department in order to hush the case and prove the death to be anything else but 'murder in custody'. It is not made clear whether the commission is in collusion with the police dept. Ultimately, it is left to this woman from the news media, who gets involved with the investigation, to decide whether to expose this death, the executors and the awkward findings of the case to the population at large. And therein my friends, lies the rub.

As the news media strives, everyday and everyhour to produce some 'stories'- one can see visions of really curious smart men n women who can write a bit, sniffing out good, evil and nonsensical doings of people around- one is forced to wonder on exactly how much of their discretion (or their bosses' discretion) comes into play when these stories are being (or not being) beamed across to millions. Who decides on what and how much to show and tell and in what light? And most importantly, is that decision up for sale?

One argument could be that ultimately, the people (and ratings) decide what is being shown or printed. But are the people really THAT interested in a little boy stuck in a hole somewhere? Or for that matter, the well-being of Abhishek's hair-band?
I don't see any real issues- those of corruption, lack of infrastructure, healthcare and even basic education being tackled out there. Or are they not news enough? Then again, why are they not? What happened to responsible journalism?

As the economy, society and the socio-political hierarchy rumble along, the mass media- on the hunt for instant viewership- is reluctant to employ the great social imminence that it has acquired over the last decade or so in order to create any significant positive social impact. What we have instead are sycophancy, cleavage, fog updates and 'sting' operations (revealing the casting couch, street-policeman bribery and urban five-star hotel prostitution!). Hah, now that's BIG news!

A couple of exceptional cases recently viz. Manu Sharma, Priyadarshini Mattoo and Nitish Katara et al have only begun to highlight the power that the media can generate and possess with public opinion on their side. But this net has to be spread far and wide, and most importantly- at issues and the men (and women) that have put national integrity, pride and assets at stake.

You will agree that all of this does not amount to mere naive and idealistic rambling. I'm quite sure that there's a business model in there. The more people see their issues resolved and their world becoming better, the more they'll tune in to watch or read how it happened. A simple start could be a 'Follow the Budget 07-08' (weekly for an hour) which follows the diktats, monetary grants, execution of Budget plans and related human stories in an involving and stimulating fashion. Real Reality TV, if that makes sense.

My only hope is that as the industry matures and companies are freed from monitoring the bottom-line quarter on quarter, the media would wake up to its potential and even duty; for it is imperative that the media play their role as effective watchdogs and whistle-blowers- and consequently become strong change-agents that can guide this country as it races along to an unknown future.