Committed media

The transformation of the media under the Modi regime is sensational. The depth to which the media has surrendered is unbelievable and beyond all logic and sense. But you cannot expect all that when money, entertainment, drama, and acting is involved. 

This is more so for visual media when anchors sit before the camera lens with powdered and painted faces. They are carried away by the exposure and visibility to imagine to be not less than heroes. But they turn out to be real villains for the people hurting their mind and wasting their time.

It is also true that people like action-packed heroes in reel life or real life. They do get intoxicated with daily soap operas and are influenced by their antics. They are not attracted to soft, passive, sane voices explaining merits, demerits, truth, logic, and reasoning.

But these jokers are taking it to the extremes as they start dressing up in a makeshift space suit; going live in a bathtub; ‘jumping jacks’ creating emotional drama about what our nation wants. But the nation may like to question their conclusions if given a chance.

Further, they are crude. This kind of ‘crude’ is not worth a paisa even if you have barrels, shiploads, or reservoirs of it. There is nothing to gain by drilling deep into them. Their noise, nuisance, nonsense values only help to decide how much distance you keep from them.

What is happening inside this circus is not that relevant as it appears to be. They are a minority in the media but rule and occupy the major mind space of the people. They will remain committed by choice or force until powerful men and machinery behind them are delinked.

‘Noncommittal’ media

What is more important is what is not happening with the majority of the media outside this circus tent. We may group them as noncommittal media. They do have infinite variety among themselves but have a strain of ‘Fear of Commitment’ running through them.

Most of them do not appreciate or accept the descent in the value and ethics of the media. It appears they are unable to find a way openly to check this decline. It is easy to blame people who are watching the circus. But some of this group also try to imitate circuswallas.

The truth is the transformation of the political climate by the present rulers, standard operating procedures set by them are so vicious and poisonous that everyone including the people is affected by it. The media is not alone when they are unable to set right the mindsets.

All political parties in the opposition, even some in the ruling party, media, and also importantly, people themselves are finding it difficult to adjust themselves to destabilization. The rulers are micromanaging to exploit weaknesses while affected are yet to organize at macro level.

The characteristics of the vast silent majority in the media are highly individualistic and independent. There is no adequate force to unite, lead, and organize themselves in concerted actions. Further, they are not mentally equipped to fight against an ‘undeclared emergency’.

Here one has to say their noncommittal character is good and in a way signifies neutrality, the essential characteristic of independent media. But are they really neutral? It appears they are indecisive with a lack of vision or conviction to act or even analyze due to inner fear.

What is the purpose of neutrality if you cannot effectively voice and write about what is true and right irrespective of the party or people in question? They are ineffective, disabled, or almost dead and nonexistent when the political decline is happening over the last 6 years.

Have the liberals become ultra-conservatives and stale with mental blocks to search, research, and find new ways or routes to plan and execute? Have they become self-doubting Thomases filled with so much negativity to think it is impossible even to present facts if not solutions.

They may be highly diffident especially when the divided, fluid, ill-disciplined opposition parties with divergent views do not inspire any confidence about what is in store for all. But before the media could act or decide on issues they will die out or get solved on their own.

There are many other weaknesses and failures of the ‘noncommittal’ media. Not that these are new symptoms in them but the sweeping transformations that are happening have now exposed them. These indicators need deeper analysis and presentation.

Presently what can be concluded is that they are neither neutral nor free but just noncommittal exposing or expressing nothing except writing superficially without much impact on most of the issues including those that are deeply affecting the country and its people.  

This superficial approach has no value and is not going to serve absolutely any purpose. What they are doing is like the story of 5 blind men identifying an elephant. The only difference is these ‘intellectuals’ have voluntarily closed their eyes, ears, mouth, and also mind.

Unless a change sets in, the noncommittal media will be free in a way that they will be floating around without any purpose, destination, and direction. Some may come to their rescue saying they have done what is possible in the given circumstances. It is not true.

They are the only force that is relatively sensible, credible, law-abiding to act and perform their duty as part of the 4th pillar of democracy. They virtually abdicated that responsibility. One may even say that they are in self-imposed exile in the wilderness or ‘vanvaas’.

If people, parties, media, and other institutions public or private have strong foundations and stay rooted to the ground on sound principles and policies, they will not be washed away when Tsunami strikes like in 2014. Fortunately ‘natural disasters’ do not recur often.

But no one should evade responsibility for systemic failures which could have been prevented. Efforts should be made by everyone belonging to all sections of society to ensure that such systemic corrections are effected for the betterment and welfare of people of this country.