Newsisance

Vijay was running on the open freeway for the morning run. He was reviewing every one of his life choices. No, don't' assume the worst, he is not married yet. But life already screwed him in other ways. He planned on working in software or a government office. But he never planned to be a reporter. The decision came out of the blue for him. For a good cause, nevertheless. One day he was reading APJ Abdul Kalam's speech. Kalam sir was talking about how the news in India was.

 

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

After telling this story APJ Abdul Kalam asked the media people why our media can’t be more like that. Why does it have to be always negative? Vijay got inspired by this and picked up journalism. He got an internship with great reporters and great news agencies. But the work he is doing is not what he promised himself after Kalam's speech.

After a long run, Vijay was getting tired and stopped at a neighbourhood tea shop for his morning tea. The newspapers just reached the tea shop. Whoever could get hold of the paper got it. Some got the regional ones and some English paper. Vijay got curious about what people reactions to the NEWS going to be. He started observing the people for clues. He saw two people looking happy about something. He decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Man 1: Good news, man.

Man 2: What is that?

Man 1: This father had killed the daughter and son-in-law

Man 2: Why is that good news?

Man 1: That girl fell in love with a low caste guy. How can our caste guys allow this?

Man 2: Then that is the best news (twisting his moustache and smiling happily)

He could not believe that the news could make someone happy. As a reporter, he felt disgusted by the news. It disgusted him thinking of the father. How can he do this to his daughter? It could be a few he thought that can accept this. There is more he needs to learn that day. A few feet away he saw two old men were very sad. He wanted to know what made them sad.

Old Man 1: Have you seen this news?

Old Man 2: What is it?

Old Man 1: This guy got selected as an IAS officer.

Old Man 2: What is so sad about it?

Old Man 1: This guy is the son of my maid, now an IAS officer.

Old Man 2: It is sad. Our kids are struggling even to get small jobs.

Old Man 1: Yes, reservations have killed all talent.

Old Man 2: By the way did your son cleared the exam.

Old Man 1: No, man. The exam seems to be very tough.

Old Man 2: My son also said the same. They were together yesterday discussing the paper.

Old Man 1: Are they discussing paper or discussing what liquor to drink? (Started laughing)

Vijay moved on and saw some young men reading an English newspaper. He hoped to have better feedback from them. He walked to them and enquired what is in the news. Eavesdropping on the conversations was not helping and drawing skeletons out of the cupboard, which he thought were never there. The men said the newspaper they were reading was fit for current "Times" and the news is just the best. After that statement, they handed over the paper to Vijay and left from there. Vijay glanced the paper and found the first page had headlines about how the big actress is capturing attention with her cleavage. The second page had pictures of naked yoga teacher only covering strategically the censored portions. A little ahead had an editorial piece about how to approach the opposite sex for one nightstand. Vijay gave up on the news and more importantly hope about people and left the place.

Vijay was walking towards his home. He noticed something when he was about to enter his apartments. He saw that someone was fighting with his father. He got very angry and went lunging to fight. He did not like that someone was not treating his father with respect. The morning events adding to his anger. Seeing his son's reaction Vijay's father stopped him. He apologized to the other guy who left the place very rash on his sports bike. The way the guy was driving Vijay new who was at fault. He could not believe his father could let him go. They started walking towards their home. Vijay checked his father for injuries, luckily there were none. They hardly walked a few steps in silence and Vijay started asking his father why he let that guy go. Vijay said, "He was wrong, no one should drive so rash in the apartment premises." In reply, Vijay's father only had a smile for Vijay. A few more steps and they reached the door of their home. Vijay was still half anticipating his father to say something. But he stepped in silence and handed the vegetables to his wife. Vijay kept thinking about the incident. Not having any answers just killing him. After having a bath and sitting down for breakfast he noticed something in his father's face. He got the answer to all his questions. Reaching the office, he wrote this piece for the paper.

News Sense or Newsisance

I wanted to understand whether news of the day is making sense or not. So, this morning I watched the reaction of people to various news. Nothing I encountered is what I understood about the news. A murder created happiness in someone, a student getting selected in IAS exam made someone sad, and youth of today are happy to see women in various stages of nakedness on paper. After going through all this I was very angry. Why are people like this? Why cannot the news about information, knowledge, and betterment? On reaching my home, I find my father was arguing with a youth. The guy was disrespecting my father. I could not take it. But my father smiled and sent him away. This made me angrier, but I could not understand how my father did not mind any of this. After settling down and having a hot breakfast it stuck me.

 

I was reminded of something my Dad told me when I was a kid. One day in school someone was bullying me. I fought with him that day and was called to the headmaster's office. That was the first time I was disciplined by the headmaster. My father came to know about this. That day he came to my room and said you being brave is good. But by fighting with him you proved you are no different than him. You should give him a chance to change. He also had an answer for what if he did not change. My father said if he did not change his bad ways it is his loss. By fighting him you are only going to lose yourself. That is what my father did this morning, gave that youth a chance to change.

 

This made me check back my morning impression of people and news. That man was happy about the murder because of the caste. But what is caste doing in that news? The news should have been only about the murder. The student had success in his exam it should have been only about that. If anything, the news should cover his and his family's struggles. Why should someone mention about his reservation? As a news media, we might want to say those are the facts. But what is the value of those facts? How are they going to help the piece we are writing? I know, it sells papers it creates debate. 20 people can start shouting their lungs off on screen. 

 

Here comes my important question on making sense of the news. Everyone talks about media freedom rating. The debate on this has become so ugly it has even turned a poll issue. But what no one is questioning is the readers' freedom rating. I don't know if the word makes any sense. What I want people to question is what is being fed to them as news. I need every one of you to have a forum to decide what you want as news. A common man as a cartoon is now with us for about 70 years. But we never had a forum for a common man. You might cast doubts about how many will come forward. For winning you need a crowd for a change you only need a cause. Let us make news sense not a Newsisance. 

Vijay doubtfully approached his editor with the piece. His editor read it for a while. Vijay was trying to gauge his expression on reading the piece. There were none. Editor finished reading and said let us publish. Vijay was happy about accomplishing something. The editor then said it needs minor corrections. He instructed Vijay to handover to sub-editor for that. Vijay handed and was ecstatic that his piece is getting published. He knows who the reason for his success was. He reached home and thanked his father. His father had no clue why. But his reply is the same a simple smile. Next day morning he opened the paper to find his piece. He read the news and told his father he cannot work as a reporter any more. He is resigning. His father still had the same smile nothing more. But he was curious this time and started reading the paper.

Newsiance instead of News Sense

I wanted to understand whether news of the day is making sense or not. So, this morning I watched the reaction of people to various news. Nothing I encountered is what I understood about the news. A murder created happiness in someone, a student getting selected in IAS exam made someone sad, and youth of today are happy to see women in various stages of nakedness on paper. After going through all this I was very angry. Why are people like this? Why cannot the news about information, knowledge, and betterment? On reaching my home, I find my father was arguing with a youth. The guy was disrespecting my father. I could not take it. But my father smiled and sent him away. This made me angrier, but I could not understand how my father did not mind any of this. After settling down and having a hot breakfast it stuck me.

 

That man was happy about the murder because of caste. But why should people see caste in that news? The news should have been only about the murder. The student had success in his exam it should have been only about that. Why do people see his reservation? If anything, people should think about his and his family struggles. In news media, we can only cover the facts. But what is the value of those facts if people twist for their selfishness. It ends up being a big debate. 20 people start shouting their lungs off on screen. 

 

Here comes my important question on making sense of the news. Everyone talks about media freedom rating. The debate on this has become so ugly it has even turned a poll issue. But what no one is questioning is the readers' conscience rating. I don't know if the word makes any sense. What I want people to question is their conscience when reading the news. I need every one of you to have a forum to decide what your conscience tells you. A common man as a cartoon is now with us for about 70 years. But we have never seen ourselves as a common man. Take out your castes, your politics of superiority and come forward. You might cast doubts about how many will come forward. For winning you need a crowd for a change you only need a cause. Let us make news sense not a Newsisance. 

P.S: Vijay resigned and joined as a media coordinator for an IT company. His friends helped with the referral. In the IT company, everything he does is positive. Profit is 20%, add 10 more, and publish to market. We are giving a big hike to all employees is a headline even when the hike is only 0.005%. But Vijay felt this is better than calling himself a reporter.