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On most news channels in India, the Swine Flu outbreak has taken away the spotlight from haunted houses, (so-called) saints with divine powers, or some kids falling in pot holes. This is especially true for some Hindi news channels. Additionally, the news papers are performing an excellent support role in making Swine Flu Panademic à (Panic + Epidemic). Some of you might have asked the question: Why such a hype around it?
Well, this type of special coverage by media is true not only in this case, but also in several other trivial cases like:
- Rakhi Sawant’s Swamvar (the most recent one)
- Amitabh Bachan feeling cold
- Conspiracy theories about Taliban
- Fictional terror plot discussions
- Making of stupid movies, OR
- Finally, 30 minute specials on Obscenity in a Bollywood movie (Censor Board needs to review these special prime time telecasts J)
Why does the electronic media cover such, seemingly, trivial and queer topics during prime time?
The answer is Target Rating Point (TRP). Such stories might be queer to you, but are enjoyed by the masses. TV channels show what audience wants to see. And, what the audience views, sells like hot cake among the companies wanting to buy air time for advertising.
People want to view news about their favorite stars and hence it is understandable that they are keen to view prime time news about their idols. However, why would someone want to see news that overkills swine flu and terrorist plots?
The simple answer would be: both things are likely to take peoples’ lives; hence, everyone is inquisitive to know more about them. Rationally, the grave consequences of both the items are unknown. They send a sense of fear among the masses, which leads the news channels to over killing their coverage. Additionally, in case of terrorism, it can lead to a highly unpredictable and dreaded way of dying. However, collectively observing the number of deaths due to these threats, I can say that more number of people die because of poverty, accidents, AIDS, or natural death.
Well, if more people die off these, then why don’t the news media provide an extensive coverage to these causes of death? Is it because these causes of death are not as dramatic as terrorism, which involves movie-like blasts and gun fire (however most people are on the receiving/undeserving end)? Or, is it because the minds of people are now used to these threats and they are keener about knowing new things.
The answer to these questions can be given with the aid of neophobic human nature and relativism.
Neophobia is the fear of something new. Most living things are neophobic. Before the past decade, terrorism had not touched our shores so openly. It was limited to some regions of the country. Hence, its present widespread nature across the world is new and has stimulated the neophobic human nature. The neophobhic nature along with the human tendency to relate the present with the past has coupled the fear of terrorism and swine flu among the masses. However, in case of terrorism, the dramatic, cruel, and sudden nature of death has aided in propagating terror among people.
One very significant and grave consequence of relativist psychology with terrorism is associating people of one particular community with terrorism. Few fools across communities are propagating false agendas that we need to ignore and protest in every way possible.
What I’d like to change?
Instead of being scared or scaring others by these phenomenons, what we need to address is to understand their root causes, which is not an easy task. Specifically in case of terrorism, the root cause analysis is a must.
Terrorist organizations’ activities are extortions with no clear demands. They want to get things done in a way that will never reap any results. They are selling fear/terror that we must not buy and thus aid in derailing their campaign.
In case of Swine Flu, we should not pay much heed to the panademic forte of the news channels, but try to learn how to avoid and thus limit swine flu. We must not buy the panicky stories of news channels. Google is available for all the basic information that we need to avoid the spread of disease.
7 comments:
Nice article. There was no cable in my home so had watched DD news quite for a long amount of time. If u r looking for a genuine news specially for India then watch DD news as compared to rest the deliver quite a good news.
Haven't seen DD News for some time new...
nice write-up
Nice thought. I liked the last part. "What I would like to change?" One can easily differentiate between the type of language used on National news channels and the private channels fighting for TRP. "kya hoga iska nateeja? Kaun hai jimmeedar? Jaan ne ke liye dekhiye...". Enough now. Let’s spread knowledge and love instead of terror.
On another note, please change the color of this blog. It becomes very difficult to read. Your thoughts are clear in mind but not easily readable on the screen. Hope you don’t mind.
Nice article.....but I do not agree with your last para .....When we talk about Google access ....India though, one of the fastest growing economy ....our internet access is still less than 50 % & still people in rural area have to rely on source like DD-1 and radio for basic information.....I believe that this is one area where we need to focus as accessibility of internet is must for creating basic awareness among people ....of course safe use of internet among rural people is going to be another big question....
Hi Lokesh, it is always been a pleasure reading stuffs u write or should i say that u rightly write about. I would like to share my own experience with issue of this so called deadly disease Swine Flu of H1N1. It was not until last Saturday that i have seen any person wearing mask, even with the fact that this disease is there from past 3 months. But the attention given to this disease was not that much as much as it is after this Sunday, after the death of a doctor in pune. I have a seen a major sell of mask. The chemist are black marketing it. The doctor are seeing a rush of their lifetime. You can see people covering faces everywhere. You feel as if you are walking with death around yourself even when there is nothing to be fear of, hey anyways i have many more issues to write about, i like your view points, keep writing. And yes there is always google around to help you out on anything.
Hey Arun, thanks a ton for posting the comment. I totally agree with your viewpoint on "walking with death around." The sale of masks had started since last week in Pune as it was more severly hit compared to Mumbai. Although Swine Flu is around 3-4 months old, it didn't come to Indian shores, in the manner that it has done, until August or late July.
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