Being a journalism student, keeping track of the latest news is a habit and part of the course for me. The most obvious and reliable source of acquiring news for me is through newspapers and news channels. Newspapers, being delivered home for as long as I can remember were the first reading materials I came across as a child. It was the comics’ page and the kids section that first caught my interest and made me the avid reader I am today.

This habit continues till date and reading the newspaper still remains my favourite way to begin a day. Watching the news on television was a habit that started much later, though it became more addictive than the newspaper; thanks to the constant news updates throughout the day, the fluency of the news anchors, the dedication and the enthusiasm of the news reporters and the atmosphere of urgency the news channel managed to create. Sadly though, watching the news today is heartbreaking for a loyal viewer like me.

I have grown up watching journalists such as Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt, Pranoy Roy and Vir Sanghvi report news with passion, delving into every aspect of the news story and leaving no questions unanswered. I have admired the courage with which they investigated every story no matter how dangerous, the command over their language as they spoke and the bluntness with which they presented harsh truths to the nation. Today, after more than a decade of watching the news, I still se the very same journalists struggling to carry the weight of entire news channels on their shoulders. These journalists, though they have made a huge impact in the world of news reporting, do not seem to be facing any competition in the form of successors. There are hardly any news reporters today whose names can be remembered and recollected with the same ease as those of their predecessors, and it looks like these four journalists will rule the news channel circuit for atleast another decade.

But this isn’t the only factor that is saddening. News channels of the present seem to have adopted the ‘tabloid’ style of report-making, entertainment news and sensationalism their highest priorities. Due to the sudden outbreak of more news channels than necessary, each channel is always part of the never ending race to stay ahead of the others. This is resulting in attracting viewers by flashing a ‘breaking news’ banner on the television screen, though the actual news story may have no news value whatsoever. The thinking man is often left wondering whether that particular ‘breaking news’ would have made any difference if it wasn’t reported at all.

It is also very disappointing to witness the people of the country turning into intruders. News reporters and channels have now learnt that the best way to attract viewers is by giving them ‘exclusive information’ about their favourite celebrities. Thanks to the new trend, I personally have to know the likes and the dislikes of many actors, the love interests of quite a few and also their daily routines. High viewership and TRP’s upon

broadcasting this news only encourages the news channels to continue to hunt and interfere in the lives of the rich and the famous to provide gossip to the evrhungry citizen. This new form of news reporting particularly disheartening, as a viewer who wants to watch a news story that will benefit him in some way or might make a difference in his life, often ends up feeling cheated. The most recent example I can think of is the coverage of the Ajmer and the Ludhiana blasts. A mere three hours fater the blasts were reported, many news channels switched to other less important , more entertaining news like the Shahid Kapur – Kareena Kapoor break-up, or the rumour about Rani Mukherjee’s marriage. A certain channel even devoted an entire week to a dance contest for the public, held to promote a soon-to-be released film. The next 24 hours were even worse, as updates on the blasts were mentioned only in passing, while film news continues to hog half-hour specials throughout the day.

The state of affairs has only benefited one group of people: those in the newspaper business. Those people who used to trust news channels to provide them with the latest useful news have now turned their back to reading the ever-reliable newspaper. Though many newspapers have also taken the similar turn that news channels have, there still exist some responsible news sheets whose main concern continues to be the reporting and publishing of useful, beneficial and effective news. This ‘makeover’ that news channels have undergone, according to me, has been for the worse. The extent to which each channel is prepared to go in order to wear the ‘top news channel’ crown has, to be honest, become a bit of a joke. There is only hope that, since I plan to join the good old print media, my peers and fellow course mates from across the country will take upon themselves the responsibility and be able to redeem the fallen hero – the news channel.

Ashley Alleluya

B.A (Journo, Psy & Eng)