Journalists or Saviour?

Long living debate in journalistic world is about the humane nature of journalists. When a journalist and camera crew covers a self-immolation story, shouldn't they try to save the life of the man involved rather than keep camera rolling. I was going through Rajdeep sardesai views on this debate in his blog today. His take is covering the story should be the main agenda of the journalist and at same time when they air the stories, they should show some restraint to suit the society. It's a tight ropewalk between hot journalism and voyerism. Recently when a man self-immolated himself against the punjab government, cnn-ibn camera covered the episode and aired it as a top story. The issue snowballed when another farmer died in same way and his death was said to be provocated by the earlier story in the channel.

 

The pictures of a burning man is a compelling story for any news channel to air as a top news. But they should show restraints in social and common sense. Media has got a lot of power in a democracy, as media people are termed as fourth pillar of democracy. The whole fight on reservation by the students would have got fizzled out if there is no media coverage of the issue. When NDTV aired the pictures of suffering patients in AIIMS hospital because of doctor's strike, the motiv of those fighting docs were questioned. When those three girls got burned inside a bus after the then-CM's arrest in Tamilnadu, the camera crew was criticised badly for not saving those poor souls.

 

There were also good instance of journalists playing a saviour role in current Indian politics. Those two episodes of public debate by srinivasan jain of NDTV in support of kushboo and now for Aamir khan are clear examples. When kushboo caught into self-digged controversy over pre-marital sex, there NDTV crew has come forward to pave way for public debate on the episode. The politician Thirumalvalvan, who was leading all the fights in the story, gave up his fights after the debate. Now Aamir khan and Fanaa got into controvery over the actor's remarks on dam on narmada, again NDTV's public debate soothed the fighting souls. Srinivasan jain has managed to pull up gujarat BJP politician from warring side and Aamir khan and his film fraternity in the other side. The debate was healthy and unpartisan. The common people opinion in gujarat was also aired which cleared the mystery about the stand of aam admi of gujarat in the episode. Aamir softened his stand on dam issue and clarified his poistion to the warring politicos. Now the entire film fraternity expressed their solidarity with Aamir.

 

Let the debate continue.

Read more!