336. TV Editors -Think hard and act before it is too late : Save institution of TV editor from public disgrace

25 January 2009

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them”-Albert Einstein

We faltered again—abjectly-- on altar of TRP just within a week. We rejoiced live interview in our studios with two robbers who treated the TV channel office as safe haven after attempting to commit bank robbery. Police vehicles were on manhunt for them all over Delhi. When channel aired robbers’ live interview, not to be outdone on TRP front, another rival channel called in the parents of the gang leader and went live with sobbing mother’s emotion soaked “my son cannot do this, he is being framed”. We assumed the role of investigator, prosecutor and above all the judge. Kudos.

Was our pledge for the cause feeble or are we too weak to live up to such a pledge?

Rajdeep on behalf of all the TV editors through an impromptu Press conference in front of PM House took a pledge to clean the present Indian TV media of all the perceived or real dirt. And, we all know, the pledge was not to the PM or his government but to the people of this country. In the present developments such a pledge was ineluctable for the very existence of the institution of editor in electronic media.

Are we ready to honor this pledge? Besides, it leads us to four basic issues: Is it required; Is our resolve tenuous; What is our capability (on the face of market forces and owners’ obvious interest); and, last and most important, will such move be commercially viable?

First Issue: We have already talked at length about justification of such a move. Posterity will not absolve us of the guilt that despite instant/quick recognition that this profession offers (a reporter/anchor becomes a celebrity in five years enjoying high salary while his print counterpart takes decades to get there), we did not raise the bar of journalism. Besides, we remained pliant rather active collaborator when TRP considerations superceded the hitherto established news parameters. Instead of changing the quality of news content we changed the very format of news. Now at this stature we are under scanner of the society. Shall we go as pliant representatives of this institution or as one who got up against palpable degeneration? Yes, it does not mean that we will ignore the requirement to expand the viewership base or retaining the commercial viability?

Second issue: Once we embark on this great venture we are going to suffer certain unwanted situation. But there are ways to wriggle out of that. Let us find the way out rather than break and disintegrate. And mind you, even if you think of individual interest, any show of weakness or faltering would not spare you. I tell you how. News slot is continuously shrinking under pressure of market forces. What is being dished out in the name of news does not require knowledge of institutions, system, constitutional arrangement in a democratic polity, economic fallacies, statecraft, inter-and intra-institutional conflicts and so on and so forth. It requires strong leg muscles, tenacity to withstand insult by Amars and contemptuous glance by Rakhi Sawants, understanding of trivialities that can instantly give stunning impact (postitive or negative). What are we giving to society today? Saanp-Bichhu, Aapka Bhavishya, Bik Raha Hai mera Kunwarapan aath crore rupaye main –Model Raffle ka Ailan. It requires salacious thinking rather than experience to present such items. A semi-cultured youngster can do it in a better way. He will be cheaper also commercially.

Most of you are in mid-40s. Whatever be your claim your reflexes will be getting blunt. Your experience will cease to count. Your knowledge will become impediment to the emerging format. You will eventually become redundant and out of market. This format has an inherent quality of picking up new guys. Industry is ruthless, believe it or not.

Third Issue: What market forces are; how real news too can catch eye-balls; and how we can regain respect from the masses and the organization (owner and colleagues) we work for.

By next year the total size of Ad. revenue is expected to cross $ one trillion across the world. That is the size of total Indian economy (GDP). This revenue size is expected to treble in next five years to $three trillion that is as high as total GDP of China and a little less than that of Japan. All top media players of the world are eying this treasure trove. In India add revenue is around $ 4.20 billion which is 0.4 per cent of the GDP and as much of the global share.

A subtle move is underway across the world to see that all obstacles of profit maximization are removed. Among institutions responsible for building public opinion, Media is the most powerful and was till-yesterday credible. Institution of editor and work of journalism are two impediments in profit maximization. So either change the format of journalism or metamorphose the editor. They adopted both. As news content has been replaced by a heavy dose of entertainment people are virtually morphed. There is a dumbing down of Indian society. People have lost their capability to identify and discuss public issues. They have been de-politicized. They discuss Raju Srivastav; they discuss vulgar and double-meaning jokes when they meet colleagues or go back home. On Sundays they go to Mall. What is not known is that there is a corresponding loss for media owners also in making the society dumb. I will tell you how.

It is true that there is a massive potential with the growth of economy. But the problem with this economic model is that wealth concentrates in a few hands. According to James Petras in India the 35 rich families possess wealth which is more than the total wealth of 80 crore people. Gini coefficient ( an index of rich-poor divide) suggests this ever-widening chasm between the rich and the poor. In the absence of a political will and with poor and corrupt delivery mechanism, the State is hardly interested in transferring this wealth or part of it to the poor.

Now if an organization gets TRP from that section of Indian masses that have scant purchasing power it would not fetch the desired revenue. TRP will cease to be directly proportional to revenue generation. The stuff we are dishing out titillates lower-middle class which will continue to get poorer by the day. TRP may increase in consequence but revenue may not correspondent--a commercially not-so-convincing exercise. Remember the steel tea cups. As they were adopted by middle and lower middle class, upper middle and higher classes never allowed it inside their kitchen. If present TV news content is getting closer to the lower middle class, media barons should get alarmed. News longevity will be very short –hardly two decades.

Besides, when a middle class family head (for whom his kids’ capability to stay afloat in the race is important) starts feeling that even news –watching is not good for them, than it should be taken seriously. Those who are rejoicing in dance of Rakhi Sawant have neither purchasing power nor influence to be imitated by lower sections of society. We are fast losing vast body of middle class.

So much for TRP and short-sightedness of market forces.

Next issue is: How real news can catch eye-balls. When I say real news it means public utility news. Our role as per the fundamentals of democracy is to create a market place for competing ideas and cater to the social needs and not wants or aspirations.

Issues to be highlighted as great eye-catcher are: Present economic model with its positive and negative aspects, the growing expectation from the state institutions and the latter’s inability to fulfill them, inter- and intra-institutional clashes, total depletion of social capital, a phenomenon that has stunned the western world no ends—are some of the issues. So are job market for hundreds of millions of youth. New career options or lack of it. No Rakhi Sawant dance can match a story on career options or a media attempt to make Government create more jobs. A campaign for making vocational training available at door step and making nitrogenous fertilizers available will also get un-measurable TRP as also revenue from the middle class. Any effort to restore value endears middle class. We can train our reporters to keep an eye on stories where values were demolished or given a go-bye. I am sure it will have instant viewers—from the upper-middle class to middle class which spend.

Coverage of Salva Jhudum –its positive and negative aspects will have no match across the country. For the past 15 years one rural bank branch closes down every day whereas one farmer every six hours commits suicide. A deep analysis will make a large section of viewers interested ---such items are habit forming and you will find within one year Rakhi Sawant will cease to be favorite.

And eventually we will start commanding respect from both –the Indian masses and the organization’s brass.

Let us give it a try. We have nothing to lose given the anticipated dangers.

[N K Singh is a Political Editor with ETV. He can be contacted at 2E/12, Jhandewalan Extension, New Delhi –110-055 e-mail: singh.nk@etv.co.in M-bile 9312623020]

Contact Us

Publications

Join our Mailing List

See What others Say about NSA

NSA Databases

NSA Advisory Board

Go to Policy Brief Contents Page

************************