SIGHT & SOUND
2006 goes to media power
Amita Malik

When one looks back on 2006, one has to admit that it has provided more drama, human interest and public participation in momentous events than any recent year I can think of.

Let us start with people’s power. Can anyone deny that media attention led to public outrage and a burning desire to chip in? The Jessica Lal case was the latest, but we have had Priyadarshini Mattoo and, at the moment, are hoping for justice in the Katara case. The media relentlessly pursued all these cases and, as if by a miracle, people who were strangers to the families of the victims, started organising public protests. The moving candle-lit, silent protests, the way young people in particular organised themselves to make their voices heard, are unforgettable images of the ordinary people of India showing they cared and that they believed in the judiciary.

The most damaging fact that emerged from these murder cases was that the accused were the sons of important people who literally thought they could get away with murder. The rich, it seemed, could always get the better of the poor. But no longer. And when one looks at the families of the murderers or alleged murderers one finds that most of them had political clout. Sons of ministers, sons and daughters of MLAs, relatives of former Presidents of India, the list is endless. The son of one politician is involved in two murder cases. It cannot get worse than that. All this was brought out by the media, which also interviewed the sisters, fathers and mothers of the victims and, indeed, gave them courage to carry on their fight because support from the media meant support from the people.

After the lower court had acquitted Manu Sharma in the Jessica Lal case, the public staged silent protests

And, alas, a top TV personality, now a politician, Navjot Singh Sidhu, has also been convicted of culpable homicide. And to one’s distress, he is carrying on in his old arrogant way. Instead of expressing any regret for the death of a man who was someone’s father, husband and brother, he has the gall to say on TV that the whole nation is behind him. I doubt if South India, eastern India and perhaps western India are either interested in Sidhu or sympathetic to him. Indeed, as an Indian citizen, I would like to say publicly that my heart is certainly not bleeding for Sidhu. In fact, I am ashamed of the way he has conducted himself since the verdict.

Then we have had a wonderful year of sport: cricket and the Asian Games — with their share of drama with Leander/Mahesh, the error about Rana and the man of the games, and the gender fiasco. But definitely Doordarshan has to get its radio-oriented commentators properly trained to attain some professional status.

Meanwhile, the international channels delight us with their visuals, sound and expert commentaries. The end of the year also saw the new channel CNN-IBN complete a year. What has genuinely disappointed me is that in many respects its programmes are a carbon copy of NDTV’s familiar programmes, sometimes at identical timings. And since many of the faces at the top and its reporters are former NDTV personnel, it all becomes a bit deja vu after a time.

I shall look forward to more original ideas, less urban bias and less boasting of its own star values which makes it sound a little defensive at times. Times Now, on the other hand, has fewer new faces (incidentally its women anchors, with their understatement of make-up makes their faces look a little too white at times. Fair and Lovely?).

But Times Now has tried out many original ideas, has very few faces from NDTV, except for Arnab Goswami, and it has something of a new look. Like the other new channel, it keeps on claiming exclusives, impacts and breaking news to such an extent that one gets a little suspicious after a time. Leave it to the viewers to judge.

NDTV, in whose favour I have been accused of bias, is now launching into entertainment with the aid of Karan Johar. Some of Prannoy Roy’s programmes involving young people are without peer and the fact that its Profit channel is now being shown on a large outside screen at the Mumbai Stock Exchange is certainly innovative. As is obvious, as far as English channels go, NDTV is a trendsetter and since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I think viewers, biased or otherwise, will continue to enjoy it.

Meanwhile, Aaj Tak forges ahead. Its English counterpart (Headlines Today) carries on in a modest way with some modest and competent young anchors as well confident veterans like Chetan Sharma.

TAILPIECE: May I remind channels that when they claim to be the bestest and mostest and win awards for it, Hindi and English are not the only languages in India and some of the South Indian channels and Bengali ones not only exist but do very well indeed.

Happy listening and viewing in 2007!