I can become a TV star- The self indulgent world of Indian TV journalism

Who thinks Indian TV journalists are left liberal, self indulgent and loud raise your hands? Well nobody? That’s understandable. We have really come a long way from the kind of news Doordarshan used to dole out. Some sari clad middle aged dame or some infinitely bored dude would read pre determined script and censorship was at its worst. It’s also a good thing that we have made celebrities out of journalists like Barkha Dutt, Rajdeep Sardesai, Arnab goswami and suchlike, which has made TV journalism a promising and exciting career to take up. But sadly for me that’s the best thing that can be said about them.

Yesterday Barkha Dutt anchored a one hour show on Noida killings. She also filed a report before she started discussion with the panel. She had made up her mind that the story is as much about class as it is about crime, and she snubbed anybody who didn’t agree with her during the discussion. It was as if she wanted to show that her interpretation of the news bit ,was the only correct one, poor Kiran Bedi kept harping about attacking the root problem, but never got listened to.

I am not saying the Noida killings were not about class, of course it is (I thought the poor don’t get listened to in this country and the rich do, was no longer news). But as a journalist you are not supposed to throw your opinion on an audience, at least good journalists do not. In her emotion and stupid attempt to prove the class angle, innovative solutions didn’t get thrown up, which, given the quality of the panel was a real possibility.

It’s not only Barkha (I like the way she conducts We the People), it’s true of all the stars, especially that incorrigible Rajdeep. They behave not as journalists but some altruistic saviours of society and almost never in the discussions any genuine idea or solutions come up. Also predictably they are all left liberals, who harp continuously on the rich poor divide, without ever understanding why. I thought I can never become a journalist because I can hardly argue or conduct a discussion without throwing in my opinion, but going by our TV stars, I have hope