I generally love reading The Sunday Times, because Sunday is the only day of the week (apart from Friday, when I have college late) that I get to read the paper in some depth. Also, they do run some interesting columns and supplements (for a change) on Sundays. Today’s special report, however, was on ‘Newspapers being harmful as they report only negative news items’. This seemed to me the height of inanity, if there’s such a word.
I don’t know about newspapers being harmful or not, but this much is true. No newspaper gives a completely impartial view of any event. Except maybe the robberies and such events, which come on the second page, and run only to two lines anyway. Even otherwise, the comments of people paint the event in one light or another. Maybe its inevitable and your opinion just seeps into your writing, as it does when I’m writing now. But this same opinion will influence the thousands who are reading the journalist’s writing. And that’s why they say that a journalist needs to exercise responsibility.
Also, the selection of news items that are run and the sequence in which they are run seems highly laughable at times. Sometimes, the news items themselves are laughable. And this occurs mainly in the 24 hour news channels, which having to run news 24 hours a day, seek news in everyday matters. I mean, since when did Preity Zinta going to Vaishnodevi become a news flash? (I seriously saw this on Headlines Today). Also, at times when they do get a piece of news, it is totally irritating the way they run the same news bits and interviews again and again for days together. It also causes small events to be blown totally out of proportion as there is so much news time spent on non issues, and also not to mention the non issues covered due to people canvassing for publicity.
Anyway, coming back to the topic of newspapers reporting only negative items, such a thought should be out of question if newspapers were totally objective. Because as a journalist you are supposed to write it as you see it. And most people do see the positive and the negative.
However if you see the major events reported in the news, they do have a lot of death and disaster. Is it because that’s what people want to read about? I wonder. I mean, isn’t it nicer to read about someone accomplishing or achieving something, than so many disasters. Doesn’t it make you feel better to read about honest officials than a corrupt one? But I have never yet come across an honest official in the news. Reading positive things just leaves you with that inner glow. Ya, of course, the point of news is to make you know what’s going on in the world, but isn’t it as likely that positive things are going on as much as disasters? Or maybe its just a rule of journalism, that you give importance to negative facts…then the article probably had a point….
BY NANDINI
posted by Nandini at 10:02 PM
4 Comments:
Its probably the ideal that a journalist should be unbiased and report tings just as they are, but, i think its inevitable that his opinion creeps into it.
Apart from just reporting facts, you have hell lot of politics involved with media, as u said canvassing etc..
And as y to occurance of negative news items more than the positive ones, i dont think its because ppl want to read abt such things..its simply that in reality, there are more unplesant stuff happening than achievements and kind.
If you are reading the Times of India, you must know that times exists for market value and solely market value.
The motivation for most of the articles, along with providing the news is to make it something ppl can read like an easily digestible story book , enjoy and forget
Well, I remember President's comment on such negative news reporting a couple of weeks back. In Israel, when the war's going on, the front page reports of a boy having made a living out of making useful things out of waste cardboard. The war and death were in the inner papers. THIS, he said was journalism, where the motive is not only the news, but also the reports of how fast the nation's progressing.
On the whole, I think I can safely say that India, on the whole, loves to read about the negativities. The misery, the poverty, the crime excites us. We like to know how nasty the country has become and not know that our own neighbourhood has a throng of people who're NICE and amiable.......funny, but true, this is how most of us. And I have to agree with Ashok about Times running for market value.
Most people I know vie for Bangalore Times before they even as much as look at the main newspaper. I'm not saying that BT has nothing of importance in it but it's more like a tabloid in my opinion. News items like "Jessica Simpson says she wasn't seeing Nick Carter" are in bols letters with a pretty female adorning the corner appeal more than an inspirational story of a handicapped woman working hard and fighting hardships!!!!
Well, I don't know what else to say!!! Maybe, that's the way it is and that's the way we've chosen to be.......
A few people may like reading the negativities, while a few would want to read stories of motivation, but the whole purpose of a newspaper is defeated if it focuses on any one side of things.
Basically, newspapers are meant to give the news, to the point...be it good or bad.
The stories, the opinions, the supplements...they are all just additions to the main reason for the newspaper to 'be'.
A good journalist is one who 'reports' things exactly the way they are, from a third person's point of view, neither for, nor against.
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