news channels– panel discussions….
Here in India, the electronic media is in habit of setting up a panel of experts to discuss the most recent and relevant issue. Good thing if the program achieves what it was set for. There have been many anchors/hosts who have carried out the job very well and enriched the discussion on the topics.
But of late and particularly in the past week there have been multiple incidents of the hosts forgetting their role in the panel and trying to get the panel to agree to their opinion.
Case 1:- NDTV 24/7.
On the background of the Aarushi Talwar’s murder the panel was posed the question…. “the murder, allegedly by her father for honor is sign of crumbling family values?”
Along with panel the question was open to the public to to reply by sms.
As the discussion furthered, the expert tried to reason out and explain that these things have been happening in India for long. It is nothing new. They cited numerous examples, both recent and historical where family members have been killed for the upkeep of the name and honor. The anchor was in dismay, he couldn’t believe that the experts were not reckoning it as crumbling values. To boost his case he drew attention to the peoples opinion, a whooping 80% plus had said that yes the family values are crumbling. The next question was clincher. “How can you differ from the public opinion?”….. helloo.. what are discussions meant to be??
Case 2:- CNN iBN
The result analysis of the Karnataka assembly polls.
This panel consisting of politicians and analysts was being hosted by the senior editor of the channel Sagarika Ghosh.
The discussion being political was expected to be charged up and it sure was.
But the show stealer Ms. Ghosh.
She went all the way to call it a black day for the Karnataka history!!!!
Now it seems that Ghosh is a Congress supporter and couldn’t take the party defeat in its stride. As an individual she has all the right to be politically aligned and be a loyalist, But to call it a black day simply because some other party won, that to on live broadcast and in capacity of an editor/ panel host is uncalled for and highly unprofessional to say the least.
She needn’t have looked far for role model. she should have observed her chief Rajdeep Sardesai. He started the day believing in the exit poll predictions of Cong-JDs win, wearing a green kurta, As the day progressed and it was clear that BJP has won, he simply switched over to a saffron. ( thats a very subtle way of indicating your loyalties and at the same time accepting the verdict of the people). No going over the top and claiming it to be a black day or slamming the people of Karnataka for voting the BJP into power.
This trend of filing in your opinions as stories and forcing it as news is disturbing, and specially so when the channels claim to be independent. If like some in print media, you have declared affiliations, people will know it and take your views and reports with a pinch of salt. But as independent channel, you simply can’t let go of your journalistic values and systems.
If you continue being adamant about your opinions, how do people trust your other stories? how can they be sure that this is not being published for the benefit of some of your business partners/ affiliates?? or if a particular article/ show is completely biased in favor of your personal beliefs??
Having your opinions and beliefs is accepted and expressing it also your right, but certainly not when you are performing your duties as editor of an independent news channel.
