Keh ke lena.....Y I HATE JOURNALISM!

Teri keh ke loonga- Not sure how many of U watched the latest Wasseypur saaga. If U watched the bell would have rang while reading the title it self !! "KEH KE LOONGA" has become a cult long ago and no need to mention every one loved the song and started humming on a daily basis when ever they are frustrated , to take revenge on boss , to show their hatred on some one , to show angst through their write ups etc but the reason I named this article as keh ke lena is not to discuss wasseypur again (have done a lot of it)! KEH KE LOONGA is my favorite song too and I want to dedicate this to most of the journalists in our country who feel very proud about this task “Keh ke lena”. As you are here you may want to read this post written some 2years back about"Indian media – misusing freedom?" .The situation didn’t get better in these 2years. It actually worsened . With the intervention of too much of online media in our lives be it facebook , blogs , twitter and tumblr etc everyone wants to voice their thoughts , share some news or report an incident.  

Funniest are FB posts where a grave accident in US which killed 5 Indian students is discussed as importantly as Aradhya bachan’s revelation. Everyone wants to talk one thing or the other. It’s definitely good to discuss, share opinions and voice your thoughts or fight for your rights if needed but here am going to discuss what happens when it becomes “excess” and when every other crap occurrence is entitled as “NEWS” or “REPORT”!

You all must be aware of the Guawahati molestation case. Am sure many of us would have forgotten  those criminals’ names and none would be knowing the actual law and punishment in India in such case but almost all would know how to search on you tube. WAIT! Why to search?!If you open You tube it might show up in most viewed or featured videos as well! 8 out of  10 Indians who have access to Internet would definitely have watched this video sighing and pitying : “Ah Poor girl! This shouldn’t have happened?”

MEDIA covered it very well. The way those animals held her, tore her clothes, her replies etc. When someone shared it I couldn’t go beyond 30 sec. It all seemed like a plot. Who is actual MEDIA? Who took the video? Who stopped the act is all in haze. I was disturbed for a week or so and then forgot about the news like many. I heard 4-5 people were arrested. Yep media say they have done a great job but one from the same media was also arrested for encouraging the criminals in their heinous act! I was glad at least few were arrested (GOD KNOWS IF AT ALL THEY ARE REALLY PUNISHED). Even after the arrests I don’t feel like thanking the MEDIA as I HATE THE MEDIA’s style of reporting, passing the information to people. Is it necessary to repeat and re-repeat the news and the clippings of the crime?  I never understood the TRPS but Media is ever ready to make people feel uncomfortable or sick!

When YSR (A.P.’s X CM- Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy) expired in that tragic helicopter accident the news which was AP’s sensation 2 years back a news channel which sighted the copter remnants displayed the news in BIG BOLD letters BREAKING NEWS. We were speechless , sorrowful but at the same time I was feeling funny as the reporter continuously shouted PLEASE NOTE THAT IT is our channel ** TV which reported this incident first. I was not even sure if he mentioned that the CM of A.P. died!! It was outrageous and hilarious at the same time. Such is the craving of news channels and journalists (most of them) to earn brownies! You all must be aware of Peepli Live and Rann Movies.

Media concentrated a lot on Aish’s weight than Saina winning Bronze medal. There is a eve teasing, a rape or murder or women bullied in NCR or some other committed suicide you can see media hovering around the crime scene like dementors (it is harry potter Lingo) with their Jet black Cameras and microphones! It’s very difficult for them to report without sucking the life out of you! Once I saw some mishaps in Ashram where people are actually drugged to make them feel “spiritual” and then the swamy does his cheap tactics and acts with disciples specially women. I don’t remember which swamy and when it happened but I remember that I felt like puking and switched off the TV like always as the program was covered for more than 1 hour. One thing I don’t understand about reporters is they report the happenings but what after that? Do all follow up to see if there is a progress due to their efforts? Do all cross check if justice has been granted?  That swamy still takes spiritual lessons and I keep seeing his hoardings and ads. 

 I guess most of the media have their  best interests in just showing what all they want to and then move on to another grave news or Ram charan’s  or Genelia’s wedding or a made up weather report . To me all three kind of news seem to be handled with same intensity and seriousness by many news channels.

The purpose of writing this article is some blog I recently read where I got rude responses from the author who claims he is a journalist! Am sure Barkha dutt or Karan Thapar or the man who is barred recently Aseem  Rastogi (for his cartoons [A wicked act but a sensible one which reflects Indian politicians and corruption]) or many other International journalists  would be more polite than him while replying! I myself have interacted with many magazine editors and international reporters. There is a journalist from Gulf who writes serious journals and addresses issues and reports them. He replies to me patiently me being just another reader! Every other naive or experienced journalist or reporter should learn first how to talk without losing their cool when a reader expresses concern or needs a clarification. You cant just escape by saying. Am a reporter so I report. Face it! Am not sure if they have this session on"  how to talk to your readers?" in their journalism classes!

Firstly the report (as he says that he is a reporter and he would report no matter what) he made on his website was about some fake religious website where a person (obviously you can imagine the sanity or ignorance levels of the person on the other side of the box) will chat with you and help you in getting converted to a particular religion! The name of the religion was written in CAPS in his title which itself is a bit provoking and places the reader if he is from the same religion in DISCOMFORT zone! The post is given a PS: Not to hurt anyone and NOM and not to be serious etc etc. Any post which has this is bound to hurt someone or the other!  COME ON WE ARE BLOGGING almost since valmiki shouted Maramaramara. The chat conversations were pasted where the person in hoodwink who wants to get  you converted asks all his doubts to the other one blaming “Your religion is no good right?? (I am not writing the exact snippets as I don’t feel like) I heard this and this about it ."

What will anyone expect the other person will reply?!  He will obviously say, “NOPE! We are good, holy . That’s all a hoax!”

What irritated me more were not the website authorities’ most expected replies but the way the person who is investigating the website asked the questions. Any sane person would know that website is a big joke and ignore it but he being a journalist wanted to investigate it, know its authenticity and report to people. Even if I think on a bigger picture am not sure if he is doing any good to mankind due to this mocking- report! To me it showed the hidden intentions to showcase the bad and there’s no sign of him asking anything about religion itself!  He first of all dug from excavations some site which nobody knew even existed and then highlighted it with the chat convo he had using some temporary ID and pasted all the replies!

Anybody who say they are neutral will definitely be from similar kind of journalism or a person who knows the journalist or someone who is not sensitive and doesn't bother enough or a person who thinks the effort is a heroic act. Even I felt irritable when I saw such fake website exists but god knows how many more such websites exist taken the infinite religions in to count. There are even people who are claiming after that post in some argument that “In so and so religion I never saw such site!” Did he/she go through ALL the websites of that religion? I don’t think it is humanly possible to do that and how exactly did that report help people?

My only concern is when there is already so much havoc in the world due to religious rivalry and so many other important issues is there something good achieved by notifying this website to people ??Ya Ya people got alert and are surprised and shocked but this could have been done in a better way too but as a matter of fact the reporter claims it was neither mockery nor foolery just a clean report! Leave good or bad, is this post even necessary in present day scenario! Well I don’t see any use due to this report.  The only result is few laughs and mocks from the fellas and friends and pats by colleagues as if it is a “BRAVO” act! To me it was an unnecessary provoking act. So was to many others.

Some diplomatic people say it was just unleashing the fact and being a reporter if the purpose is only to report whatever big or small the sector of people is getting offended then I HATE SUCH JOURNALISM! I hate the holier than thou journalists who think writing and then giving adamant replies and apologizing in public will resolve everything. There is nothing “heroic” about all this to me!

So friends I want to conclude this article by wishing and hoping abundant sanity exists in the world. If there is insanity then reporting the insanity in such a way that sane people’s brains get blocked is more insane and I guess whenever a person is writing or reporting something with regards to religion  and then gets rude on hearing peoples perspectives should be ready to taste sour grapes!

PS: I respect all religions and hence am not digging in to the mess they create or the fake-ness and fairness of any religion and harness my knowledge coz am least bothered about all such reports! I am only bothered about silly reports getting projected in a sillier useless way!

If Keh- Ke – lena is the motto of many journalists then I am glad that am not in to this profession which long long ago used to be a dreamy profession to me!