Satymev Jayate The attempted suicide by the anchor of a Hindi news channel raises several questions. Who has the answers? If you were to observe the pattern of presentation on Hindi news channels, you would think there is some sort of mitosis at play; that one super anchor has duplicated into many identical anchors; that all reporters have been Dolly sheeped into mike-holding Dadaist harbingers of “breaking news.” They all look the same, sound the same, and shout at the same decibel level. The Hindi channel newsroom is one big factory where everyone has to pass the conformity test of group cohesion. Any attempt to break away from that norm is to stare at an interpersonal abyss. There are indications that an anchor from one such channel fell into this abyss recently and almost drowned in it. Facing harassment from her superiors, Tanu Sharma of India TV tried to end her life. In her own words, she got tired of “being brave.” Her story has been picked up by editors and other TV professionals, most of whom are no longer with the medium. But from within, there has been no shamefacedness so far. It is very likely that Ms Sharma will be dubbed as the one who could not withstand the pressures of “live television.” Her channel and others will go about their business as if nothing happened. Stuck between Amul Macho and Barnala Sariya, there is very little chance of journalism surviving and its sheer tonality not evoking a feeling of irrepressible irony.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 05:07:53 +0000
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