As a journo, I hang my head in shame at the spineless behaviour of the media ever since the maha frustrated raj thackeray shot his mouth off. I don’t have space in newspapers anymore to speak my mind, but I would have gladly run this piece in the mass media at great risk to my life and limb.
Thackeray is a desperate man, and will do desperate things to be relevant in Maharashtra politics. Clearly, what he says is utter rubbish, and his insecure cousin has now joined the Marathi manus party. Sadly, there are enough gullible voters who will fall for this trickery, unmindful of the fact that this approach puts the safety of Marathis in great peril in the rest of the nation, ignorant of the fact that this crappy thinking will divide the nation into many disunited states, when it’s our safety from international terror agents that we should be worrying about. Add to that the fact that the state has a totally chicken hearted CM, a man for whom bravery and courage are four-letter words.
In such a damned scenario, it is the media that needs to take control before it’s too late. As a first step, one would expect editors to be writing front page edits on a daily basis on why the city WILL NOT take this sort of divisive politics lying down. There must be immense pressure put on the netas to shut their dirty mouths, and to try and educate people into seeing through their dangerous games. And as the next step, the Thackeray cousins should be blacked out from the media until they mend their ways. Media coverage is like oxygen for them, that’s what they feed on. Once the supply is cut, they are finished.
There is that toothless body called the Editor’s Guild, which I think meets once in six months over chai and pakodas, and does little else. The politicians will do what they are best at: take the nation backward. It is the media that needs to kick some bad arse, and in this case, we have been failed.
The biggest news right now is Sanju’s marriage with Manayata. God help this nation.
8 comments:
I wish there were more journo like you in media, BOLD, writing from heart. Alas! we have more of manipulative kind sucking to their bosses.
Wish you were srill writing in a mainstream newpaper...fully agree with what you have to say...media has forgotten its role and has become the lap-dog of the ministers and stars who use them when they need them and shove them away when they don't need them anymore...but what else can you expect from media houses that are backed by business houses who view it nothing more than a business segment...
Only a chicken hearted CM???
What about the PM and the President????
None of them deserve the posts they have....
And about the press Maharashtra, I suppose this is way the media operates in Shanghai :P:P
There are plenty of people who would willingly agree with you. I am one of them. The only difference is that,they unlike you are scared of the consequences.
I have time and again informed them (the newspapers) that they are spineless/gutless creatures who promote only the underworld and such other characters detrimental to the country's/peoples safety & security.
They do it for:
1. Protection from these goons.
2. Get money from them.
3. Increase sales and declare themselves No1. A very good feeling at what cost?
4. They have no reading matter, except the above, advts. & Stars.
Yes they are more of a filmi Magazine than a news bulletin.
Even the electronic media. It's a shame/pity how they keep on repeating the same story/scene again and again.
Then we have the so called elite fraternity...Complete silence, the characters who write about themselves...They must realize that there will be a time when trouble will come knocking at their door (unless they have also paid for protection)
God forbid the day when one of their close relatives/friends are caught in this fracas, because anyone can be targetted by these goons. See the poor HAL staffer.
Dear Anil,
Good words these. However, as much we like--I am also work in a newspaper--you know full well how things work in a news organisation. You know better than me, Anil, that news media do not and cannot have one voice/ideology. It's just not possible to blank out someone just because he's been a menace. I wish we could, though.
It's not about cowardice. It's about how you cannot control some things like how media work
Hi
I fully agree with you that the media has gone to the dogs.journos like you should be on the fore front. But its the other way round.Every one wants to play safe. Freedom of speech can be best pracitsed by those in media.Yes the said guild should make a decision not to give coverage to the miscreants causing so much of loss to life and property mainly of the poor and hard working even if they are migrants.
Rita Som
I read one of yr articles in Mid-day .. long time ago, where are u writing these days huh? No more interviews with the Thackereys?
if people r attacked because they belong to a different state then all the cities have to be emptied. what is the thakerays upto?
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