Mar 15, 2009

What happened then? Did it work?

The one thing I hate about media is their lack of accountability and responsibility. When they report an incident considering it to be newsworthy (even though it is totally unimportant), the readers have the full rights to know the complete background and the end results. If you say that the Indian cricket team is touring New Zealand, you do not leave it at that. You follow it up with complete coverage of what happened in New Zealand (with some times going into really unwanted details). I demand that same yardstick applies to all reported news items; especially those that receive a big coverage.

We have read many reports of how marriages are performed to animals in different parts of India for several reasons, though the most common reason tends to be for invoking rain. Now everybody who reads news in India knows that such marriages are common. In fact, there have been coverages of marriages where a man or a woman ends up getting married to an animal such as a donkey or a dog. So when you report something that is already known just because it creates some false excitement amidst the readers, you better hold yourself accountable and follow up with that news piece. In this case, I claim my right to know whether the move paid off and if the Assamese did get rain very soon after this marriage or if Barun Devata was unmoved even after such a great offering. If it did work maybe everyone can practise these rituals whenever rain is wanted.

When people start demanding that providing coverage of just the incident is not enough and that they need further follow up, then the media will stop coverage of such silly things.

2 comments:

Filarial March 16, 2009 at 11:43:00 AM EDT  

In Nelli's words... "poda poda.. yengyoo poite machi nee".. :D

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