Media Trials

Electronic and print media in India have cemented their position as the 4th pillar of the democracy, the other three being Legislature, Judiciary, and Executive. Indian media has evolved a lot after independence from the British Colonial rule, and in recent years, I really think that the quality of journalism, in particular, has downgraded a lot.

The worst thing about the current privileges that the Indian media enjoys today, is that there is no limit to the crap that is served to us daily, for a number of reasons. While some may say it is very easy to sit in a room and write all you want to write about whatever you want (criticize anyone you want), but isn’t that exactly what the Indian media is doing today?

What are Media trials?

Media trial is something that everyone is aware of but happens to refrain from speaking about it because well, in secrecy, we all enjoy a bit of spicy angle to any normal legal proceeding against anyone.

I hate it from the core of my being.

Since there are no provisions or concrete laws for restricting or limiting the reach of media anywhere in the country, journalists have become reckless. There was a time when journalism focused on critically dissecting an issue, and let the people decide their stand on that issue while remaining neutral itself.

Journalists today are getting carried away very easily because of two reasons- one is money and the other is easy fame.

In a highly competitive environment, media houses are holding nothing back and in a bid to stay ahead of the TRP fiasco, are serving anything and everything, and surprisingly, people enjoy it! So basically, these media houses are making money out of our ignorance.

So, media trial starts as soon as a legal proceeding is started against any accused, and long before our judiciary could pass a judgment on the innocence or guilt of the individual standing trial. AND instead of critically analyzing the whole situation and sensitivity of the trial, they start feeding opinions of their own to the general public.

Social implications of Media trials

0 to 100 in 60 seconds is all it takes media to escalate a sensitive issue and blow it out of proportion. Why? Because they earn money for scandalizing everything! And yes, we pay to watch that scandal, and before we have digested one, there are hundreds of scandals waiting to be revealed. When the money is made and everything is said and done, the whole scandal vanishes in thin air.

Have you ever realized what are our kids learning out of this? The next time you switch on a news channel, and World War 14 has already started on that particular news channel, think about what you are teaching your kids with a press of a button.

Legal cases that require due diligence and thorough analysis of the case at hand, get messed up real quick. A so-called accused who might be originally innocent can be proved guilty through these media trials as public opinion is formulated in no time. Similarly, a guilty may be proved innocent if he/she is popular among the public, and people look up to him/her or idealize him/her.

Rape is another such sensitive topic which unfortunately media houses exploit for their own benefit, without thinking about the psychological impacts that will have and do have on the victim. Why do you think half of the time girls are afraid of coming out and expressing their grief in public?

Media trials drive public opinions like a wind blower directing the flow of fire on dry leaves. A popular politician wins an election by a huge margin because well he/she is popular AND pays the media houses hefty money. Similarly, another politician is made fun of openly and people enjoy the stand-up comedy because the media chooses to show us that individual in a particular light.

What can we do to control this?

I personally think that the best way to bring about a revolutionary change is to teach our kids how to do what to do. All we can do is take a break from these news channels/newspapers and switch to meaningful portals online to start with. It is important for our future generation to understand the intricate complexities of the social fabric.

Teaching kids is actually very easy, because believe it or not, they follow adults every single moment, and try to mimic their actions to feel more adult-like. That is the best we can do to control the impact of the unbridled and unrestricted reach of media, thereby limiting the impact on our mental health. For example, I turn off the TV whenever World War is going on some news channel, or when people are sympathizing with a star kid or a popular superstar for the crimes they have committed.

And I read.

Final thought

While I have tried my best to keep my frustration under readable limits, the anger is real. Those of you who wish to disagree can drop in comments/suggestions and we can have an open discussion any day!

Nothing personal, cheers!