In the quest to be number one, several TV news channels seem to have given up on anything resembling ethical journalism or empathetic coverage.
1. Executive Editor of Aaj Tak, Anjana Om Kashyap heckled doctors in Bihar treating children for encephalitis in the ICU, asking screaming at them about the conditions it the hospital.
2. Another video showed a journalist harassing doctors in Bihar along similar lines.
3. While covering the news of Sridevi’s death, one channel recreated a bathroom setting, wine glass et al.
4. Another reporter even jumped into an actual bathtub while covering the Sridevi story. Completely distasteful and wholly unnecessary.
5. Rahul Kanwal once simulated a battle between Naxals and CRPF personnel in Bastar, one of the worst conflict zones in the world.
He himself didn’t deem it necessary to mention that the entire thing was a simulation – instead, that information would just flash on the screen for a few moments. Many people called out the superficiality of TV news today, featuring star anchors who are far removed from the ground realities of a situation.
6. The bizarre visual of Anand Narasimhan flying around in an animated quadcopter while covering the Indian elections.
It may have been a never-before-seen feature on Indian TV, but it also looked desperate.
7. One channel ran a ridiculous piece claiming aliens abducted the downed AN-32 aircraft that killed all 13 on board.
While there are still a few channels that maintain their integrity, they’re few and far between. The sad part is that antics like these get the numbers, which means soon, there won’t be any respectable news outlets left.
Journalism has lost its soul. Instead of fighting for what’s right and bringing the truth to light, the end game nowadays is to get attention by any means necessary, no matter who gets hurt in the process. The death knell for watchable news has been rung, and it’s a tragic loss for all of us.