If you watch TV News, you’re part of the problem
It’s been 4 years since I have watched News on TV; before that also I’d limit myself to NDTV and could never tolerate channels like “Times Now” or “Zee News” etc. But being on social media one knows what’s happening in TV News world. Now when the outcry I hear from people that “TV News has found a new low” or “TV News can’t get lower than this” and the same people will say this anchor did this or that program did that, clearly tells that they still watch those news channels. So if you are watching TV News, irrespective of reason, I think you are part of the problem and not solution.
What I have made out of this news issue of last few years is this is organized nexus, which exploits Indian TV viewer’s behavior of enjoying the nonsense high decibel shit. Well known ex TV personality Aunindyo Chakravarty has recently shared multiple content on this, how easy is to game this. The shittier the content, the higher the rating. Keeps govt happy as well as no one questions establishment and the channel keeps getting ads from private (high eyeballs) and govt agencies (loyal and high eyeballs).
Majority people in India have no expectation of any improvement from govt and many are happy that govt has been following a certain ideology and everything else can be overlooked. Cheap internet data also has ensured that even unemployed youth are busy in social media and don’t even feel they are unemployed. Indian viewer navigate news channels for entertainment and they stop at any, which offers them a good entertainment and not news. I myself have seen people do this in my family. There is a void in mainstream entertainment channels as they’ve gone to dogs.
So is there a solution to this? Short answer is Yes. News channels show what they show because people watch, in case you think this is wrong, only way to stop this is to STOP watching TV news. Stop following channels on even social media, that is also a channel which feeds their viewership. Stop sharing their clips. Stop following anchors of such channels on Social Media. Unless a complete boycott happen, it’ll keep showing the porn it is and people will remain addicted to it. Very few channels who show decent content, can’t compete with these channels same as literature can’t with porn. If you watch TV news even for a minute you are part of problem. If you can’t separate propaganda from news, you are part of the problem. So, how one remains informed, let’s say unintentionally you are informed about what’s happening in the world, from these news channels. Solution is rather than watching news, you read news on internet and find out sites like thewire.in or thequint.com etc who do a comparative factual reporting. When you read news and not watch, no one can shout at you, can’t manipulate you so easily. If one is still not tech savvy and doesn’t like reading on internet, should subscribe to a newspaper, which is not a propaganda newspaper (like Jagaran). News may not be a day old but still it won’t increase your blood pressure. It won’t drive you in frenzy.
In today’s world you don’t have option to not understand propaganda and must know how to separate real news from fake news and propaganda. Start doubting everything you read. Basic principle, if it is too good to be true, don’t believe it till you fact check it. Follow fact checkers like Alt News on social media, they keep bunking myths. Strictly no forwarding on What’s app, however trustworthy it may seem. Keep calling out fake news in your family or friends what’s app groups. Explain how this propaganda thing work to elders in family, who think everything they get on internet or what’s app is true.
This monster is already too big and driving hate towards each other, you won’t even realize and MNCs will start winding up their operations from India. No one want to operate in a country whose communities hate each other. Delhi riots may have a fair share of these news channels. There is already hardly any new investment coming to India so be wise stop watching News channels for the sake of your livelihood.
