The Death of Real Media

A(nother) legendary actress died today. The entire film industry is in shock and pain. The death was untimely, unexpected and of course, saddening. But most of all, it was food for media. All of a sudden, every news channel was flooded with headlines of her demise. Songs from some of her well-remembered movies started echoing between the walls of different radio stations. Her long forgotten movies made their way back onto the tv screens, as a mark of remembrance for our beloved. Strangely, the news was split into multiple parts when one of the co-actors tweeted angrily about the use of the word ‘body’ in reference to the late actor, and when others flocked to the deceased’s house for sharing condolences, and many more.

It’s been a few days now. The songs, the movies and even the news continue to flock in from every direction about the same. And it is, in no ethical way, wrong to mourne the loss of a loved one. I was a fan of hers myself. But there is something missing. Or is there not a single spot missed? Not a strand of opportunity left for waste? Was this unfortunate event extremely well utilized by the media? Yes it was, and how! The nation I come from is practically dipped in debt by defaulters who take loans from banks (and mind you, these loans are in crores/ millions) and then one fine day, quietly stride out of the country leaving behind visible traces of their whereabouts. Yes, the people in power know where these defaulters are currently hiding. These thieves even have the audacity to post pictures online celebrating their lavish heist in broad daylight. My country also has the never-ending problems of poverty, unemployment, black marketing, child abuse, eve teasing, human trafficking, and a lot more! Out of all these pending issues, that have long been dragged and bragged about by our politicians, the media chooses to flash the death of a so-called legend for 5 days flat, even going to the limits of building news out of news! I call her ‘so-called’ because most people did not care about her career or movies anymore. Her last release wasn’t exactly a grand success in terms of collections, though it was a lovely movie made with heart & soul. And it did well, just not astonishingly well, as it should have in case of such legends.

Before her passing, the media was busy playing Pass The Ball. The ball here, of course, was An Issue. An issue is a problem that need not be solved but should be discussed till the death of the listener. The players are the political parties who have grown into experts of the trade & know how and when to throw the ball at the opposition just as the music is about to stop! Discuss the issue openly, and brashly, so that the viewers feel, ‘Okay, at least somebody acknowledges this as a problem.’ However, the solution is never reached. Day-in, day-out the same redundant headlines about ministers holding meetings to ‘discuss’ an outage were floating across the television sets for weeks until the untimely death. This death was used as an excuse to shift the viewer’s focus and feed sadness into our minds. For god’s sake! I did not know her personally. I feel sorry and send my deepest sympathies to the family. But I demand to know what’s happening in my country, where is the world headed, or what exactly is being done to solve our problems! You cannot just hide everything else to show us how sad the entire family is, or how they plan to cope with it. You fill your time slots with more news based around the same scenario about who said what, and who wore what not!

The media has a duty towards the citizens of a country. The duty is to make the people aware of the realities that are beyond their reach. Nonetheless, these realities must also be necessary and needed for the betterment of the country as a whole. People have the right to question the leaders, and likewise, get a fitting reply of what needs to be done, and what is being done. News channels seem to have warped these virtues rather efficiently for their benefit. They take money from the leaders, shove the fabricated truth down our throats, and then convince us that this is the truth that we need to know.

To see beyond those lies is not as hard. At least, not anymore. Political parties have been laying stone bricks, coating them in yellow, and calling it gold for as long as I remember. With time comes experience and experience brings knowledge. People have begun to understand the true meaning of those political jargons that once acted as a bulletproof vest for them. We know that when you say that ‘Opposition is at fault’, what you really mean is you have no idea how it happened, nor do you plan to find out. When you talk about the betterment of a particular sector, we pull our socks right up to our throats because what you truly mean is that you are willing to choke the life out of that sector for your own profits, and then show misinterpreted GDP scores to prove your white lies.

The people are more aware now, than they were 10-15 years ago. Social media still provides for a few reliable sources that downright tear through the unseen walls of paid media. Pushing sensation over sense, and poor quality conviction make it obvious that Indian media (most of it) has become a mouthpiece of the leaders and speak only what and when they are told.

But.We.Know.

The people know! And we seek truth. We demand the truth. At times, we even know the truth while you try to fill our eyes, ears and minds with utter filthy nonsense! Times are changing. It is time you change as well. This is just a beginning. The youth is rising. The future of the nation is not in the hands of the leaders, but the voters. Voters are the real rulers. Better prepare yourself. It is time to bring back the Real Media! The youth is ready for change. The nation is ready. We are ready.

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