Media and responsibility Archives - Voice from the rooftop

Loss at Eden Garden

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

It is not right to build up any series as grudge series or revenge series. That is what some TV channels did about the Test series against England in India. India had lost 0-4 to England in England in 2011. There was talk of India winning 4-0 against England in India. Gautam Gambhir had said let them come to India.

The series began with Indian victory in Ahmedabad Test. India won by nine wickets but Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not happy about the pitch. He wanted a rank turner. At Wankhede Stadium he got that but lost the Test by 10 wickets. He wanted a rank turner at Eden Garden too despite losing Bombay Test. BCCI was ready to oblige him. Prabir Mukherjee, the curator at Eden Garden, did not oblige. He said the demand for rank turner was illegal, immoral and illogical. He wanted to go on leave. Jagmohan Dalmiya prevailed upon him to continue and Prabir Mukherjee prepared the pitch which gave equal chance to fast bowlers, spin bowlers and batsmen.

Times versus Zee

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Naveen Jindalâ€™s press conference exposing Zee Group has pitted Times Group against Zee Group. Zee editors Sudhir Chaudhar and Samir Ahluwalia said Times Group engages in paid news. Front page reports in Economic Times are paid for. Reports in Bombay Times and Delhi Times are paid for. Madhur Bhandarkar paid for his interview. Medianet belongs to Times Group. Medianet people approached Aamir Khan when 3 Idiots was about to be released and promised him four stars rating.

Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Many people believe Indiaâ€™s Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died of poisoning on 11/1/1966 and not of heart attack as officially mentioned. They think T. N. Kaul, then Indiaâ€™s ambassador to USSR, poisoned Lal Bahadur Shastri so that Indira Gandhi can become prime minister.

Deccan Chargers for sale

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

There is the story of an emperor who wore just an underwear and was riding a horse. The people could see that but everybody said the emperor was clothed in a fine robe and were praising the qualities of the robe. Then one boy said â€œThe emperor is naked.â€ After that everybody said the emperor is naked.

Similar is the story of IPL. There was lot of hype and hoopla about it. Many said it was a great brand. The franchisees were not making profit. Some of them thrived on thousands of crores of rupees they borrowed from public sector banks which they did not return. They went for corporate debt restructuring (CDR). That meant they got more time to pay. Debts were converted into shares at higher than market value.

Cartoonists in demand

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Aseem Trivedi got his chance to be hero and he grabbed it with both hands. He did not wait for police to come and pick him up in Kanpur. He came to Bombay and surrendered. When the police said in court they did not want him for investigation or questioning, he did not apply for bail. He imitated Anna Hazare. He was happy to be in jail. He was the talking point on TV channels. He did well considering the competition from protestors in Madhya Pradesh and Koodankulam. Somebody filed a PIL and got him bail.

Unmukt Chand controversy

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

All students are equal. Students who are sportspersons are more equal. A student who is the captain of a cricket team that wins U-19 World Cup is the most equal.

That is the view of Ajay Maken, Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Shukla, Kirti Azad, Arnab Goswami and many others who live in a world that is worse than George Orwellâ€™s Animal Farm.

Valson Thampu, principal of St. Stephenâ€™s College, appeared on many channels on 30/8/2012. He faced hostile questioning on Times Now.

Azad Maidan riot

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

On 23/8/2012 Arup Patnaik was promoted as DG (Maharashtra State Security Corporation). One channel said he was kicked upstairs. Some channels presented it as if he had been made a fall guy or scapegoat. If any politician had shouted at a DCP and threatened him with suspension for nabbing a rioter these channels would have raised a hue and cry. Here is a case of Commissioner threatening a DCP for doing his duty and the channels have not condemned Arup Patnaik. Satyapal Singh took over as Commissioner. As per one report Arup Patnaik had fallen out with R. R. Patil and had become friendly with Prithviraj Chavan. R. R. Patil said Arup Patnaikâ€™s promotion was under process since 6/7/2012.

Greatest Indian

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

CNN-IBN had conducted a poll on the Greatest Indian after Mohandas Gandhi. B. R. Ambedkar won the poll. The 28-member jury had voted Jawaharlal Nehru. The jury had a list of 100 persons. They reduced it to 50 persons. The people voted on the 50 persons the list was further reduced to 10 persons. After voting by people B. R. Ambedkar emerged the winner. The other eight finalists were Vallabhbhai Patel, J. R. D. Tata, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Lata Mangeshkar.

NDTV and TRPs

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

NDTV has filed a suit in New York against The Nielsen of USA and Kantar Media Research, owned by WPP Plc of UK for two billion dollars for TRPs by TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture company owned by Nielsen and Kantar. TAM stands for television audience measurement. TRP figures by TAM decide ad revenue. Broadcasters and advertisers buy data from TAM.

Criminal journalists

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Vincent Augustine D'Souza

Journalists who accompany hooligans, molesters and vandals and shoot the scenes and show them on TV are criminals. TV channels want to increase their TRPs and abet crimes. Journalists who abet and film crimes should be prosecuted for abetment to crime. TV channels should be barred from showing clips of hooligans and molesters beating and…