Sunday, May 03, 2015

Can journalists be completely free of bias?

Should tragedies like the Nepal earthquake be reported by the media in full detail, showing the suffering of people or is it just exploiting the misfortune of others for the sake of profit? Some people in Nepal have accused the Indian media of treating the tragedy as a TV serial. One woman writes that every seat on a plane occupied by a reporter could have been used to transport supplies or injured people. On the other hand, it was this focus on the tragedy that focused world attention and has brought in vital aid. The Chief Minister of Delhi wants the media to be put on trial for being against his Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, whereas we think that the AAP is a stooge of the Congress and the Hon'ble Chief Minister has won elections by bribing voters with taxpayer money in his hunger for power. His policies of free water and cheap electricity will ruin the economy and his interference with Delhi Police will only increase crime. Protesters in Baltimore were called thugs by a news presenter in the US causing outrage among blacks, one asked her to use the ' n ' word instead. Apparently a study, published in the Lancet, shows that suicides are caused by depression and the rate among farmers in India are no higher than in the general population. Why are suicides by farmers, tragic though they are, made into high drama in India. Our screaming news channels have to compete for eyeballs, because without high ratings, they will earn less from commercials. So there is huge money to be made from the misery of others. Miserable news is great for NGOs whose officials lead 5-star lives on money raised for so called charity. Farmer suicides are used by the Congress for political gain, without explaining why they are so poor after 60 years of Congress rule. Moneylenders force repayment of their dues from the compensation paid out to families. Only the poor farmer with smallholdings are affected. The rich farmers with large farms are able to get loans from banks, obtain seeds and fertilisers on loan and can buy luxury goods with Kisan Credit Cards. They use suicides by poor farmers to pressure the government to waive all the money they have borrowed. Perhaps, the police should investigate whether the rich farmers are paying the poor ones to commit suicide. Farmers in western countries are rich although sheep farming in Britain is apparently not paying as it used to. Good news does not sell unless it is sensational, its value increased by envy. News channels and newspapers have to compete against social media. When a plane was forced to land on Hudson River 6 years ago the images were being flashed around the world on social media before the usual news media were even aware of it. So, hysterical reporting is here to stay. The danger is that the credibility of the media is being strained and journalists maybe in danger if seen as political stooges. Price of progress.

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