Media calibrating challenges on the innovation front

Oly Banerjee, INN/Gwalior, @Infodeaofficial

Retaining attention of audience is one of the biggest challenge that bothers news channels currently. It is here where the concept of Unique Selling Prerogative (USP) has to be worked out.

Indian media has evolved a lot over the years, it has turned into an epitome of journalism with an impressive following among the masses. Working out the USP is not an easy task as it involves lot of effort. However, Indian media houses appear to have calibrated this challenge
albeit unsuccessfully.

While using modern technologies for bringing news to all are impressive, but media houses sometimes over represent situations which makes the programme gross, reaches to the extent of lauding politicians, which gets embarrassing for the person himself.

All these matters, compel the general public to question the existence of basic ethics of journalism. Some of the recent instances, which helps in getting a clear view of the present situation.

Happenings during the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks, reporter risked their life to get to the militant infiltrated hotels and interviewed people to give audience a clear view of the prevailing deadly conditions.

A woman was interviewed, whose husband was hiding somewhere in the Oberoi Trident Hotel which the terrorists had captured, forcing the women to declare on international platform where her husband is hiding in the hotel. The live broadcasting of the specially deployed commando operation was like giving the terrorists the perfect clue they wanted.

The incident involving Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman during March last year is also worth mentioning. He was held captive by the Pakistan Army, though Abhinandan refused to reveal any information about his whereabouts in India during the interrogation, still it looked like Pakistan Army’s need for information was fulfilled without much effort. Their job was done free of cost by various Indian Media Houses.

Even before Pakistan armed forces took Abhinandan to their base, media reached in front of his house in Bangalore and aired a full information on his ancestors and history.

In Bihar’s Muzzafarpur, hundreds of children fell prey to Acute encephalitis syndrome and many of them died, a much acclaimed reporter, reached a hospital’s ICU, where the entry of outsiders is strictly prohibited and continued blaming the doctors for not performing their duties responsibly, without paying attention toward the guidelines of a protected medical facility and overlooking the number of patients per doctor.

The reporter seemed reluctant to focus on the government’s role in this and held doctors solely responsible for the crisis.

The editor-in-chief of a hindi news channel, during demonetization days, when most of the channels were displaying the benefits of the step, repeatedly in a cue, the editor in chief declared that new notes would have GPS microchips installed in them, to catch incidents of robbing, money laundering etc, whereas from 2016 till 2019 there is no such information about introduction of such high-tech notes.  

During the election seasons, VFX and VR outshone the conventional or historical ideas of debating by calling spokesperson of various political parties, choreographing rallies, rather some news channels in an opportunity to elevate viewership thought of riding an animated helicopter to give a better understanding of the number of seats each party would probably win, making the whole situation look childish and gross.