Saturday, January 14, 2006

Whither Times Now: The English news channel of Times of India?

We were hearing about the launch of Times Now for quite sometime. Meanwhile, CNN-IBN not only arrived but is giving some competition to NDTV. Is there any scope now for a new channel.
No, I am not discounting the chances, after all, who expected Rajdeep's channel to make an impact so soon but four English news channels (including Headlines Today) will be too difficult for the cable operator to handle and show on the main band width. Even the most die-hard news enthusiasts will find it difficult to cope with this barrage of news. But I do welcome the channel as a new media channels opens avenues for them. And the competition would improve the quality of news and coverage.

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Thursday, January 12, 2006

Can't journalists recognise India's map?

As far as spelling mistakes and blunders of language are concerned, the disease is spread to all the newspapers but don't you feel like smashing your head against the wall when you see the wrong map of Inda (sans Kashmir) published in prominent newspapers.
First it was an English newspaper from Mumbai that did it. Though it published a corrigendum the next day. Now a Hindi daily has done it. In fact, if over the last couple of months magazines and newspapers are scanned one can find a number of occasions when the wrong map was published.
Clearly, the sub-editor wants to fill the space in a story and needs the map of India. He/She just goes to Google and in the image search types India.....the result is that most of the maps that appear show Kashmir out of India or J&K as disputed territory.
Now the crop that has hardly done any hardwork and had no knack for journalism and just came here for the fact that they got connections and it appeared glamorous to be in the media, the map of India is hardly something which interests them. Many so-called top shots who are big names in journalism are not sure if you ask them where is Korba or Bokaro? The answer will be South of Delhi followed by a foolish grin though they may speak English with an accent with all the latest slang imported from states.
Like a well-known female journalist with Hindustan Times in Delhi who thought Bhilai must be in Orissa or in Jharkhand or Madhya Pradesh and alerted the correspondents without a thought that she could have first checked it where it was. The unlettered sons and daughters of the lesser celebrities, the IAS/IPS/IFS and the socialites who have turned journalists naturally could not have an idea that Aurangabad is a district in Maharashtra as much as in Bihar. They have slight idea of this country and even don't know the basics like names of the states, area of the country and other things that the child learns in his GK books. An aspirant for Bank PO or even one appearing in clerical exam can easily out perform such journalists who know nothing about history, geography, stats or even journalism. Mujhe ghussa aa raha hai.. I know but if you can't print the correct map of India then you are full of shit. Go to hell except journalism. Already everyone is mocking the 'Wahan Kaisa Mahaul Hai' kind scribes.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Five die due to poverty

In Latur, five persons committed suicide just because they had nothing to eat. The family consumed insecticide and died. Isn't it too shocking! But it hardly deserved the attention it ought to have. I noticed only two channels showing the brief news for sometime in the stripline, nothing more.

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Sunday, January 08, 2006

Nice to see 'em together....

Almost a week after Rajdeep Sardesai's channel (Oh I am not obsessed with it though it is probably the third time I am writing about it) sent a Correspondent to Goa who was reporting from the beach 'naked', the programme Love of Cricket: LoC was refreshingly different.
Imran and Kapil, two heroes of the sub-continent, together and expressing their views freely was a cricket connoisseur's delight. It was much better than the sight of 'naked lad' screaming from the beaches. No, I am not jealous that he was surrounded with girls. Just that I was not amused. Khair!

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