Hindi news channel IBN 7 abandoned all journalistic ethics on Sunday as it showed to minor clashes in Lucknow and Kanpur throughout the day. The golden rule was always to ensure that the news shouldn't create further panic.
But the TV channel turned clashes into live news and kept repeating the same footage for hours. In Kanpur, police had picked up two meat-sellers on the eve of Milad-un-Nabi and the next day SP MLA Satish Nigam allegedly cashed in on the anger of minority community.
Angry residents laid siege to police station and a person, Shamshad, was killed. In Lucknow, it was the old history of Shia-Sunni clash, a minor incident of stray stone pelting. However, the channel telecast it as if entire Lucknow was in flames.
The locality of Thakurganj is just a small part of the UP's state capital but the incident the likes of which are witnessed at hundreds of places in towns across cities and go unreported in national media, as a riot just because election is on cards, is absolutely unfair.
This is criminal to cash in on clashes to increase viewership and grab eyeballs. Seems the channel wants to take lead on all other competitors in sensationalising and provoking people though it may lead to panic and exacerbate situation.
Unfortunately there is no watchdog and no action on this sord of irresponsible conduct. Media must behave else it will lose all respect and credibility. IBN 7 that was earlier known as Channel 7 is resorting to the cheap sensationalism which was the hallmark of Dainik Jagran but the fact that it is part of the bouquet of news channels headed by Rajdeep Sardesai, makes it even more shocking and unbelievable. Press Council too needs to act.
