Saturday, September 13, 2008

Delhi serial bomb blasts: Aajtak's Himalayan blunder

Thirteenth September, Aajtak's Blunder

Just when the story of the bomb blasts in Delhi was unfolding, self-styled 'best news channel of India' committed a colossal blunder.

It ran a flash that 'a kid with bomb tied around him' was caught. Just when the people were trying to cope with the gravity of New Delhi being attacked on the evening of September 13 2008, the news further surcharged the atmosphere.

It kept on showing that the 'boy was arrested and taken away by police'. In fact, it was totally baseless and represented the height of irresponsible reporting. The child, Rahul, had seen a suspicious person, who probably planted the bomb or left it in a polythene.

The police took the boy away for quizzing him about the man. But Aajtak, that shamelessly claims itself to be 'Desh ka Sarvashreshtha channel', aired this unconfirmed news which was manufactured on the basis of probably some rumour and came from the realms of fantasy.

This is not just irresponsible but dangerous reporting. Such 'flashes' do create panic. Any news organisation, whether a paper or a channel, that claims to be doing journalism, should first confirm and then telecast a news let alone causing scare.

Within an hour, there was more panic as people thought that if a 'fidayeen' kid was used what could be the magnitude of terror attacks in future. The channel sheepishly showed a flash later that it was wrong information but didn't bother to apologise. It didn't feel responsible enough to say that and pretended as if the earlier report of 'boy used as suicide bomber' was not telecast on Ajtak. So much in the name of journalism!

8 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:55 AM

    Even I saw the poor kid being harassed by the channels and even the cops.

    Instead of protecting a key witness, the cops threw him in front of the news cameras, probably scaring him shitless.

    Didnt notice the Aaj Tak mess, but when has a news channel ever apologized. I guess even people dont give a damn anymore...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:05 AM

    thanks !! for the news but it not the first time as it has been many times before also and its not their fault that they mentioned something which is simply a blunder but the fault of the people who simply take the news so seriously and start panicing.In other european countries they never 100% believe in news neither they read newspapers daily cause they pay more attention on work as they are not ideal people simply sittin near the tv a commercial media and waiting every morning for the newspaper to arrive rather they would wake up early and go for their jobs and later sit in front of their computers and doing their best to make their countries economy high.
    thats is this is why india is loosing its own expensive time critisizing politicians and news channels and where the other countries like china are taking good profit of it and getting their progress to the summits.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5:35 AM

    journalism today is not about breaking news,
    it is about faking news now!
    indian media exposed at
    www.fakingnews.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:36 AM

    Journalism today is not about breaking news,
    It is about faking news now!
    find Indian media exposed at
    http://www.fakingnews.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is easy to blame, to criticise but just keep your shoes in the feet of that reporter who is reporting from the spot which witnessed blast a few minutes before. While every body is runnig away from that place, only policemen and mediapersons dared to be there. One can easily imagine how tough conditions they are working under. It is the media because of that people were watching the pictures of the spot apart from the information from the location. It is true that some wrong things are conveyed during the course, but this is not intentional and unnatural. We switch our TV on immediately after we come to know about any misshappening, because we want to know, to watch about this instantly. Can we wait for next morning's newpaper to know about the incident? When situation are so tight such things do happen. Very soon things are rectified. Media is not meant to be blamed for everything.
    Vinod Agrahari.

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  6. Anonymous2:43 PM

    Vinod,
    You should remember that media is macking a fun of itself. Pushing mike in the mouth of a man whose son has just died, is a shameful act.

    Besides, naming every person caught by police as mastermind and terrorist rather than 'suspect', it has lost credibility and become a party.

    It is no longer reporting but embedded journalism. Just for your information, I have a long experience of reporting.

    EditIndia

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  7. Dear Mr X, I dont who u r as u did not disclose. As u said that u hav vast experience of reporting, but it seems that u haven't done it for any news channel.If people r interested to know about martyr M C Sharma's family, want to listen to them and his family has no objection to talk to media, where is the problem? Do newspapers (which u seem to belonged to) do not do so? Do they not publish interviews of the same? Yes, I do agree that media sensantanises news to 'sell' its product. It often calls suspects as terrorists which is wrong. So far as being party is concerned, I believe that to be party against terrorism does not make harm to media ethics. I also believe that electronic media in India is too young to be perfect. It has strated growing up. Ten years before nation has no 24 hr news channel. They will learn with their mistakes to reach the standards of channels like BBC. Lets hope so.

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  8. Anonymous6:54 PM

    Don`t blame only aajtak...it was not only aajtak`s blunder but most of news channels were on the same line at that time...it reflects only immaturity of indian television.

    ReplyDelete