A question meant to provoke, but that’s not a trait you associate with our Wizard with Words. Presenting Dr Bhaskar Das in the November 3 edition of Das ka Dum. Read on…
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Q. The British media – print, television and digital – showed amazing character reporting on the run up to Rishi Sunak’s ascent. And even after. Why do you think our Indian media can’t be and do the same?
A. This question is more appropriate for media owners. I can’t arrogate their authenticity. Having said that, I would like to submit my point of view of two cents: our proclivity towards comparing/ benchmarking everything that is western need not always be appropriate. Every country has its own cultural preferences on many matters , including news. So benchmarking against a western country won’t help much. If market/ consumers stamp their preference (as evident through an accepted currency like BARC data), why ignore that. There is no use extrapolating our individual liking on the universe of news consuming audience. Besides, western news channels don’t offer choices to consumers, the way it’s available in India and consumers have the right to choose the news channel they like. I am sure mediaowners are conscious of the market forces that determine viability of a channel and cater to the needs and wants of their served markets.