By Ranjona Banerji
No newspapers arrived yesterday and only Yoga Day on the news this morning. And then people wonder why you have to go to the internet to find out what’s happening in the world. “Trending on Facebook†is my current favourite source of news. Right now, as I write this, these are the top three news items of paramount interest to a Facebook algorithm near me.
1 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Poster Released for Upcoming Harry Potter Spinoff Film.
2 Ishant Sharma and Pratima Singh: Cricketer and Baseball Player Engaged, Photos Show.
3 Finding Dory: ‘Finding Nemo†Sequel Breaks Box Office Record with $135.2 Million Opening Weekend
And once more this proves to me that people are really not interested in serious matters and that Facebook really believes in “upper/lower†although we were taught that upper/lower is not an easy reading format.
And also I am seriously surprised that Game of Thrones has not found a mention. Although that may well only prove that the Facebook algorithm follows the wrong people. There is hardly an issue of Time magazine that goes by, for instance, without a #GoT reference. (If you gotta say it, you gotta hashtag it.)
The other day, when the newspapers had arrived, I read about an interaction between the Hindu’s Readers’ Editor and the Hindu’s readers. As usual, the questions from the readers were the same: why is all news negative news and why is your newspaper mean to the people I like?
Much as readers are pained when they feel that they only get bad news from the media of their choice, “good news†is a frothy myth of nothingness. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. No one would read any newspaper which only said, “Six people went for a nature walk today in my neighbourhood and were very happy when they noticed two butterflies†on a day when there has been a terrorist attack in their city.
However, judging from Facebook, absolutely anodyne information about entertainment and famous people, is top of the pops for your average person. Think of that every time someone you know blames “the media†for concentrating on the frivolous and for publishing sections like Bombay Times and so on.
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As for “the media†being prejudiced about people you like, this is one of the sweetest and most plaintive little whines you can hear. About 90 per cent of the time it comes from some pro-rightwing person who surprisingly reads the edit pages. I say surprisingly not because pro-rightwing people do not normally read edit pages but because newspapers managements routinely tell editors that no one reads edit pages.
However, thanks to the internet where opinion – whether from impassioned and well-intentioned bloggers or seasoned commentators – matters, people feel strongly about how people think. I doubt that newspaper managements – often sadly never the brightest crayons in the pack – will realise this, but viewpoints continue to rule social media. As for the sad readers who feel their favourite opinions are being given short shrift, the only consolation for them is that one day the wheel will turn their way.
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A tweet from Rahul Kanwal of India Today TV sometime last week was amusing and intriguing. Kanwal accused Times Now of stealing a story 24 hours later with the “same guests, same story†about an ACB report. Since I rarely watch either news channel, except Karan Thapar on India Today TV, can anyone please clue me in?