MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • There are no tall promises, there can't be for a silly little freshener, so why waste time? They have also smashed the usual ad cliches, and full marks for not throwing in a hot babe

    Debrief: Godrej Aer: ‘No Bakwaas’ route works

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Godrej Aer’s new commercial is a very good example of how keeping things simple helps when you are dealing with a very low involvement, an almost boring product category. Aer is a car freshener, not something one would even give a second thought to.

     

    The TVC features a young chap who’s seated in his little, no-frills car. The voice-over takes you through everything Godrej Aer WON’T do. It will not make your car bigger, better or luxurious. It won’t even turn you into a celebrity. All it will do is to provide some fragrance inside your cheap, stinky car. That’s it.

     

    I like this approach, it makes the low-profile brand immediately break the clutter. Kinda reminds me of Sprite’s ‘Seedhi baat’ campaign. There are no tall promises, there can’t be for a silly little freshener, so why waste time? They have also smashed the usual ad clichés, and full marks for not throwing in a hot babe, something that’s become mandatory for such a product category. Net result: The brand wins big-time. Suddenly, even if my car doesn’t stink, I am interested.

     

    If there’s one negative aspect to this approach, it’s this: After a couple of exposures, the ad loses its novelty. (This did not happen with Sprite.) It’s a direct, logical ad, and there’s very little entertainment value. They must shift the gear very soon, move the ad to the next level, so that the idea doesn’t lose its potency.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wJrjsaaVQY[/youtube]

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Effective ad. Creates a buzz on a low interest brand.

     

  • We missed out on all the death tamasha that would have been played out inside the newsrooms and outside the Yerawada jail, amongst other places. Not to speak of all the entertainment that happens when wild speculation goes full-on

    Anil Thakraney: Shucks! We lost the action on Kasab. 🙁

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I am very upset they chose to keep Kasab’s execution out of the glare of the media. We missed out on all the death tamasha that would have been played out inside the newsrooms and outside the Yerawada jail, amongst other places. Not to speak of all the entertainment that happens when wild speculation goes full-on. But instead of drowning myself in sorrow, I shut my eyes and imagined the likely scenes and sounds, behind and in front of the cameras.  Here goes.

     

    Reporter: “Kasab has ordered tomatoes for his last breakfast!” Anchor: “Not mutton biryani? This is breaking news stuff! Does Islam permit this diet for a death row prisoner? Viewers, we’ll shortly connect with some Islamic scholars on this sensational development.”

     

    Anchor: “It’s exactly two minutes to go for the hanging. Ms Human Rights Activist, please tell our viewers if death penalty should to be abolished.” Human Rights Activist: “Yes, yes, yes! This is against god, against nature, against humanity, we must stop this execution right now!”

     

    Anchor to reporter: “Our expert says death penalty is wrong. Will you grab some sound bytes from those hanging around outside the Yerawada jail?” Reporter: “Will do, gimme a moment, right now I need to cover the bloody hanging.”

     

    26/11 survivor Bhimshan Mansukhani: “Kill the bastard! Kill the m……r  f……r!”

     

    Reporter: “Think we just spotted the hangman entering the jail!” Anchor: “Quick, quick, ask him if he’s suffering from guilt pangs. Also ask him what’s his fee, and if he’ll go on a pilgrimage soon after pulling the lever.”

     

    Anchor: “There’s talk of the body being shipped to Pakistan! We must debate on how the body will be dispatched. By air, road or sea?” Production Head: “Okay, but I need a few hours to assemble the experts. Right now only Prahlad Kakkar is available. Will he do?” Anchor: “Yes, yes! He’s good television.”

     

    26/11 survivor Bhimshan Mansukhani: “Kill the bastard! Kill the m……r  f……r!”

     

    Reporter: “Oh! I just heard a loud sound! Must be Kasab’s skull cracking!” Anchor to production team: “Raise the audio level, zip up the bass, and play that sound effect in continuous loop until further instructions.”

     

    Anchor: “Ladies and gentlemen, we announce the death of Ajmal Aamir Kasab. And remember, you heard it on this channel first!” Production Head: “Er, what should we put on air now? Will they let us cover the burial?” Anchor: “Damn, I didn’t think of that! Okay, forget Kasab and put Afzal Guru’s file pictures. Let’s get after him now!”

     

    26/11 survivor Bhimshan Mansukhani: “Kill the bastard! Kill the m……r  f……r!”

     

    And of course, that quintessential TV question when the OB vans managed to gherao Kasab at the Yerawada gate. “Kasabji, aap kaise mahsoos kar rahe hain?”

     

    Alas, dear fellow television viewers, we were deprived of all the action. Grrrr.

     

    ***

     

  • Even if the ads had boring scripts, which in fact most do (thanks to risk-averse clients), someone like Chopra would have made them look pretty

    Anil Thakraney: Ad world needs a Yash Chopra

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I write this immediately after watching Yash Chopra’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’. And must say I quite liked it, despite the obvious little flaws in the script. And that’s because Chopra was the one director in Bollywood who, apart from having the guts to experiment with stories, was blessed with a sharp eye for aesthetics. Every shot is made to look beautiful, many of them can be frozen into paintings. And this isn’t the first time one has noticed this in a Chopra film. As I walked out of the multiplex, it occurred to me that his death is a bigger loss to the film world than they imagine. Directors will come and go, but it’s rare to find one who combines good storytelling with great art direction.

     

    Which then made me think: What if Yash Chopra had chosen to be an ad filmmaker? I can only imagine the wonderful ads we would have got to watch. And yet, ads that would have stayed true to the storyboard. Indeed, this is the sort of talent the desi advertising world lacks today. We have enough directors who cater to the client’s needs, but they lack an eye for beauty. Yash Chopra would have been the sort of director who would have effortlessly bridged the two worlds. Exactly as he did with his movies.

     

    And here’s what would have happened: Even if the ads had boring scripts, which in fact most do (thanks to risk-averse clients), someone like Chopra would have made them look pretty. The problem with ads, and I now speak as a viewer, is that the same dull, ugly ones keep getting repeat play. And many of them end up testing your patience. Just imagine if they at least looked beautiful. Would we then mind repeat exposures? I believe not. And wouldn’t that be great news for risk-averse brand managers?

     

    Inside the same multiplex, I watched two very boring ads. One, for Vicco Turmeric, which looked so ugly, it made me want to puke. Another one was a straightforward commercial for a brand called Forest Essentials, a skincare product. But it was shot aesthetically, it looked pretty. Therefore, despite nothing happening in the commercial, I enjoyed watching it. But such commercials are very rare.

     

    Yash Chopra, sadly, is gone. But he has left behind a big lesson. For Bollywood. And for advertising.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Super idea from a Los Angeles artist. Change the way hoardings are constructed, make them out of environmentally-friendly, well-watered bamboo gardens. We MUST ape this one in Mumbai. So that even if the yucky faces we are compelled to watch make us cringe, we can at least breathe easy.

     

    Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/stephen-glassman-urban-air-la-billboards-bamboo_n_2103099.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

     

     

  • A picture tells a thousand words but a pilfered picture tells a thousand lies, writes Anil Thakraney, commenting on the Gujarat Congress child malnutrition ad fiasco

    Anil Thakraney: Gujarat ad: Work of a lazy art director

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Congress’s chances of making any sort of impact in the upcoming Gujarat elections already appear less than feeble. And to make matters worse, they’ve gone ahead and scored a self-goal.

     

    The Gujarat Congress party workers released an ad in the local dailies to highlight the rising incidence of child malnutrition in the state. Nothing wrong with that, but the image of the child they used in the ad wasn’t shot in Gujarat, it was pilfered from a Sri Lankan refugee camp! Haha. Mota bhai Narendra Modi must have guffawed so loud, children in his state would have momentarily forgotten all about their hunger pangs.

     

    The Congress reps have been doing the only thing they can do when egg has hit the face very hard: To try and justify the ad, by suggesting that the visual was only a ‘symbolic representation’. Of course, no one’s gonna buy that. I actually feel sorry for these guys, because the culprit in this case is the advertising agency that created the ad. And that agency needs to be punished.

     

    Here’s what must have happened, and I can say this with some degree of confidence, having worked in ad agencies before. Art directors do lift visuals from various sources for presentation purposes. These visuals are only used to give an idea to the client of what the end product will look like. Once the concept is approved, the art director is supposed to carry out a fresh shoot.

     

    Now, either because of laziness or perhaps because of the desire to cut costs, the art director in question Photoshopped the Sri Lankan picture and ran it as an original. In his/her mind, sure that the little chori will never come to light. After all, how many of us keep an eye on Sri Lanka’s food problems? And the client, in this case the Congress party, must have assumed that the pic is original. Well, someone did spot the cheating, and now the Congress netas have to pay for no fault of theirs.

     

    And I must add here that this is a wakeup call for all lazy art directors. Guys, it’s never a good idea to Photoshop. Always shoot, even if the client is in a tearing hurry. Because a picture tells a thousand words. And a pilfered picture tells a thousand lies.

     

    PS: Marc Jacobs has pushed the indecency envelope even further. They have featured a male model masturbating in public. And this is an ad for their sunglasses, which has nothing to do with the man’s ‘activity’. Shock for shock’s sake? Or brand attitude? You choose.

     

    Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2233663/Marc-Jacobs-shocks-new-advert-showing-male-model-pleasuring-public.html

     

  • If the media turns corrupt, there's very little hope for the nation, writes Anil Thakraney, dismayed by all the scandals being reported

    Anil Thakraney: Law needs to be tougher on journalists

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Since I am not a television anchor, I shall refrain from speculating on the Zee versus Jindal case. We have courts to decide who’s the guilty one and who’s the victim, therefore we must leave that task to the judges. I have only one comment to make on this particular issue, and this too I state purely from a journalistic standpoint: If the Zee News journalists were indeed out to entrap the Jindal managers, then common sense suggests sting operation cameras and audio devices would have to be employed. Else, there is no evidence of the ‘expose’.

     

    However, I want to make a broader point: It is often said that if the entire nation is corrupted, why must we expect the media to be any different? The media, after all, hasn’t descended from Mars, it’s an offshoot of the same rotten system. This is a logical explanation, therefore one can’t refute it. However, my own view is that BECAUSE the nation is so corrupted, it’s critical that the media, which is the only voice ordinary citizens have, must remain clean. We have to create structures and processes that encourage and reward integrity. If the media turns corrupt, there’s very little hope for the nation.

     

    In that context, I have to say I am deeply dismayed by all the scandals involving the media. As long as sponsored ads were being palmed off as editorial entertainment pieces, one didn’t really mind. But then we got hit by the scourge of paid news, and this was really alarming. If editors are doctoring news in exchange for money, then it is pretty shameful. In fact, it’s a criminal act because such media outlets are playing with the nation’s future. Radiagate, to me, was the last straw. Because it told us that senior, much respected journalists were busy betraying the profession. And now comes the Zee/Jindal scandal of epic proportions.

     

    So what’s the way out? Well, there is a lot of talk going on about media regulation, either from within or from without, but I am not entirely sure this will help. The news media boom has attracted many businessmen to the party, and some of them treat news as a commodity that needs to be traded for profit. So these worthies aren’t going to be keen on cleaning up the mess. But good luck to those who believe in the idea of regulation.

     

    My own belief that fear factor is probably the only thing that will reign in corrupt media practices. Journalists have to be worried about the ramifications of their shady actions. If the court cases are allowed to drag on for decades, this fear isn’t going to happen. The judiciary, in conjunction with the executive, must evolve a process whereby judgments related to trials involving the media are done and dusted inside one year. That alone will put the fear of God in the media. If Britain could deal with Murdoch’s phone hacking scandal so quickly, clearly we can do it too, if the will exists.

     

    Net net: The legal process must be swifter on us journalists. Even more so than on hardened criminals. Because criminals are a threat to an individual or to a group of people. We journalists have the power to damage an entire nation’s future.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own

     

  • The problem is the three key words in 66A. They are so broad-based, William Shakespeare would have found it impossible to decode them in terms of intended criminality. These words are Offensive, Annoyance and Inconvenience

    Anil Thakraney: Decoding 66A. (And losing my head!)

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    I was watching Kapil Sibal battle with NDTV’s Barkha Dutt over Section 66A of the IT Act. Unfortunately, Barkha wasn’t able to nail the minister down, and that’s not her fault. Sibal is a seasoned lawyer and is in top form when it comes to debates on legalities. To me, it’s a no-brainer that this section needs to be completely re-written, and that making only a senior policeman in charge of slapping this law isn’t good enough. Simply because it’s too damn vague. And this vagueness and the recent arrests have already sent a chill down social media timelines, most tweets and updates seem to have lost their sting. And the diehards are busy opening up fake accounts to escape accountability.

     

    The problem is the three key words in 66A. They are so broad-based, William Shakespeare would have found it impossible to decode them in terms of intended criminality. These words are Offensive, Annoyance and Inconvenience. So here’s what I did, assuming that the confused policeman would most likely do ditto to find some answers in terms of interpretation in law. I consulted the good ol’ Collins Thesaurus. Here’s what it says:

     

    Annoyance: aggravation, anger, bedevilment, bother, displeasure, disturbance, exasperation, harassment, irritation, nuisance, provocation, trouble, vexation.

     

    Offensive: abominable, abusive, annoying, detestable, disagreeable, discourteous, displeasing, disrespectful, embarrassing, impertinent, insolent, insulting, irritating, nasty, objectionable, odious, repellent, rude, uncivil, unmannerly, unpalatable, vile.

     

    Inconvenience: annoyance, awkwardness, bother, difficulty, disadvantage, disruption, disturbance, drawback, fuss, hindrance, nuisance, trouble, uneasiness, upset, vexation.

     

    If the policeman (who I don’t envy at all in this case) has to take a call on this, he’ll either go crazy, or we’ll all have to forget about taking any further part on the internet. Because anything even slightly naughty can easily fall under any of these definitions. This is so bloody annoying! Oops, oops!!

     

    Ergo, our lawmakers need to put their thinking caps on. And re-write Section 66A in such a way that even a havaldar is able to interpret it without any difficulty. I am quite certain if Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was alive today, he would have dealt with this in minutes. Sadly, we are stuck with the likes of Kapil Sibal. Great television debaters but not much else. (Hope the distinguished neta doesn’t charge me under 66A for this, er, inconvenience.)

     

    ***

     

    PS: Fabulous public service idea from students of a Miami school. You can donate your iPhone apps to charity through a digital donation box that’s been enabled in partnership with Apple. So much better than ‘gifting’ torn clothes, which we famously do back home. Also, please do share this idea with your bachchas, who might still be burning those idiotic crackers long after Diwali is done and dusted.

     

    [vimeo width=”400″ height=”200″]http://vimeo.com/52902206[/vimeo]

     

  • One peculiar trait amongst us Indians is that we tend to bond only with each other in foreign countries, and we put little effort into mixing with the locals. And this leads to isolation and often discrimination. Can we then really absolve ourselves of racism?

    Anil Thakraney: Television’s pseudo patriotism

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Hate to see the Indian media go ballistic when NRIs land up in trouble in the nations they have chosen to migrate to. Whether it’s about the desi blokes who got attacked in Australia or the lady who lost her life in a maternity ward in Ireland or those cases where couples in Norway have been found guilty of bad parenting. In each such case our media has been demanding blood of the firangis, and have been pressuring the Indian government to act.

     

    This is not only illogical, it’s completely unfair. All those Indian citizens who’ve opted to live in foreign lands HAVE to follow the laws of the land out there. As well as adopt the local culture. Remember that oft-repeated proverb, which our media conveniently forgets: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. One peculiar trait amongst us Indians is that we tend to bond only with each other in foreign countries, and we put little effort into mixing with the locals. And this leads to isolation and often discrimination. Can we then really absolve ourselves of racism? Also, we must understand that Australians would be more worried about attacks on Asians on their soil; it hugely harms their image in the world.

     

    As for the Norway-based families, Norway did not put a gun to their heads to stay in that nation. But now that they have decided to stay there, Indian parents must follow the Norwegian way of bringing up kids. And if they find that unacceptable, well, they should buy themselves a one-way ticket on Air India and return home. None of this is being recognized by our chest–thumping ‘patriotic’ TV anchors.

     

    And what’s truly galling is the hypocrisy. If foreigners who live in India don’t follow our culture, if they refuse to obey the Indian law, if they insist on special treatment, the same anchors would go all out to crucify them. Imagine the scenario if a Brit were to complain about the noise created by Diwali crackers. Even such a minor issue would be treated with outrage in the media.

     

    Chill down, my dear colleagues in the news channels. Do not forget the Roman proverb. And also remember that an Italian lady dutifully follows all the laws, customs and practices of India. If Ms Sonia Maino can do it, our people better ditto in other lands. And when they won’t, let’s leave them to their fate.

     

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    PS: Haha. Hot, hot male underwear ad from France. Notice that they have followed the typical us-versus-the rival routine, but it’s sizzled in this case.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG8M02ECKyU[/youtube]

     

  • For the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere

    Anil Thakraney: Are corporates pushing Sachin?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    There has been a lot of talk in the media (and on the streets) over Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement plan. Or indeed the lack of it. Further fuelled by Ricky Ponting’s decision to hang up his large boots. Obviously there is merit in this discussion, even if Tendlya himself doesn’t wish to be a part of it. Cricket is a young man’s game, and a 40 year old batsman does sound like a misfit. This is further confirmed by the master’s consistent failure to perform. Of course, he’ll play the odd decent inning, but that doesn’t take away from the point.

     

    So then why is the Rajya Sabha MP unwilling to leave the pitch? Part of the problem I guess is the state of living in denial. Your mind says you can rock it, but the ageing body isn’t falling in line with that thinking. This can happen in any field of activity (even sex!), but it becomes a huge problem in sport. Sachin may still be as tough in the head as he was two decades ago, but that won’t improve his reflexes. He also gives me the impression of being a stubborn man-child. Notice how Sachin continued with that shoddy new hair style of his for months together despite all the criticism in the media, even from his diehard fans.

     

    However, there’s another theory doing the rounds, and this one is far more sinister than a bad hair job. Sachin is mindful of the endorsement contracts that are still alive, and the impact of his retirement on these deals. Naturally the contracts become null and void if the man suddenly retires, and hefty refunds (possibly even penalties) will become payable. It’s very likely that these financial matters are playing on the MP’s mind. And preventing him from walking away into the sunset. If so, this is terrible. Because this means Sachin will play for a few more years, causing problems not just for the team but for his own self. A billion Indians would hate to watch the old master make a fool of himself on the cricket ground.

     

    I think for the greater good, all those advertisers who have signed up Sachin should release him from the contracts immediately. There are enough young guns in Indian sports, they can fish elsewhere. In any case, Brand Sachin is no longer as potent as it used to be (this factor deserves a post by itself), so it’s better to move on.

     

    Perhaps with this weight off his shoulders, the master will do the right thing. Which is to join the commentary team. And also focus on how he can make this nation a slightly better place.

     

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    PS: Ah. Just another day in the entirely stressful advertising life. 🙂

     

  • A hospital is not a place where you make 'Bakras' out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it's bloody insensitive

    Anil Thakraney: Australian radio jocks should be jailed

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Abetment to suicide will obviously be an unfair charge, but the two Aussie radio jockeys whose wild prank led to the suicide of an Indian-born British nurse must definitely be made to face at least some prison time.

     

    For those of you not in the loop, an Australian station’s radio presenters, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, made a hoax call to the hospital in London where Kate Middleton is being treated. Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse, took the call and believed the lie when the jocks claimed they were members of the Brit royal family. When Saldanha later discovered she had been made a global fool of, the sister apparently took her own life. In short, a joke gone horribly wrong.

     

    Following worldwide outrage, the two RJs have been sacked, but I don’t think that’s enough. The two should be charged under the relevant Australian law, and they need to pay for their crazy antics. Some of you might argue that the jockeys were having a good gaffe, that they did not intend for the nurse to die. Yes, I buy that. In fact, I believe our radio stations should learn a lesson from these guys, our RJs are specialists at annoying listeners with mindless chatter. I also accept that Cyrus Broacha had been doing stuff like this for MTV, and many unsuspecting souls were made ‘Bakras’ by him. However, there’s a huge, huge difference in the case of the dead nurse.

     

    The difference is that the idiotic RJs messed around with a hospital staffer. This simply cannot be defended. A hospital is not a place where you make ‘Bakras’ out of people, it is a place of the sick and the dying. This is not just completely unethical, it’s bloody insensitive. And the worst-case scenario happened; someone committed suicide. Clearly, all this nonsense is a direct result of excessive competition in the media. Which compels some personnel to cross the line of control. And these rubbish deeds need to be clamped down upon, the offenders duly punished. Whether it’s journalists taking money for news or RJs risking people’s safety, some prison time would set the right example for both kinds.

     

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    PS: What’s with Twitter? It seems to get the worst out of people, many end up with foot in the mouth. The latest victim is British Airways. An airline staffer allegedly retweeted a highly racist message, and the airline is in trouble for that. BA claims that someone hacked their Twitter account, though I won’t be surprised if that turns out to be untrue.

     

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234688/British-Airways-apologises-retweeting-racial-abuse-customer-angered-flight-cancellation.html

     

  • While many theories are being belted out on this subject, I am entirely convinced it is the media and marketing in India which is behind the poor show of the Indian team

    Anil Thakraney: mxmindia to blame for cricket debacle!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Haha. I am sure the editor-in-chief of this portal had a minor heart attack when he read this headline. Sorry Pradyuman, couldn’t resist it! The point is: While many theories are being belted out on this subject, I am entirely convinced it is the media and marketing in India which is behind the poor show of the Indian team.

     

    Let me explain: Regular readers of this blog might remember my post in March this year, on Virat Kohli, after the young man’s excellent test cricket performance in Australia. In a nutshell, this is what I had warned about: Imagine the excitement inside corporate boardrooms as brand managers salivate at the prospect of signing multimillion dollar contracts with the lucky dude. And also inside the buzzing rooms of editors and programming heads, as they plan huge spreads for the new-found hero. Too much adulation and quick riches can easily go to Kohli’s head, he’s still very young, a 23 year old lad. We have finally found a real match winner in the cricket team, a player who doesn’t get intimidated by huge targets, and it’s in the nation’s interest that we carefully nurture this rare talent.

     

    Well, no one listened to me (as usual!), and Virat already looks like a pale shadow of himself. And indeed this is the malaise with the entire Indian team. It’s foolish blaming the IPL for all the problems because international cricketers also play that format, but it hasn’t affected their test cricket skills. It’s a clear case of loss of appetite for success. When you are already being worshipped in the media, if you are already signing lucrative endorsements deals, why would you crave to do better on the cricket ground, why would you push yourself hard?

     

    I think Indian cricket is paying a huge price for the obsession this nation has with celebrity. We don’t give people time to evolve, we don’t give them time to showcase their real talents, even minor performers quickly become stars. As an example, consider the case of starlets like Sonakshi Sinha and Parineeti Chopra. A couple of films down the line, and they are already in the glossies and in the ads. This is a recipe for disaster.

     

    It’s easy to see many careers have been damaged due to premature attention. The same thing will happen to Cheteshwar Pujara, and frankly, I see no way out of this morass. Our cricket team is destined to be inconsistent; we have to live with that. And it’s we who are to blame for this.

     

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    PS: For fashionable women, landing up at a Page 3 party in the same dress as another guest can be a disaster. This emotion is captured very well in this Harvey Nichols ad. Sure, some women can even get murderous in this situation. Enjoy!

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWxK4ZqW4tw[/youtube]

     

     

  • Some recent examples indicate to me that our newspapers and news magazines are still in a state of slumber. This must change very fast if print wishes to be around for a longer time than expected

    Anil Thakraney: Lazy Indian print media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    One would imagine that the print media in India is on the ball in an effort to put out fresh content. Now that the internet is very busy writing its obituary. But some recent examples indicate to me that our newspapers and news magazines are still in a state of slumber. This must change very fast if print wishes to be around for a longer time than expected.

     

    First, the magazines. I was completely disappointed by the manner in which Thackeray’s death and Kasab’s hanging was covered by the news mags. The editors might well have been aware that both the stories had already been sucked bone dry by the internet and later by television and newspapers, and they had been covered from every possible angle. What was therefore needed was some serious creativity from the magazine desk to supply red hot content to their readers. Instead, the same old stuff was regurgitated, the same people were asked to write the same opinions, even the already overused pictures were repeated. Absolutely no attempt was on display to tell us that the editors were trying to think differently. This is amazing, really. Isn’t the death of Newsweek a shrill alarm bell for these people to get their act together?

     

    And today morning as I write this post (Thursday), I can’t help but feel that the ‘glowing’ tributes in the daily newspapers to Pandit Ravi Shankar were hastily put together, only because the story had to be covered. I can even visualize the editor quickly deciding on the person in the team most likely to know a bit about music, and then ordering him/her with this: “Listen, put a huge spread together. Get some quick quotes and write the biography’. And, of course, the result was dull and boring. No new insights on the legendary man, no interesting copy… a crime when you consider that the man lived a totally happening life on both, personal and professional front. These were like huge obit ads disguised as rich tributes.

     

    Now compare the Indian work with this extremely interesting tribute to the musician in the New York Times. (See link below.) And you’ll get an idea of the lethargy that pervades our print newsrooms. Lethargy that shall one day cause the desi print media’s premature demise.

     

    http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/arts/music/ravi-shankar-indian-sitarist-dies-at-92.xml

     

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    PS: And as if to push the hurtful point further, here’s a fantastic letter contributed by a reader in the British Guardian. Even this little prose tells us much more about the master than all the tripe we read in our dailies. Time to wake up and smell the coffee, people.

     

     

  • Why don’t TV channels in the US come together and launch a high-decibel, sustained campaign against the open retail of guns in the marketplace? Why not use the power of the media to make this happen?

    Anil Thakraney: Media campaign on gun control

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Before I come to the point, I have to say I was appalled by the images of some US TV anchors interviewing kids who’d survived the gun massacre. This is completely not on. These bachchas had just been emotionally scarred for life, and they ought to have been left alone with their parents. This tells you even in the developed world there’s huge scope for improvement in the media. Had such a thing happened in India, we would have skewered our anchors/reporters.

     

    Anyway, onto the topic for today: Gun control in the US. I won’t go into the political details on this issue, everyone knows the story inside out. It’s very clear that the US netas won’t allow gun control in their nation because of populist reasons, and therefore shootings of the innocent will simply go on. Very sadly, it’s become a bi-monthly feature these days. (By the way, the Islamic terrorists must be laughing their guts out… their ‘hard work’ is being dutifully done by a few deranged US citizens.).

     

    Now, one appreciable thing our TV stations do now and then is to launch public interest campaigns for justice or for social/legal change. These campaigns are often urban-centric in nature (remember Justice For Jessica Lal?), and they are usually effective, or at least some of them are. This gave me an idea: Why don’t TV channels in the US come together and launch a high-decibel, sustained campaign against the open retail of guns in the marketplace? They are well aware the political parties won’t take any action on their own, therefore why not use the power of the media to make this happen? In any case the American public is divided on this burning issue, and therefore interference from the media becomes vital.

     

    And frankly speaking, I see no other way out of this bloody mess. Because left under the rotting carpet, these dirty rats will now and then kill innocent people. And all that the US Presidents will do is weep on national television, spew out a little sympathy, and then maintain status quo. We have a lot to learn from the firang media, but this is one leaf they should borrow from our chapter.

     

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    PS: Here’s a list of tech ads of 2012 that went viral. Samsung scores the highest points, and that’s bad news for Apple. Anyway, do watch these. Will give you a good idea of the sort of videos that get most watched on the internet.

    Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/most-viral-tech-ads-2012_n_2258613.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003#slide=1854942