MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • Advantage Arnab

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    One would have expected some more fireworks from the print media over Markandey Katju’s remarks on journalists and how he wants to control the media. Katju has just taken over as chairman of the Press Council of India and seems to have bought into the government line that broadcast journalism especially needs to be contained or curbed.

    Much as there are aspects about TV journalism in India which are annoying – and god knows I’ve been ranting about them in these columns – government control is not the answer. Nor is the answer in the Press Council of India taking exception to whatever he finds “obnoxious”. The hope is that eventually TV journalism in India will grow up and realise that everything doesn’t have to be a drama, that ignorance is not a virtue and that he who shouts the loudest doesn’t necessarily make the most sense.

    Katju, a former Supreme Court judge, is evidently as irritated by TV journalism as most Indians. But bad quality is not the PCI’s concern. It has to look at weak standards and practices rather than a few dimwit journos.

    Why not, for instance, take on managements for their policies like medianet (and its many variations) and private treaties? In today’s world, it is not editors who decide on such unfair and blatantly immoral practices, it is owners and managers.

    As far as the dumbness of journalists is concerned, I would lay the blame squarely on our education system and the fact that media houses hire people who have studied mass communication at the under-graduate level. If hiring policies were changed so that mass communication/media studies was only required as a post-grad diploma or degree, there would be a dramatic improvement in the quality of our journalists. We might also remember that our best journos don’t even any media degrees.

    Katju also seems to think that the media is one homogenous body rather than a diverse collection of rivals. Journalists are not ants looking out for the best interests of the hill. His notion that issues like poverty and development get ignored for Lady Gaga and Formula 1 is all very well but he may not realise that no newspaper or TV channel which concentrates only on serious issues will survive for more than a few months.

    We need to get together closer on issues of press freedom and use our vehicles to make our points rather than leave it to bombastic statements from the Editors Guild, which is about as useful as the Press Council.

    **

    It was interesting however that even an interviewer as aggressive as Karan Thapar seemed to allow Katju to get away with his statements on his show, ‘Devil’s Advocate’ on CNNIBN. Katju held forth and Thapar listened. Very unusual and uncharacteristic.

    **

    Arnab Goswami and Times Now demonstrated on Wednesday night just why he is so adept at pulling the carpet out from under his rivals. He turned to the extradition orders issued against Wikileaks editor Julian Assange and held a fairly intelligent debate on vendetta and the use of Wikileaks. The panellists were Madhu Trehan, Faruukh Dhondy and for some unknown reason Suhel Seth who of course is TV’s go-to person for fireworks and posturing. N Ram joined later and not only did he and Trehan get into an amusing little spat but then Ram and Goswami started and even more amusing mutual admiration society.

    The big winner for Times Now was the discussion on the deaths of two young men in Mumbai almost two weeks ago – Keenan Santos and Rueben Fernandes. Santos and Fernandes and a few friends were out one night when a group of men started to harass and molest the girls in their group. Santos and Fernandes and the other men objected, a fight ensued and Santos and Fernandes were beaten very badly. Santos died that night, Fernandes a few days ago. People apparently stood and watched and calls to the police were of little help.

    The family and friends of the boys on the show demonstrated great courage and dignity and Santos’s father Valerian won many admirers. The rise of crime in Mumbai was deplored by guests Bacchi Karkaria and Roshan Abbas. Goswami expressed outrage at the lack of safety, the problems faced by women and even the use of the term “eve-teasing”, which is admittedly idiotic. He also slammed moral policing.

    By giving national focus to this Mumbai incident, Goswami has certainly stolen a march on his rivals.

    Presumably Katju can fret and fume some more now.

     

    eom

  • There are many reasons behind the cult of Jobs. Here’s my little list on what made the man so special. And my reasons actually lie within Apple’s own legendary ‘Think Different’ advert.

    The Anchor: Anil Thakraney’s 4 reasons why Steve Jobs was so special

    The entire world seems to be in collective grief over the death of Steve Jobs. As if people have lost someone close. Does it make sense? When you consider he was just another businessman out to make a lot of money. And there are thousands of very loaded industrialists all over the world. Most of who we don’t care much about. And Jobs, unlike rival Bill Gates, wasn’t even big on charity work. So then why do we all adore him? Even those of us who have never touched an Apple product in our lives. (I certainly haven’t.)

     

    There are many reasons behind the cult of Jobs. Here’s my little list on what made the man so special. And my reasons actually lie within Apple’s own legendary ‘Think Different’ advert. It’s as if the script was written with Jobs in mind. Businessmen and industry leaders must pay close attention to what it takes to catch consumers’ hearts and minds. From across the world.

     

    #1 Because he was a rebel: Jobs did not conform to the industry standards, nor did he try to surpass them. Instead, he showed them the finger. He was a true inventor, a visionary, who believed he could do it his way. Self-belief was at the heart of his success. And that’s how a lad working out of a car garage went on to build an international tech empire.

     

    #2 Because he didn’t just make and market products, he pushed the human race forward with his bold innovations. Product innovations that are not just technologically marvellous, but are slick and aesthetically rich. Consumers don’t just wait for a new Apple product. They queue up for it. They save up for it. They dream about it. Jobs never short-changed his buyers by taking short-cuts. He thought big. He delivered better.

     

    #3 Because instead of throwing out the ‘square pegs in the round holes’ from his organization, he trained, nurtured and cherished the misfits. He saw the genius in his crazy, offbeat employees. He knew he needed people who thought differently, if his vision for Apple was to come good. Look around you… very, very, very few leaders in the corporate world are capable of such an ideology. That’s why we have just one Steve Jobs.

     

    #4 Because he genuinely, passionately believed he could change the world. And he did.

     

    Links: The unforgettable Apple advert.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oAB83Z1ydE&feature=related[/youtube]
    A touching tribute to the tech king.
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzWft8ZtTTY[/youtube]

    ***

     

    PS: Apparently there’s a TV journalist called Mandeep Something inside the Bigg Boss mad house. And she wailed on national television that she hasn’t gone to crap for four days. If a journo is doing stuff like this, can we really blame the other bimbettes on the show for all the nonsense? Anyway, guess now you know why it’s called a crappy show.

  • We need to once again take a hard look and check if what the Press Council chairman says is entirely wrong. Some-soul searching would actually do us good, and perhaps we’ll hire better personnel in the media.

    Hard Knocks: Sadly, Mr Katju may have a point

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice Markandey Katju, is determined to sort the Indian media out. Some days back I expressed skepticism on whether he’ll succeed in his noble endeavours. Here’s the link to that piece.

    http://www.mxmindia.com/2011/10/hard-knocks-katju%e2%80%99s-unreal-expectations/

    It appears Mr Katju read my post (hehe), and perhaps out of frustration, has lashed out at the Indian media. He’s basically questioning our skills, integrity and competency levels. Naturally, there’s collective outrage in the media frat, and an angry desi media is a dangerous beast, you don’t mess with it. I would be quite surprised if Katju remains for very long in his chair.

    Having said that, and having been sufficiently offended, we need to once again take a hard look and check if what the man says is entirely wrong. Some soul-searching would actually do us good, and perhaps we’ll hire better personnel in the media. So let’s examine Katju’s critique and his three key problems.

    He says the Indian media divides people on religious lines and is anti-people. A sweeping generalization, no doubt. But there IS a section of the media that caters to specific communities and their respective communal biases. A section is even aligned with political parties. And this ideological bias comes to the fore during riots and elections. So what Katju says isn’t entirely wrong.

    He says TV channels focus on cricket and other celebrities. And Katju doesn’t like that very much. Well, that’s true. We do pay too much attention to entertainment and celebs, and I am guilty of that too. And often hard news gets buried somewhere. Yes, we do need to worry about excessive flooze in the media, for sure. But I don’t know how this will ever get sorted out. Because the truth is: Advertisers are more interested in Katrina Kaif’s fashion mantra rather than the survival plans of the family members of that RTI activist who got killed. That’s the sad commercial reality.

    He believes journalists have not studied economics, politics, literature and philosophy. Is he entirely wrong? Switch on the news channels and you’ll notice the general knowledge skills of most anchors and reporters. Yes, it needs a lot of beefing up, we have to admit that. Most journalists are too busy chasing celebs to find time to read Shakespeare, that’s another fact of media life.

    Bottom line: It’s easy to get offended by Shri Katju’s crazy generalizations. And dismiss them as outbursts of an angsty uncle. Still, it will serve us well to pay attention. He isn’t entirely inaccurate.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Watch this show as Barkha Dutt interviews a Google chief. You’ll notice what a struggle it is for her to have a meaningful conversation with a new media specialist. It’s not her fault, really. Most of us old-world journos would find it tough going. A glaring example of the schism between the old media and the new media. Also, hope Mr Katju didn’t watch this one. Else he’ll accuse us of being zero on media, apart from literature and philosophy!

     

    Link: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/in-the-google-of-things/215082

  • Full credit to the ad agency for making Birla Cement’s comatose promise come alive.

    Debrief: Berserk advertising

    By Anil Thakraney

    A very boring product offer: Use Birla Cement Wall Care Putty to prevent your walls from chipping and flaking. It’s the sort of brief that would put many creative directors to sleep. Given that, full credit to the ad agency for making such a comatose promise come alive.

    The commercial features a man combing his hair as he notices that his pet parrot has started ‘shedding dandruff’. Panicked, the chap informs everyone in the neighbourhood, and it quickly becomes a huge story. Naturally, television channels get into the act, and soon the whole of India is mystified by the parrot that sheds dandruff. Finally, the parrot spills the beans. The chipping walls in the house have flakes falling on its head, which results in the parrot having to constantly shake its head to dust them off. Like dandruff. The message: ‘Chahiye papdi se chhutti, lagao Birla White Wall Care putty’.

    [youtube width=”375″ height=”250″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElTzNnl2qXw&feature=related[/youtube]Good fun, I am all for the absolute madness in this commercial. A dull product like wall putty needs some serious clutter-breaking advertising in order to get noticed. And Birla Cement has achieved that. Also, the TVC nicely reflects the dumbing down of the television media, and that makes the ad even more entertaining. Wonder if editors of channels like India TV, Star News and Aaj Tak would cringe a bit when they broadcast this ad. They should.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 3.5 Good example of how to get excitement going on a boring product.

  • Anil Thakraney’s comment on advertising and media matters

    Anil Thakraney’s Hard Knocks: The impotent social media

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The social media has become the brand new joint to bond and vent pent-up anger. Even as you read this, tens of hundreds of causes are being launched by eager Facebookers, with many followers diligently signing up. From issues of animal rights to environment protection to fund raising for the needy to just about anything that can change the world. And when problems happen in the metro towns, it’s time to scream, collect fellow networkers and put pressure on governance. This too keeps happening every month. The two recent causes that come to my mind immediately are one, the ‘Meter Jam’ campaign launched with a lot of fanfare to teach the cheating auto rickshaw buggers a lesson. And two, demand for justice for the dead Keenan and Reuben, the young men who died fighting off drunken taporis.

     

    Now while I am happy folks have found a new place to express rage (far easier to click buttons from inside an air conditioned room than trudge to the Gateway of India and light candles), I wonder if the social media has the power to make real impact. The ‘Meter Jam’ effort flopped miserably after a lot of noise. And am afraid the ‘Justice for Keenan and Reuben’ campaign will meet the same fate. Sure, anger has spilled on to the mass media, and the Maharashtra CM has been forced to make a statement, but all will be forgotten soon. Perhaps some of the culprits will get a jail term very soon, but sexual harassment of women and crime on the streets will simply go on. And the rick guys will continue to cheat us, of course. Quite obviously what is required is a massive overhaul in our legal and policing machinery if we want to see real change, and that can’t happen by cribbing and carping on Twitter and Face Book.

     

    But, no matter. Let the causes be launched, let the anger roll. At least people feel a little lighter in the head after clicking the ‘Like’ button. It de-stresses the mind. However, I’d imagine Yoga is a better bet. It’s soul satisfying, and if you indulge in some of Baba Ramdev’s techniques, you could lose some weight too.

     

    PS: Watch this ad for a vacuum cleaner. A superb example of how to use horror in advertising. It’s one genre that’s rarely used inIndia.

    [youtube width=”300″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGb8pMIeY6w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

  • Ranjona Banerji reviews nightly news on television and the fare in the morning papers.

    More confusion and pyrotechnics

    By Ranjona Banerji

    At last television managed to extract some excitement from the news. NDTV’s Nidhi Razdan tried to get her guests Renuka Choudhary, Subramaniam Swamy and Vinod Sharma of the Hindustan Times to decode the 2G intra-ministry note controversy, the call to prosecute P Chidambaram and the arrest of former LK Advani aide Sudheendra Kulkarni in the cash-for-votes scam. Sadly, the verdict was the same as it has been all these days – confusion. The audience however was not convinced with the explanations provided in the cash-for-votes episode by the BJP and Sharma just laughed at all political parties. Chowdhury was her normal dismissive self while Swamy was a bit nonplussed by the CBI’s refusal to listen to the government, saying it was an autonomous body.

    Thus it was left to Arnab Goswami to provide the pyrotechnics. However, the subject of his choice – NGOs breaking the law – can only create foam-in-the-mouth for the most diehard supra-nationalists who see Maoist conspirators around every corner. Even the news that an Essar general manager had been arrested for paying protection money to Maoists could foment the crowds or the viewers. Goswami was pained that NGOs were breaking the laws of the Government of India. This from a man who just last month appeared to have been quite happy when members of Team Anna tried to destroy the entire Indian system of parliamentary democracy.

    However, as far as television was concerned, the arrest of Kulkarni was big news as the BJP scrambled to prove it was being victimised and the Congress retained its disdainful position regardless of how foolish it sounds and how little anyone believes it. Still, the fact that Parliament was sullied by MPs waving wads of cash around apparently rankles in many Indian hearts. The goodie-goodie whistleblower explanation does not cut much ice when confronted with patriotism.

    **

    The death of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi obviously caused great pain to the Indian nation as tributes and obituaries to the great cricketer carried on for more than a week. This was surely unusual, made even more unusual by the fact that few of the writers actually knew the man very well and had to depend on hearsay and legend to bolster their articles. It showed if nothing else, an interesting view of contemporary Indian life and one where the truth cannot ever come in the way of laudatory praise.

    Or, as it happens, criticism. Some stray remarks made by controversial Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar about Sachin Tendulkar created a little tizzy, causing the launch of Akhtar’s “controversial” book to be cancelled. However, most of the tizzy was created by the pre-release publicity machinery to drum up a little extra interest. Instead, the tactic appears to have backfired. The publicity tiger is a dangerous beast to ride. Remember the limerick about the Lady of Niger, who smiled as she rode on a tiger? They came back from the ride with the lady inside and the smile on the face of the tiger.

    **

    I see that little news items about transgressions by Reliance Industries have started to make their way into newspapers. Will track this and see if it goes any further.

  • At the root of good journalism lies the Lakshman Rekha with celebs, writes Anil Thakraney in context of over-bonding of some journos and celebs over Twitter

    Hard Knocks:Journos,keep your distance from celebs

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The Twitter boom has helped celebrities the most. Politicians, movie stars, sports icons, authors, etc, now have direct access to their fans. And it also helps them promote their own work and speak their minds without having to deal with the “middleman” (mass media). Nothing wrong with that. And more power to twitter!

     

    As it turns out, many of us journalists are also on Twitter. Not only does the platform help us break news, it also gives us a firsthand report on what the celebs are doing and thinking. Most of it is garbage like “I am eating a piping hot masala dosa” or “Traff&cked in Chennai”…. Still, it’s a useful medium for quick info.

     

    So far so good.

     

    However, I have noticed some over-eager journalists bond with celebs over Twitter, as if they were conversing with close buddies. I notice a huge amount of backslapping and general bonhomie. It’s quite possible some journos feel a high with this instant celeb connect. But quite frankly, this is an unhealthy thing to happen.

     

    At the root of good journalism lies the Lakshman Rekha between reporters/editors and celebrities. Because this line of control helps to keep reportage and analysis unbiased and free. This detachment is absolutely essential to journalism. While it’s okay to wish the celebs now and then on momentous occasions, the interaction must remain at that level. Because the truth is, you cannot write bad and embarrassing things about friends. You will hesitate in doing so, and that’s human nature.

     

    Already we saw what happened during Radiagate. Some journos, because of their good friendship with politicians, crossed the line. And made fools of themselves. And Twitter has made possibilities of such things happening at a higher frequency.

     

    So yes, let’s tweet. Let’s read their tweets. Let’s even re-tweet. And that’s where it must all end.

     

     

     

    PS: Speaking of Twitter, some days back there was a massive rumour going around that the J&K CM Omar Abdullah is in a relationship with a senior TV journo (speak of crossing Lakshman Rekhas!). And that he was even planning to marry her. Not sure if there’s any truth in this. But if true, the journo in question must examine the past history of neta/journalist alliances. It’s doesn’t read very well.

     

  • I find it appalling that the Bachchan-baby-obsessed media has so quickly forgotten the humiliation of the recent past.

    Anil Thakraney: Why the media must boycott Abhi-Ash baby birth

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Aishwarya’s yet-to-be-born baby has become national news. Front pages of newspapers and prime time programming on television carry minute details of the event. Astrologers have been consulted to predict the sex of the baby, and the whole nation knows which hospital has been chosen for the historic delivery.

    Well, I am not going into the importance of the story vis-à-vis more pressing matters, that’s for Shri Katju to worry about. I just find it appalling that the Bachchan-baby obsessed media has so quickly forgotten the humiliation of the recent past. Remember the Big Wedding? When journalists waiting outside Pratiksha and Jalsa for days together were completely ignored by the Bachchan clan. When some photographers were beaten up by Amitabh’s then chhote bhaiyya Amar Singh’s goons. When the newly wed couple didn’t even extend the courtesy of emerging for a single photograph.

     

    Yup, it’s all forgotten. The media is back to cover the baby birth with full gusto. And the journos are ready to get humiliated all over again. Have we no shame? Have we become so beygairat? In fact, according to Mumbai Mirror, a guideline has been issued by the Broadcast Editors’ Association on how TV channels must conduct themselves during the event! And to think this sort of a guideline ought to have been issued during the 26/11 terror attacks, and who knows… some lives could have been saved. Tells you how jumbled up our priorities are. While to some extent I can understand the junta’s interest in the new member’s arrival inside India’s ‘first family’ household, if we in the media have any self respect left, we should boycott the event.

    Of course, that’s not going to happen. Kya karein, we are like that only.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Speaking of Beygairat Brigade, here’s the whacko Pak band with their popular number titled ‘Aalu Anday’. An otherwise ordinary track that became a rage courtesy the social media. Intersperse faces of the lads with those of our popular TV anchors and the song works marvellously!

  • When our hysteria-obsessed TV channels realised that a natural calamity was more newsworthy than a man-made one

    Why democracy can so easily be an ‘obstacle’

    Four days of a severe throat infection meant little TV news and or newspapers. This I thought would save me from minute by minute updates on the condition of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s fast for amity or goodwill or whatever he called it. But as it turned out, I was wrong. The fast may have been covered but Modi’s condition was left out of it. So unlike with Anna Hazare, whose weight, blood pressure and such were reported in detail, we were given few clues on how much weight Modi had shed. Also, since the earthquake struck Sikkim on Sunday evening, even our hysteria-obsessed TV channels realised that a natural calamity was more newsworthy than a man-made one.

    Unfortunately, not only is our knowledge about the North-East of India decidedly dim, so is our television coverage as few channels have correspondents or camera crew stationed close by or even perhaps adequate arrangements with local channels. Thus we had to depend on telephone reports and as usual it is not till you get the next day’s paper that you really know what’s going on. Also given our India-obsession, our channels behaved as if the earthquake only affected Sikkim, pretty much ignoring the damage in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet. This is, one assumes, a form of patriotism.

    The damage which obsessive TV – with regard to the coverage of the Anna Hazare movement in particular — can do was brought home to me quite severely while addressing students of a media course at a Mumbai college on Saturday , when one wanted to know how we can get around an obstacle like democracy when it comes to reducing corruption!

    Changes made to the Board of Control for Cricket in India were examined threadbare on television and with many anchors palpably upset that there had been no public executions or floggings after India’s losses in England. It becomes clearer every minute you watch TV news why democracy can so easily be an “obstacle”.

     

    **

    Newspapers covered Modi’s fast as well but with far more scepticism, many choosing to concentrate on the fissures within both the BJP and the NDA. The Telegraph, Calcutta, has a story with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal (United) making it clear than Modi was not a suitable prime ministerial candidate. Of course, all this jumping the gun a bit since the next general election is in 2014 and it is unlikely that Modi will be fasting all the way up to then, amity or no amity.

    Tuesday’s Hindustan Times underlined its scepticism of Modi’s amity fast with an editorial, a lead edit page piece by Sitaram Yechury as well as a column by its senior political analyst Vinod Sharma.

    The Times of India reduced Modi to a second edit, ‘Strange Sadbhavna’. The front page concentrated on its Social Impact Awards, to honour people who make India a better place. The Times of India has fine-tuned the knack of being all things to all people, greedy, socially conscientious, middle of the road and of course as with Times Now, decidedly rightwing.

    Also expectedly, newspapers concentrated on the devastation and death toll in all the quake-affected areas and not just on Indian casualties. Clearly, whatever the sure signs of degradation of standards in the Indian media, some of the better practices still manage to rise about the sludge.

    Most mainline daily choose to downplay or ignore US president Barack Obama’s plan to increase taxes to cut down the country’s budget deficit. The pink papers however could not. And weeks after Warren Buffett wrote an impassioned column in the New York Times on how he and his rich friends did not mind paying more tax, Indian papers picked up on it. Of course, this was because of a throwaway line in Obama’s speech – but since the speech was telecast live by all international and business channels, you could not escape it. Indian newspapers and channels seem to have one mantra down pat – never upset rich people. Obama apparently – and the New York Times for that matter – has no such qualms.

     

    **

    We need someone to explain our country’s nuclear policy to us cogently and intelligently as ever since the Japan tsunami there have been very real fears and very strong protests. Indian television goes overboard and Indian newspapers play it down. Help?!

  • Anil Thakraney finds the new Hajmola ad quite a flop show.

    Indigestion!

    Dabur Hajmola: Ad hazam nahin hua!

    Dabur has come up with a very ambitious idea in an effort to expand the market share for its digestive tablet brand, Hajmola. So far, if I recall correctly, the tablet was pitched at the over-eaters and the greedy pigs. But now Dabur wants you to have a Hajmola after every meal and snack! In short, they expect to net a whole lot of new consumers, many of who may never even have heard of the brand.

    Now when marketers attempt such a Himalayan task, it’s paramount that the advertising shines for them to harbour any notions of success. Sadly, Dabur has released a safe, dull, regressive commercial for Hajmola. It’s back to the ‘Desh ka choice’ route of the eighties. The commercial features all sorts of people eating all sorts of things and then topping it all up with a Hajmola. From burgers to paani puris to idlis to samosas to kebabs. ‘Hajmola kare khana complete’ is the new tagline.

    Total flop show. A tired idea and an even more tired execution. This is the sort of stuff we have seen over and over again. When what was needed out here was some advertising magic to go with such an ambitious project.

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 0. Got a bad digestion!

  • Ranjona Banerji reviews the fare on nightly news and the morning papers

    Of Tarun Tejpal’s travails

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Last night on Times Now was terribly entertaining. The media’s romance with Mamata Banerjee as Bengal chief minister seems to be over and Arnab Goswami exchanged nation-saving passion for sarcasm while discussing with Banerjee’s rather odd decision to enter a police station to rescue party workers. Trinamool Congress’s spokesperson Derek O’Brien also bore the brunt as he spluttered and exploded his way through the discussion.

     

    He also made some strange digs at Arati Jerath, editor with Crest (and a former colleague I must admit). Arati very graciously laughed it all off but O’Brien did not show himself as a gentleman. Goswami put up a spirited defence and all the other panellists seemed quite amused.

    **

     

    Sadly, Wednesday mornings’ newspapers largely ignored Banerjee’s police station search and rescue but they did focus on the high-octane pull out threat on Friday which has now dwindled into a ‘if you ever do it again we shall think about it again’ damp squib.

    Sometimes you wonder why India needs Bollywood at all when it has our political masters for entertainment.

    **

    Having reported that LK Advani and Narendra Modi were at loggerheads on Monday, by Tuesday, the Times of India decided they were not – but then added the rider that the negative publicity had made the two BJP leaders decide to put up a united front. The Hindustan Times also reported the same thing so now everyone appears to be on the same page.

    **

     

     

    Deccan Herald reported that the Think Fest organised by Tehelka last week in Goa had run into all kinds of problems, starting with a controversial comment made by Tehelka founder and editor Tarun Tejpal, apparently exhorting his guests to drink and “sleep well with anyone you think of”. There was much outrage, either because he advocated sex or he insisted that they do it well or indeed because he implied that that’s why people go to Goa.

    Apart from this, Tejpal is already in trouble with Goa’s environmental activists and journalists for his apparent closeness to the government and the mining lobby.

    As a result, not must has appeared on the thinking that was done – if indeed there was any time for it amidst all these other admittedly more interesting activities.

    **

     

    Speaking of sex (well, in a manner of speaking), Indian politicians are very lucky that the Indian media does not chase or publicise their sexual escapades. Like most US presidential candidates, Republican Party hopeful Herman Cain finds himself tumbling down the ratings as at least four women have accused him of sexual harassment and misconduct.

    Perhaps one day the day will come?

  • In Freaking News, Ranjona Banerji on the petrol hike coverage, Times Now on Modi, Omar Abdullah’s marriage…

    Arnab Goswami as a BJP adviser?

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Expectedly, the petrol price hike was top of the mind on Friday morning, as readers already depressed with the news the night before, groaned their way through morning chores. Most newspapers slammed the hike, pointing out that it would add to inflationary pressures, that this so-called drop in the rupee was not reason enough for a Rs 3 hike and that most of the price per litre went towards taxes anyway. In addition, the apparent move to push people towards diesel was short-sighted because one day diesel subsidy would also have to go and then, the environmental cost.

    **

    Hindustan Times’ Delhi edition lead with the new India-China standoff over oil exploration in the South China Sea but put the story on the fold in Mumbai, taking the petrol hike and a local municipal story on top. The Times of India gave prominence to its newly constituted Social Impact Awards.

    **

    The end of Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah’s marriage was in the papers, but then everyone respected his right to privacy. This meant that the juicy stuff was left out. Interestingly, The Hindu, follows the media coverage in disapproval and finds out that a possible new wife named for Abdullah – as a sort of political alliance – is an imaginary or invented person. Of course, should one wonder whether anyone would care if Omar Abdullah looked like most other Indian politicians (ugly)? Or perhaps if it is time the media dropped the pseudo-coy line and went all out and attacked famous people? Or if it is fair to tempt the reader with titbits and then hold back, claiming goodie-goodie rights?

    **

    Sonia Gandhi’s return to a workday was frontpaged as was the United States dubbing the Indian Mujahideen a terror outfit. Most papers pointed out that the authorities were still a bit lost on solving both the Mumbai and Delhi blasts. The rains in north India – which are wreaking havoc – got little play in the rest of the country but were covered in the north, with the Tribune in Chandigarh warning of more rain in the next 24 hours. The Ahmedabad edition of The Times of India carried prominently the story of policeman Rahul Sharma describing how he was charge-sheeted by the Gujarat government for talking to the Supreme Court appointed amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran about the 2002 riots. Chief minister Narendra Modi’s fast for goodwill did not feature on page 1.

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    This is of course in stark contrast to our friends in the world of television. Modi’s fast is getting a minute by minute update on some channels. Times Now or at least its biggest hero Arnab Goswami could become adviser to the BJP on how to win the next election, since his News Hour debate on Thursday night brooked no opposition to his view that Modi’s fast for goodwill (sadbhavna) was in the rightness of things. This line appears to be in contrast to The Times of India’s coverage and editorials of Modi and the latest events, but who knows? It must be added that Headlines Today runs neck and neck with Times Now when it comes to the rightwing slant, but then it has far more practice.

    **

    The petrol hike was given its space and so was cricketer Rahul Dravid’s retirement from One Day Internationals. On Wednesday and Thursday, Indian television did what it does best and to good effect here – it showcased the story of Indian hockey players being given peanuts in prize money and so shamed governments into coughing up more. Several newspapers – Mid-Day particularly in Mumbai – also did their bit.

    **

    The images of Bihar policemen beating up villagers were frightening and truly a triumph for television.

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    Here’s to a promising weekend, with all our drama kings and queens in full flow!