The “give them what they want to hear” media model is not new. It’s was what spurred Bennet Coleman’s (Times Group) rapid growth in the late 90s and early noughties.
But it’s important to understand fully how it has harmed all of us and how that harm began before 2014
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But it’s important to understand fully how it has harmed all of us and how that harm began before 2014
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First - it created a vicious feedback loop.
We’ve always been aware of communalism in our society. But the fact that you didn’t see it portrayed on television or in major newspapers made its expression limited in day to day affairs. It wasn’t “normal” or civilised.
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We’ve always been aware of communalism in our society. But the fact that you didn’t see it portrayed on television or in major newspapers made its expression limited in day to day affairs. It wasn’t “normal” or civilised.
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Of course it would break through from time to time around festivals or rumours or specific events. But it wasn’t openly expressed in workplaces and social conversations.
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Enter news channels with their 24/7 profit model.
Now there simply isn’t enough news to fill 24 hours.
In some societies this spurred the celebrity craze - think Princess Diana in the 1990s. People would stalk her just to create news.
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Now there simply isn’t enough news to fill 24 hours.
In some societies this spurred the celebrity craze - think Princess Diana in the 1990s. People would stalk her just to create news.
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In India TV news hit the jackpot in another way- communal hint hint narratives. It was popular, because it affirmed what many people felt themselves. And when they saw it expressed so openly on TV, they felt free to become even more extreme IRL.
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This in turn created a market for even more extreme content on TV news, which in turn normalised these more extreme views and so on.
A vicious cycle like no other.
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A vicious cycle like no other.
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Second, policy took a back seat. News channels decided that they would show people what they want. No one wanted boring analysis of actual policies and checking of tall claims (“Gujarat model” etc). They wanted what would make them feel good.
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No one wants to be told they don’t understand something or hear that something is complicated. They wanted to be made to feel like they know know everything about it.
Hence the shouty TV debate format that makes viewers feel informed without actually informing.
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Hence the shouty TV debate format that makes viewers feel informed without actually informing.
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It was a format tailor made for the BJP, because they just had to shout out their allegations, not defend them. No one was actually cross questioned on even the most extraordinary claims- coal scam and its “notional loss”
It was hit and run
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It was hit and run
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This also prevented any intelligent discussion on the most fantastical claims Mr Modi was making. Of 70 years of misgovernance of “black money” of “Gujarat model” of “15 lakhs”.
Partly because of ideology but also partly because it was driven by sound bites not sense.
Partly because of ideology but also partly because it was driven by sound bites not sense.
The idea of a superhero who had done “wonders” in his state and would do the same for the country was easy to sell for the TV folks, like a superhero movie is easy to sell.
That he also gave legitimacy to a their inner biases and hatred made him a jackpot for television.
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That he also gave legitimacy to a their inner biases and hatred made him a jackpot for television.
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This left us with two things : first, unrestricted 24/7 pushing of more and more extreme communal content for profit and second, “made for television” governance. Big on acronyms, foreign travel, hugging leaders, low on policy.
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As media houses competed in their well documented race to the bottom so did the government. Every thing became a PR problem- CAA, farm laws, Kashmir. Policy was driven by how good it would look on TV and very little else.
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Today, we’re facing a crisis that needs boring and unglamourous governance. Carefully thought out policies driven by science followed with rigid consistency.
That this government cannot do, simply because they never invested in people who could do that.
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That this government cannot do, simply because they never invested in people who could do that.
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Everyone has fallen back on PR because that’s their core competence. Harsh Vardhan issues random denials and obfuscating stats, Jaishankar attacks the foreign media.
But it’s not worth anything. PR can’t stop a virus. Spin can’t bring people back to life.
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But it’s not worth anything. PR can’t stop a virus. Spin can’t bring people back to life.
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TV news media actively created a ecosystem where the electorate was increasingly communalised and governance was increasingly reduced to television gimmicks.
Minorities have long paid the price for the first. All of us are paying the price for the second.
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Minorities have long paid the price for the first. All of us are paying the price for the second.
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