Identity Part-1: MediaCrooks A Terrorist For Thukral

I have been frequently asked through email, on Twitter and through comments on this site if the MSM Journalists and Commie Fiberals read this blog. Answer: YES, they do. This blog does criticise MSM. Oh, hang on! Criticise is a light word. This site exposes, lampoons, ridicules and that offends the MSM. But do they get the message? Let’s find out.

In the first week of April 2012 India Social held a conference on ‘Social Media’ (SM). One of the keynote speakers was Shivnath Thukral. He was a Business anchor associated with NDTV for 15 years (NDTV? Surprised?). He made a wonderful speech along with great video clips during his presentation titled “The future of reputation” (Youtube 31 Mins). It’s only in some parts that this intelligent person goofs up and reveals his typical MSM low-calibre and lack of intricate knowledge about SM and goes into an ignorant rant. You see, Facts, Truth and Logic aren’t bosses at the mainstream media houses. Here’s an edited version of Thukral’s speech (2.58 mins):  

I’m quite flattered MediaCrooks (MC) features in his presentation to an audience sprinkled with MSM & SM folks. He particularly focuses on the ‘No Entry logo for Corporate-media’ in the segment called “Nobody is spared”. That is nice. And then in the segment which Thukral calls: “Unidentifiable, Unapproachable, Inaccessible, No Redressal, Ineffective?” he states: “Today I don’t know who MediaCrooks is. And they go on attacking everyone… Do I have any sense of accountability from them? If a Print guy writes a negative story at least I know I can pick up the phone and at least try to redress his concerns”. Thukral then asks if these are “veiled terrorists” who attack reputations. Oops! I didn’t know MC terrorised the MSM folks. And reputations? Reputations are built by Facts, Truth and logic.Those can’t be destroyed without using lies and untruths and paid propaganda. Can’t blame reputations damaged by Radiagate, Cash4Votes, media in Coal-blocks on SM. The list of people whose reputations have been deliberately and wilfully destroyed by MSM is too long. Maybe Thukral’s call might wake up our media celebs on how many reputations they have destroyed with lies and propaganda. 

The Supreme Court recently slammed the TV media for its conduct during 26/11. SC even implied their conduct was "anti-national". Shoddy Journalism wasn't invented by SM. ET journalist arrested for extortion and blackmail. Another journo arrested in connection with murder. MSM journo arrested for terror plot. The biggest amount of damages of 100 crores awarded for defamation was against a news channel. Maybe Thukral will care to find out how much money was poured into MSM to tarnish certain “specific” reputations. But.. But.. these SM guys are terrorists. We'll see why.  

MediaCrooks attacks “everyone”? Haha! That’s as 'loose' and 'general' as you can get with facts. MC writes only about the news-media (It's called 'Focus'! Thukral should try it, it's really nice. Lack of focus has brought many businesses to ruin.. Er.. like NDTV, Vijay Mallya?). The site hardly covers entertainment, sports, spiritual or fashion media.Those are not toxic when compared to news media. Accountability? MSM is not accountable to anyone except their Pay-masters. But let’s put that aside. If anyone wanted to redress a negative post or inaccuracy in contents on this site there’s the option of comments. Then there is the ‘ContactMe’ link on the right margin of the page for mail or feedback. Then there’s another option of seeing my email ID by clicking on my profile and that’s another way of writing to me. Many people actually do (As the post ‘From My Inbox to Fiberals’ shows). But hey, fact-checking is not a gift with the MSM or with Thukral. And if you’re upset with a negative story in Print media you can pick up the phone and talk to someone? Surely, Thukral lives in a world of celebs who can do that. Not ordinary people. These are the lies that the MSM peddles and Thukral so eloquently presents. DISMISSED!

In the post ‘Democracy is a dangerous idea’ I had argued that crony capitalists do not like the idea of power going to the hands of ordinary people. Social Media does exactly that. It has put power in the hands of ordinary people. Naturally, MSM sees a threat in that. The corrupt cronies sense it. That’s why the MSM frequently argue on WHO the writer is rather than WHAT is written. If they had to debate something they should debate what’s written and not by who. Far from issues of identity or accessibility, it is this that hurts the MSM most.

Shivnath Thukral makes the same stupid mistake that most media crooks make. No fact-checking! He spews silly theories about being ‘unidentifiable and unapproachable’ without testing his theory. Before shooting off bogus theories it is a scientific requirement that they be tested. Which is the reason our MSM peddles lies so easily. Thukral peddles lies too. He has nothing to lose. And who make up most of his audience? Mostly the same people who are his colleagues from the MSM. Ideally, he should have used any of the provisions on this site that enables him to connect and see if he gets a response. He still has that choice. Most people who connect do get a response, especially if they are making some important points. When he does go around talking like Moses without testing his theories he proves he’s talking through his silly hat.

But hey, in Part-2 of this post, we will completely demolish Thukral’s and the MSM’s nonsense about identity, anonymity and accessibility too.

Read: "Identity: Part 2 - Society Reacts To MediaCrooks"

Media As Emotional Blackmailers

Kandahar hijack case of IC-814. Most of us will remember the wailing protest scenes of families of hostages that were constantly on our TV screens. In particular Star News then, with the likes of Rajdeep Sardesai and Barkha Dutt, spared no effort to show the distress of families against a very delicate situation facing the government. The emotional drama was played out over and over again till your heart started weeping. Make no mistake; everyone felt the sorrow and distress of the suffering families. But a line was crossed by the media then when the government was faced with a critical situation. A hijacked plane in a hostile territory, surrounded by an enemy nation on our border with little direct access for any strong action. All that would have contributed to the hostage exchange with the release of terrorists then. And consequently political parties will forever have the opportunity to label that act as weak reaction or surrender to terrorists.

None can forget the shoddy journalism of many in the media during the 26/11 carnage in Mumbai. Mikes and cameras being shoved into the faces of distressed families or into the faces of those who managed to escape or were rescued.

Then come to the recent case of Maoists kidnapping an IAS officer in Orissa. Once again the emotion-charged distress of families being repeated over and over again on TV. That being done there is again the case of hostages being held by Somali pirates. Angry, annoyed and distressed families over and over again being shown on the screens to vent their anger against the government.

They keep fear alive...Our media feeds on the tragedy..

In every such incident of hijacking or terrorism the families suffer and go through immense pain. But does it really serve the nation or decision making to repeatedly show their plight on TV? It would have been enough to show it once or twice. But the endless interviews with families, some wailing, some chest-beating all of it goes on non-stop. One would think rather than wanting to see an end to a crisis the media would like it prolonged so that they can get an extended run on the emotional drama which is all so tragic. Nobody, nobody loves a tragedy like the media does.

Despite the pain that individual families will definitely go through in such situations it is the responsibility of the media to ensure a balance in what they show. Instead of showing wailing families all the time complaining about the inaction of the government they could very well call some strategic experts for discussions on diffusing the situation. A nation cannot make decisions on security, negotiate with hijackers or have dialogues with pirates based on just the emotional state of the suffering families. In the end this is the same media that will bring up the idea of India being a ‘soft’ state and then have more discussions on that.

It is one that thing that our governments have never evolved a clear policy on dealing with hostage situations. The frequent trading of criminals for hostages is definitely not a long term healthy policy for any state. As with the 26/11 carnage who knows, the pirates and the Maoists might have been watching TV all the time. This could well explain why the Maoists kept increasing their demands. Any government has to be sensitive to the concerns of the families of hostages but at the same time the larger responsibility is not to sacrifice national interests or consistently appear to be succumbing to hostage-takers. Lives are lost for many causes. Sometimes the media needs to put the nation first.

Feed a mouse a cookie, the next thing it will ask for milk. And the media is doing a very good job of feeding the cookie and the government will comply by feeding it the milk. A hostage situation is nothing more than good ‘soap’ for our media. Sense and Sensibility, that is for someone else with courage.