A post by P Sainath (author of the book called "Everybody loves a good drought") made me sit up and take notice of the question in the heading of the post.
The book itself is something I picked up on the recommendation of Mr Ramamurty of Sikshana.
While the book is a collection of thought provoking articles, the fundamental question raised at the start needs a very deep / detailed look.
With the proliferation of the online channels (multiple 24x7 news channel included), I think there is less of journalism that comes out of independent thought and reflection and more of "being the first to file a report" happening in India today.
Be it a report on local crime, citizen / civic issue or the coverage of an event that is newsworthy. The worthiness is related to a quick "instant" meal rather than the process of extracting the key essense / doing "root cause analysis"
What I think is needed a bipolar strategy that channels / newspapers and the fourth estate in general should undertake. One that is "responsive" and will file in the reports, while another that is based on reflection and analysis.
Sainath seems to be another power hungry guy,another Ellsworth Monkton Toohey.This is my blog post on Sainath relating to NREGA.
ReplyDeletehttp://memorymaniac.blogspot.com/2008/06/lets-create-unemployment.html
Dear Deadmanoncampus...
ReplyDeleteIMHO, taking one single post (or even a single thought of an individual) and branding the individual is not on.
Every individual is entitled to his / her own opinion (also the reason why I'm not moderating your comment) and needs to be read in context.
Looking at the top of your post, I was going to refer to Henry Hazlitt's book and then found that reference already present at the bottom of the thread.
I do admire the book and the thoughts that Henry Hazlitt has described, but, IMHO that is applicable in a society w/o social discriminations. As an example, that would be applicable in Mumbai but not in a remote village with prejudiced views.
However, going back to your comment, you do not seem to have picked the context. The real idea is to establish on some "independent" thinking and not getting to a media "led" approach. Do I take it from the posted comment that you agree with the views expressed by my post, but, your umbrage is that I've quoted Sainath ?
Of course,I believe Journalism should be more responsible and it should be more based on independent thought and judgment.I completely agree with your views here.The problem with Sainath is that he is too obsessed with power and humiliating the rich that he can't put things in the right perspective.There is no such logic as which would work for Mumbai and not for a remote village.Logic is universal.The amount of money shifted from the tax payer doesn't get an increase in amount when it reaches the bureaucrat.The tax payer would have created employment if money was left entirely to him.That's pure logic.It's irrefutable.The validity of that logic doesn't depend upon whether it happens in a remote village or a metropolitan city.
ReplyDeleteDear Deadmanoncampus,
ReplyDeleteI have no argument against universal logic. My argument is the local influence and interpretation. Why else would my compatriots be the very image of civic consciousness while abroad, but, resort to littering and acting like a local goon when back in India.
It is the localness of the social context. There is a saying in Kannada that describes that every sheep is a lion in it's own pen.