Daily Post 1470
DEATH OF THE PROFESSIONAL
The antidote of professional and professionalism and bringing down its value in the public view is being played by the media primarily the electronic and totally uncontrolled social media. The mind itself is being plagiarised .The general audience is being made to believe that everything is understandable and more so through the eyes of the media only, who are doing a yeomen service to make it reach the larger audience. It is difficult to find out one professional’s name having made a public mental imprint out of the TV debates, it is always the anchor who is the hero and some party spokespersons who have also picked up the same art. The concept, legality, process, backdrop, landscape, expertise, reports, impact and roadmap all goes for a six.
When you play around with sentiment and emotions having TRP in mind where does professional and professionalism fit into the picture. If you search for professional caliber and spine of the professionals on the Indian TV screens, it might turn out to he a wild goose search. If ever somebody appears he finds it difficult to make his voice heard. How many of us watch the TV looking for authentic reporting and how many of us finally come out satisfied? While they are on their supposedly missionary zeal of transparency, do they have the wherewithal and intention to do that. Transparency is professional areas can he dealt by only journalists who specialise in that area and are recognised for the same.
We don’t know academic credentials of our TV journalists and not even their expertise and neither their demonstrated capability of the quality of reportage. Lots struggle with the language itself on English channels, expecting them to be communicative is a tall order. Being competent in their area of reportage is asking for the moon. Journalism has to reflect the world as it exists and unravels. The shrill, the tone or the tenor, uselessly, does not make sense to the audience but they are forced into it. No choice. They try to give you the feel of Formula One while moving in the rural backwaters of India.
Crime reportage has become the mainstay and sensationalism its story. More than three months of rollercoaster ride of a suicide case has thrown professionals and professionalism to shreds. The legally mandated, responsible and accountable officials / experts were looking for cover. Post mortem was first challenged and now the forensic report of the country’s best hospital. Has the country’s imagination put on sale? That is how COVID-19 was put off the country’s radar. How much does this type of non-professional reporting add to the stress and tension of the professionals who are on the job. What is total quantum of reporting on technology, entrepreneurship, economy, automation and the like? While the media talks of conspiracy stories day in and day out, the real conspiracy is to keep us decadent as a society.
PROFESSIONALISM TURNED UPSIDE DOWN CANNOT BE OUR NATIONAL STORY.