The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Media should focus on life, not just lifestyle

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 15, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Media should focus on life, not just lifestyle

Obsession with numbers, speed and profit has made the media blind to issues that affect the man on the street. Too much of light stuff is eroding the credibility of newspapers, say our readers.

Herd mentality

The herd mentality of sections of media, especially television channels, is absurd. Breaking news is repeated for hours on with the same footage.

People expect different fare from newspapers, television channels and websites.

Repetitive matter with too much focus on celebrities of page 3 stature has made the media lose vibrancy.

G. Balakrishna,

K.R. Puram

Focus on issues

Why is it necessary to spend so much time or space on non-events such as the marriage of a film star or a starlet having a baby?

Media has started imitating the worst in western media and not the best.

Issues of relevance that affect a majority of people should get more importance and not the blond wig of a starlet.

We are more interested in what is happening around us, for better or worse.

A. Krishnaswamy,

Basavanagudi

Creating icons

Our press has the great tradition of spreading positive values. But business interests have eroded the values in newsrooms. Personalities are created and then dumped.

Of what use is the personal life of celebrities to the common man?

Sania Mirza is a case in point. Media evaluation of events and its projections often go wrong, affecting credibility.

Jacob Abraham,

D.B.Sandra

Only fizz

An actor being delivered of a baby gets more space and time than how inflation is affecting the life of the common man.

Allegations and counter charges on the floor of the legislature receive more attention than meaningful debate, pertinent questions or witty repartees.

If the standards of legislative debates have gone down, the media is to blame. Walkouts and show of bad temper get more attention.

Babita S.,

Indiranagar

Chasing numbers

Events that shake up the conscience of society do get attention but they are short lived with hardly any follow-up in the media; other events have overtaken them.

Issues such as some parts of the city not getting enough attention from the civic body or about the need to improve bus services are played up only in a few sections of the media.

It will be unfortunate if even serious, mainstream media fall into the trap of using sensationalism to boost their numbers.

K. Rammohan Rao,

J.P. Nagar

Loss of credibility

Commercial success at the cost of credibility does not pay in the long run.

Leave sensationalism to the tabloids; other sections of the media have to present issues that make us think.

Why do some in the media believe readers are more interested in the doings of so-called celebrities and not about those who go about making this world a better place to live?

Newspapers should not become like movie magazines.

Latha Venkatesh,

Jayanagar

Readers are serious

Serious developments, political and economic, that affect our lives have taken a back seat in preference to sensationalism. Innuendos and allegations fill space than balanced analysis of events that make a big impact.

The fact that there are serious readers who want news first is proved by a few newspapers like yours.

News presentation can be made more interesting without compromising on standards of journalism.

S.Pishe,

Indiranagar

No choice

It is surprising to find some sections of the print media beginning to resemble film magazines, complete with gossip columns.

There is little difference now between tabloids and some broadsheets, which actually have shrunk in size.

There are so many interesting and far-reaching socio-economic changes happening all around us.

Good journalism appears to be almost extinct, with a very few exceptions.

M.Faziuddin,

Shivajinagar

NEXT WEEK: Snatching of chains, wallets and mobile phones, often during the day, is making the city unsafe for women. It is becoming dangerous for working women who return home late in the evening. Can the police and the public change this? Readers are invited to send their views to Point-Blank, The Hindu, No. 19 and 21, Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, Bangalore 560001 or email bglreflections@thehindu.co.in.

K.R. Puram

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