COMPETITION DRIVES MEDIA TO GO PRO- ACTIVE

While the nature was flooding four districts of Andhra Pradesh in a manner that was not witnessed in the last one hundred years, eleven Telugu news channels were flooding the drawing rooms of millions of households in the state with non-stop coverage of floods for full five days. Of course, it was necessary to keep the people and the administration informed of the ground realities with visual support. Though such in-depth coverage and studio discussions with irrigation experts and engineers might have sacred some people because of forecasts of deluge, there was no choice before the channels. Even visuals repeated like nobody’s business, dubious claims to exclusivity, “first”- to- reach- the- spot claims and the like are understandable in the electronic media keeping in view the mindless competition. But the problem was, the claims were taken to ridiculous levels.

Anyone who was watching the Telugu news channels during those agonising days of flood fury would have come to the conclusion that it was the electronic media in the state that has taken over control of the flood management, rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures from the state administration.

It was the market leader TV9 that showed the way for others in the fraternity. On October 2 itself the channel started the claim that it was TV9 team that could reach out to places where official machinery could not venture. Of course, there were no specific details or visuals except “bytes” from the villagers to this effect. There was a pattern. A loaded question will be asked to the people “Did anyone come to your area to help?” You can’t expect the marooned people to say “Oh yes, many people came and we are all happy with their timely help” It is quite natural for them to be disappointed and angry. Obviously, when hundreds of villages were affected due to sudden inflow of more than 10 lakh cusecs of water, you can’t expect government officials to be present everywhere. So, a byte will be extracted from them to say that TV9 was the first to visit them. What is the strength of a television channel’s team in the affected areas to replace government machinery? A stringer in each mandal with a cameraman? Besides, the channel might have sent dozen teams from the capital.

How can the competitors of TV9 keep quiet when a rival is taking all the credit? TV5 went a step further. It announced that it was the only channel to have conducted an aerial survey of flood affected areas. If a chief minister or prime minister conducts an aerial survey, the purpose is to assess the damage due to floods and to chalk out plan of relief and rehabilitation measures. What would a TV channel do with an aerial survey if it is not just to shoot visuals? The channel also announced in bold fonts across the screen (not just scrolling) that TV5 rescue teams were active in the affected areas and that affected people in the submerged areas thanked TV5 profusely for the timely help. It was also claimed that the TV5 personnel were operating along with fire service authorities to rescue the flood victims.

The trend that was set by these two channels was meticulously followed by others in making claims and counter-claims. Every channel had “exclusives” and was the first to reach affected villages to lead rescue efforts.

However, there was a blessing in this competition which cannot go unnoticed. It was TV9 again that started collecting relief materials to be sent to the flood victims. The channel gave an appeal for aid and the channel claimed, throwing all decency and modesty into thin air, that the response it got was unparalleled in history and that even the government, NGOs, or the political parties could not get the same level of response which in turn reflected on the credibility of the channel among the people and the unshakable faith they repose in the channel.

On the positive side, this spurred other channels to collect relief materials and if we go by the visuals shown in all the channels there must be hundreds of trucks heading towards those four districts of Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Krishna and Guntur. This is one area where the competition among the channels benefitted the people if we ignore the tendency of some channels to run down the competitors. When TV9 was collecting clothes, TV5 ran a ticker that it was of no use except for propaganda. Since some channels received cheques/drafts, an attempt was made to discourage it saying that the cheques/drafts must be sent only to the chief minister’s office, as otherwise, there is a likelihood of misuse of funds.

Though Sakshi TV was trying to be professional in the first few days, even cutting live to TDP leader Chandrababu’s press meet in Vijayawada and not making exaggerated claims, it could not probably resist the temptation to cater to its owner’s political interests. There was an extensive coverage of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tour of Cuddapah district with a voice over that smacked of sheer sycophancy.

Of all the channels, ETV2 maintained semblance of balance and sobriety. The reason is not far to seek. There was no YSR in the scene to let loose its prejudice.
While the Telugu channels went overboard because of the real threat perception involving millions of people of the state, the coverage of national news channels was abysmal. On the afternoon bulletins of Times Now, IBN and NDTV 24x7, the lead story was the collapse of two cranes in the Delhi Metro project even as the Krishna flood was threatening to submerge hundreds of villages taking the lives of scores of villagers in the process. On the prime time bulletin at 9.00 PM on 2nd Oct, Times Now found Karan Johar’s apology to Raj Thakeray as more important than the flood fury in the South. Speculation about Shiney Ahuja’s exact time of release from jail was also considered to be more important to be taken before the break whereas the flood fury in the South was pushed as the last item before Sports news.

If we go by conventional wisdom, role of the media is to inform. But then, we are passing through changing times and changing priorities. When we have an Executive whose mantra is “positive discrimination”, judiciary which is told to be committed to social justice, and not just Constitutional justice, why can’t we have a pro-active media? Media which wants to replicate state administrative machinery.