BREAKing News

News is about reporting an issue. Its about telling the people through words and pictures and nowadays videos whats happening and how. What the issues are, and who is responsible. This post is a me being pissed at the modern press and journalism.
The news media in India either doesn't quite understand their influence on public opinion in India, Or understands it all too well. In India, where the newspaper circulation is only quite about 30.7 million in 2002. I wont be able to give any better stats for 2009. But back then, the number of newspapers circulated for the number of people hit about 50 per 1000. The 50 is assuming that circulation has increased. Assuming that each paper caters to one person, that's 3%(THREE PERCENT, just to amplify the point) of the population that reads the paper. In whatever language. This clearly showing that newspapers aren't exactly the most popular news delivery system. There is TV, which is obviously significantly more attractive. And that's about the topic of the post.
EVERY channel loves breaking news. But the entire concept of breaking news is a significant piece of news about an event that is important enough to warrant an interruption of regular broadcasts is order to report the news to the population. Now I am not going to argue the use of the term itself. That's a different argument entirely and not relevant to the current post.
you watch Indian news channels these days, and we have breaking news ALL THE EFFING TIME. Everything. Honestly, its annoying. After 26/11 (after the 5 days), we had breaking news on the television for a week atleast. RGV going to the Taj was breaking news. ?¿?¿?¿?¿ Prioritize. Of course, it isn't half as much fun watching news that is "just about stuff"... When its breaking, its so much cooler... Um.. Again ¿. Of course, it a lot about ratings and viewership. So its all business. But new broadcasting is an important service. It needs to be shown some respect. Check the comments on this article.
And everyone has an opinion. The number of talk shows with speakers on it just because they are available. Shows like "We the People" and "The Big Fight" and whatever-its-called on channels like StarNews and HeadlinesToday are more of a screaming and shouting fest of little appreciable content. The talk shows on NDTV, I used to hold in high esteem. But the speakers nowadays think laughing and huffing and puffing makes them put across their points better. And what points. Stupid points some are. I won't go so far as to say that they aren't good st the topic they were called in to discuss. The channels are hopefully, not THAT bad. But they make silly points.
A good debate also means respect between the speakers. Leave the hall and call your opponents whatever you want in private, but when the debates begin, you need to be responsible and respectful. Everyone is getting heard.

The Mangalore issue. It has to be about the most talked about topic on television nowadays. There was a show with a BJP Leader, some top person from the BJP Mahila group with Raghu form Roadies and a Restaurateur. The "leaders" were all against the corruption of Indian culture and "sanskriti"(which is something else). The restaurateur spoke minimally. Only once as I saw it and apparently only one other time. both times, with a little disappointment about the situation as a whole. Now, Raghu, who has a reputation of being a straight talker with lots of "attitude" and the king of sarcastic kickbacks, was probably the worst. I'm not trying to stand separate from a crowd here. He was screaming. Disrespectful. And had nothing of substance to say. He interrupted the other speakers. Whether or not their points made any sense themselves. That was low and wrong. He kept on arguing about his right as a person to do whatever he wanted. And the sarcasm was a serious step down from his regular style we see on Roadies.

Now,I am no judge here. I'm not asking to become the editor of national newspapers or the marketeer. I don't ask to become adviser to any news channel. And though I am neither a viewer nor a fan of Roadies, I will likely be first in line to agree that there are very few people who could do what Raghu does.
But I find some faults. I mention them. Like I said, not a judge. So if any of you are thinking, "Kunal thinks he knows a lot... But ... ", then please... PLEASE, comment. And tell me the "". Bhai will probably be first in line... :P I'd be right behind, come to think of it... :P

Chaar aane ki murgi, baarah aane ka masala - Sarkeshwar 'Circuit'

The Whole Wide World

I have a dream... A wish actually. To be precise, it wouldn't count as one... Its a collection. But first... I was born in 1987. And for those who don't know, the Halley's Comet was visible, that is, it crossed the Earth in 1910. Again in 1986. 76 years later. When I read about it for the first time, I was probably in class 3 or 4. Around 8 or 9 years old. I read that it appears every 76 years. I was excited and looked u when it passed the last time. When I read it came around in 1986, I was pissed. I felt vaguely cheated that I missed it by one year. YES... I KNOW. Even if it came in 1989 or something, I wouldn't really know. I KNOW THAT I WOULDN'T KNOW... You can stop shaking your head like a Chinese doll. But either way, its how I felt. And its what I thought. Ever since, I've decided that I wanna see it again. I wanna see it before I die. That means I'll have to be 75. In the year 2062. Blood far off eh...? I know. I don't know if I'll get hit by a bus or something else before then. But its just a dream. If I die before then, then I'm gonna go upto God and pull his long white beard. He will, of course be able to show it to me immediately.. But the wait itself is much cooler than the prospect of seeing it. Just in case, for a few of you who are thinking it, NO. Its not a different way of wishing I live till 75.
Continue reading.
I wanna see the world. Nothing amazing about that. I wanna live in New York and stand at Times Square. I wanna go see the Berlin Wall. I wanna pray at the Wailing Wall. I wanna see Mecca. I wanna LIVE in Africa. I wanna see Sierra Leone. I wanna drift on the Nile and swim in the Amazon. I wanna get caught in a rain in South America and sail through the Suez canal. All these and more. I wanna experience the world. I wanna live the world in my 75 years till the Halley's Comet. I'm 21 now. I have 54 years. FIFTY FOUR years. Its a long long time. 54 years, not given to me. 54 years that I have allotted to myself, hoping that I'll have it.
I have read about people who have moved country and place to settle down in They live in another place and have a family there.
I think its lucky that they did. Experiencing a new lifestyle is something quite amazing. I imagine. I want to. I'm not saying I will.
For a person who would want to do something like everything I described, they need a longer life than 75 years. Let me be clear here. I don't want to visit these places. And those I mentioned above are not even a tenth of the actual list. I don't only want to see these places. I wanna live there. I wanna make friends with the people there and I want to visit the grocer. I want to live in all these beautiful places for the experience they will give me.
But I was standing at the railway station yesterday when this thought struck me. Being able to do all of this would make me happier beyond my means. But I don't think it is necessary. We haven't been designed to survive the world. We can travel as far as our means will allow us. But we cannot hope to cover the globe in a lifetime. I'm not calling sour grapes. I'm just saying that it is how I feel. I have lived in the UAE. It is a different lifestyle. I have lived in Hyderabad and Chennai. Even the differences between cities within India took some getting used to. I cannot imagine what 5 cities in different countries would do to me. ha...
I like pani puri and chola batura. And I'm happy in Hyderabad and I actually have come to love Chennai. I don't like tea, Irani or otherwise and love sambar on my Vadai...
I'm a hybrid of a Hyderabadi and a Chennaite and am a little bit of a citizen of the world. I honestly say I could watch an Italian movie wearing Bermudas and a baniyan, sipping coffee and eating a lasagna while living in Moscow. A little bit of everything...
And I kinda hate this post. But I have effing typed the whole effing thing and if you have started and come to the end, you have suffered the equal agony of me typing it.
Joy to the world...