Indian Media : The highs and the lows

The rot started when the story of "paid news" made its rounds during the electiions.

This time, the deafening silence maintained by the mainline media on the tapes that recorded instructions being given by a PR agency to leading editors on the content that they were to publish, has angered many. Santosh Desai, a leading media and advertising professional has in his kept his cool and with calm logic raised this in his column which is carried by one of the largest publications in the country.. The TOI.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citycitybangbang/entry/the-silence-of-the-hacks

It has prompted people to make videos and post them on Youtube. Since the veracity of the tapes has not been questioned, I guess this is bound to happen.



People are wondering if journalists need to be told whether they are human beings and citizens  first and journalists second. The instance of this photograph has come up for discussion.

http://bit.ly/eOD47j

The photographer of this picture could not/did not help this child and it died. Though awarded and lauded for the picture, it is rumored that the photographer went down with a nervous breakdown soon after and gave up his career. Probably his conscience was not totally dead. 

While it is appreciated that immediate action is not possible, a journalist has to do what is feasible and is powers to help another human being. It is not about simply reporting news.
In Tirunalveli, Tamil Nadu, a police Inspector lay dying on the main rod after an attack on him by assailants with swords, with a journalist shooting his death on video. The chap did not even call the hospital... there was a raging debate on this and many media professionals claimed that saving lives is not a journalists job, it is to report loss of lives!! This is what is worrying!!

It is high time the spotlight was focused on the "hidden persuaders". The 9pm news seems to have become, according to an irate viewer, the hour of "prime-time prostitutes".We have  a surfeit of 'usual suspects', i.e., characters willing to say anything for money  hogging prime time and making the telecast resemble a "nautanki" in a fish market with frequent pandemonium, shouting, slanging, mud -slinging, jibes and what not. Naturally, genuine news is the last thing that gets featured here! No wonder that people prefer the sober and factual  BBC or the 10pm bulletins when the hysteria is over and the main clowns anchoring the show take reprieve.


The issue is simple and apples to everyone, not just the "hacks". Every professional, whether he is a journalist, lawyer,doctor, engineer or whatever, has an obligation to his fellow being first.This transcends the obligations of our "work". By this logic, an engineer should never risk human life at work by endangering workers, or design buildings and objects which risk lives, a doctor has to follow the Hippocrates oath in spirit,the lawyer has to ensure that "justice" is served and if this means pleading guilty and asking for clemency, should advise his client to do so. (I doubt if any lawyer will do that in India. Some of them, the upright one's don't take up the case out of moral issues)
For journalists this is vital and even more important. Once they loose credibility, they loose everything.. it is the case of the boy who cried wolf! It is therefore not surprising that they get beaten up by the public very often these days. Total lack of sensitivity and sole focus on "breaking news" and often manufacturing it!!

There is a lovely Malyalam film called "swantham lekhakan" which has Srinivasan and Dillep. Brilliant take on the media establishment and its loss of its soul. The movie compares them to vultures!!

The international media has taken this up, thankfully...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/22/AR2010112203831.html 

Naaku Muka, Muku Naaka, ?

I have  not comprehended this commercial that seems to have won a lot of praise and plaudits. The TOI Commercial that launched their Chennai Edition. The agency is JWT. It is expected to swing the readers of the English dailies like the Hindu, Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle to the Times of India, Chennai Edition.



The sound track is a huge hit and has everyone dancing to it.As is evident reading the news and keeping with the times is the least of the concerns here :)

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Light at the end of the tunnel

* PWC’s Sivarama Krishnan’s take on the economy is that ,there is enough liquidity with individuals and banks and that given the cautious sentiment , there is none being put to use, either as loans or as investments.

*The argument is that this “meltdown” and “crunch” for India is just a short run phenomenon, since most companies are focused on shoring up bottom lines by addressing costs. ( 71% of companies surveyed by PWC).

*Given that the fundamentals of the economy are robust (agriculture, industry), the industry belief is that the GDP growth rates would be at least 6% by the next fiscal. In the medium term therefore, there would be revival of demand for project finance. (50% of companies are looking at cheaper sources of funds for the medium term).

*Innovative methods like public deposits as also forming JV’s(40%) are being considered. Acquiring of competitors is likely to happen as the “consolidation’ phase happens and the “shakeouts” throw up the weak players.

*This seems to be true. While Foreign Institutional Investors have pulled out $12 billion from the Indian bourses this year, Foreign Direct Investment to India surged to $2.56 billion in September. FDI has come in from Mauritius ($5.27 bln, Singapore $1.72 bln, US $1.15 bln, Netherlands $580 mln. This reflects a growth of 259% over last year. “The target FDI of $35 billion will be met”, feels Kamal Nath, the Union Minister for Commerce.

* The Oman State General Reserve Government Fund has picked up 24.5% in the 2500 acre Ansal Township called Megapolis . The Value of the project is is Rs26,500 crores. The total investment made is reported at Rs 13000 crores . Warburg Pincus, a PE firm along with CitiGroup is eyeing a substantial investment in this.

The land acquisition price was reported to be Rs 40 lakh an acre.

*Struggling US auto major has not scaled back its investment of us$500 mln in India to increase capacity and manufacture a ’small car’ (read -low cost car).

*Toyota has doubled its investment in India by pumping in Rs 1553 crores into its Bangalore plant. Again this is for a “strategic small car”.

*However Tata Motors shut down its plants for 3 days to reduce build up of inventories and while blue collar workers ended up with a reduced pay for the period, white collar was not paid at all.

* Production has been reduced in all auto plants and this includes Ashok Leyland (26% reduction), Eicher (38%, in response to a slide in sales of 55%), Mahindra‘s figures are not available.

Consumer Durables have had a good season it seems. The season (sept –oct)

Accounts for 25% of annual sales. Apparently the growth was 50% over the same period last year. This could partly be because last year, Diwali was in November and this year it has come to be counted with the October sales.

The disbursements to Government employees was made prior to Diwali and with the revisions and arrears, there was sufficient liquidity to drive off take this year.

LG claims a 50% growth with LCD TV’s leading the pack. Samsung has had a 35% growth trajectory, here too LCD TVs is the driver. Refridgerators and Washing Machines are next in row. For Godrej, it was washing machines.

*Incidentally these Durable Mfrs have not used any discount schemes and most schemes offered were at the retail level. This probably explains why the primary sales to retailers is being slowed down this quarter. There is likely to be an inventory pile up with the retailer in the next two months!!!

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IN THE MEDIUM TERM.

p.s.

*Swaminathan Aiyar’s column this Sunday in TOI is a worthwhile read as also Shashi Tharoor’s take on Obama’s chances. To complete the list , add Shoba De on “Fashion” the movie, very incisive, intelligent and insightful.