Now Showing

The gory detailing and scrutiny of the ‘unmentionable’ crime splattered across the pages of dailies, magazines and tabloids alike. A grueling battle with death being fought for the last twelve days behind the closed doors of an ICU , a minute by minute update of the same to the world at large. All the emotions and non emotions of a shock numbed family laid bare for the curious society. The naked titillating interviews that everyone who is close to the victim or accused being subjected to.

I open the newspaper in the morning cause all I want to be is an informed reader. Nothing more and nothing less. I have a right to know the facts to form my own informed opinions – but there is a clear distinction between facts and superfluous facts. Is there somebody responsible for the sensitivity quotient in reporting? Have the lines of decency faded into oblivion? Or has the media now taken up the role of a bollywood director whose mainstay is entertainment? Pramod Mahajan, a public figure, the future of the BJP, a key political strategist – was all this to me. So how does that qualify me with the right to know about what is happening in his house, with his family at this hour of deathly horror? How does this piece of information becoming public help anyone? I, the reader, am just an information seeker. I am not the curious neighbour or a peeping tom. Do not make a mockery of someone’s death because you think that that’s how I want the dish to be served to me. Do not cross-over to crass reporting on my account. I don’t need it and I don’t want it. Thank you very much.

If audience / reader applause, tears and goose-pimples is what you want to elicit, don’t you think you are in the wrong trade, mr newspaper editor? Where are we heading? Why are we going down this lane? Is nobody peeping out of the bus of life and actually checking the milestones? Are we really going the right way? I think we are lost !!! Somebody help!