Are you fed up watching celebrities coverage by media?

If you’re still riding the ghost of the past, looking for signs of, say, Sucheta Dalai, Ahmedullah Qadri, and Ashwini Sarin in Indian journalism, here’s an aching fact: Indian media has sold its soul. And this includes both TV and print.

The 2011 Anna Hazare movement was likely a big turning point for the Indian media, when they finally had to give up their superficial reportage of “world ending” “Dhoni ne dhodaala” and “tampisach”. It was the time when the news channels were at the peak to mature and grow and communicate with the masses.

(courtesy: thehindu.com)

Almost all of them grew aggressive in their social and political reporting. And it was a welcoming change for a country whose struggles in the distant corner always remained disconnected from the majority. There were certainly a few media houses that lobbied for Congress (Hint: Radiya tape controversy). But the situation was rather tamed and in control in the crowd of genuine voices on news channels and print who were questioning the authority. The whole of India was riding a wave of a new media age that promised a better change.

And then 2014 happened. Things went downhill. Some anchors started taking “supari”, others’ ideologue was exposed right in the dead spotlight. Some sold their editorial control to the ruling party, others were forcefully hushed (Hint: Punya Vajpayee and Abhisar Sharma on ABP News).

And as it stands right now, with general election 2019 within the sight, the majority of Indian media has sold its soul. And if, for whatever reason, you disagree with it, with all consent to your right of opinion, you’re not only delusional but also brainwashed. (Excuse me, if it hits the wrong note in you.)

(Courtesy: YouTube)

The numbers of Hindu-Muslim debates this country has seen in the past 4 years, it’s shocking.

The time we have spent talking about Pakistan, the time media has, funnily, spent questioning the opposition, and the amount of end-to-end coverage of Narendra Modi’s rallies we have been fed all these months—it’s baffling and scary to the idea of democracy and secularism that this country is built upon.

Also read: Democracy And The Politics Of Fake News

(Courtesy: YouTube)

There’s a reason why, out of 180 countries, India is placed at 138th position in the World Press Freedom Index report. Not only have we slipped 2 positions below, but we’re also only one spot ahead of Pakistan, a country that Indian media so proudly gloat as “terroristan”. This number is incredibly frightening when you realize a simple fact that country’s progress and well-being can be judged best by the kind of independence its media enjoys.

(Courtesy: National Herald)

Also Read :-Do you think Modi Government is trying to kill Freedom of the press in India?

Over 12,000 farmers commit suicide every year in this country. Yes, the same “anna-daata” that politicians hypocritically throw fake promises at every election. And yet, when about 100,000 farmers marched to the parliament last week, Indian media shamelessly remained focused on Ram-Masjid-and-Babri-Mandir (oh, wait, did I say that wrong?).

Media’s coverage of Indian farmers’ plight, alone, settles that it has sold its soul. And the worst part is the majority of the people in the country fail to realize it because the hatred served to them every day have taken over their sane judgments and proper thinking capability.

In fact, as frustrating as it to see India media to obsess celebrities’ weddings like a neurotic-bunch, I am kind of relieved that, for some time at least, we won’t be served the Hindu-Muslim propaganda. Last year, it was Virat-Anushka when reporters and anchors sold every sign of professionalism that was left in them. This year, Deepika-Ranveer is nowfollowed by Priyanka-Nick’s wedding.

(Courtesy: Google)

And, oh, let’s not forget the upcoming coverage of Isha Ambani’s wedding—the daughter of media&government-puppet master Mukesh Ambani. Over 200 chartered flights are expected to land in Udaipur where this wedding is taking place.

And yes, if you’re not very well-versed with the demographics, Udaipur is a part of India—India, that ranks 103 positions on the global hunger index. A country that trades worse than North Korea when it comes to hunger, a country that homes 23.4% of world’s hungry people, a country that has the worst access to safe drinking water in the world. Yes, the same country where an influential family will throw an extravagant wedding costing in millions of dollars. BUT that isn’t the disturbing problem here. The most disturbing part of all is how the media, despite the crumbling social fabric of the country, will enthusiastically cover this wedding, like it did of Priyanka, Deepika, and Anushka’s.

Earlier this year, 512 journalists covered Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. Wait, how many showed up in Farmer’s march to the parliament last week?

But again, as I said, I am kind of relieved with these weddings and fashion week’s media coverage—as long as it keeps them off the divisive “Ali vs. Mahabali” debates. (Yes, they really did that Ali vs. Mahabali debate.) Because Indian media does not only have no shame, it has really sold its soul. And there’s virtually nothing that, us, the citizens can do about it for the next 5 years.

P.S. To answer your question, I am NOT fed up watching celebrity wedding’s coverage by Indian media. It amuses me to see sensibilities of people.....