Mumbai 7/11 & Media Coverage

Last 2 weeks have been one of the most difficult weeks in the life & times of Mumbaikars. It all started with heavy deluge, followed by desecration of a statue. As if these speed breakers were not sufficient, it was culminated by one of the worst tragedies in the form of serial bomb blasts on local trains in Mumbai.

While I’m let down by our administrators & intelligence agencies, I’m more saddened by the way in which media has approached the events.

On that fateful evening of 7/11, I was in office and since 6.30 PM was glued to TV. To my utter surprise & shock, TV Channels were just trying to sensationalize the things. They were busier dishing out those “exclusive bytes” rather than really helping the cause.

The questions being asked to the administrators (read bureaucrats, police) were like "how do you compare these blasts with '93", "what’s the material used - RDX or TNT" etc. Passengers were being asked “who do you think are behind these blasts”, “do you think Mumbai is safe any more”.

Not that these questions were utterly nonsense but they were post-mortem questions. These questions meant nothing to those who were stuck at that point in time. People wanted to know whether they should stay back or proceed. If proceed then what time, which route. Where could they find first aid and essential help. This would have really helped.

While I understand they being in the ‘business’ of news-making and any seller would sell what sells, they are times when media is expected to take onerous responsibility.

We want media to be ethical, reasonable & responsible section of the society which can act as a fourth pillar. I sincerely hope that TV channels, being the fastest & most influential of the media, would in future behave more responsibly and make constructive contribution to the issue at hand.