Indian Media

Indian Journalism, specially connected  with visual media and to certain extent even connected with print media, more or less is leaning towards investigating journalism. The journalists instead of reporting the news as it happens, they are more on probing the news and are becoming more or less private detectives. The death of film actress Sridevi in UAE, where she had gone for attending marriage in the family, is a prime example when journalism reached rock bottom.  What happened is as follows

After the marriage function was over, most of the other guests and family members returned to India on 22nd Feb but Sridevi decided to stay back, her husband Boney Kapoor also left as he had some engagement in India on 23rd Feb. Then the next news came on 24th night that Sridevi has expired due to cardiac arrest. How the Indian media reacted on this:

1. First it was reported that Boney Kapoor, who had come back on 24 evening, found his wife lying in bathroom un conscious and she was rushed  to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
2. As it happened late night, as per Indian time, full nation was stunned on 25th morning. As it was late for print media to publish the news, because all news papers of 25th morning were already printed. TV media had a field day on 25th.
3. Then started the investigating journalism, starting with how can hale and hearty person suffer cardiac arrest.
4. Then they raised the doubt on Boney Kapoor’s statement- he gave the statement to Dubai police that he returned back to give surprise to his wife. He further stated around 7.30 in the evening he told  Sridevi let us go out for dinner and after some time she went to bathroom to get ready and when she did not come back, he opened the bathroom door and found her lying down. Boney immediately called few of his friend staying close by, but they could not revive her and then they contacted hotel staff who arranged paramedics and she was rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead.
5. Now our investigating journalism started asking questions: why  Boney had to come to India and then go back, why he did not first  inform  hotel staff, and why it took hotel so long to arrange paramedics and why hotel could not summon some staff doctor immediately.
6. Some channel/ news paper next day(26th) even reported that there is no truth in Boney’s statement  and as per them fact, as told by some hotel staff, is that Sridevi called room service around 9.30 pm for water, but after some time when waiter went to deliver the same, no one opened the door. After waiting for some time waiter called his superiors who opened the door with master key card and found Sridevi on the floor of bathroom and then paramedics were called.
7. But when the Post- m0rtem report came as death due to accidental drowning and presence  of alcohol in blood- the hell broke loose. All the TV channels went over board ,  how can a person drown in bath tub. Expert were called  whether a person can get drown in bath tub, yes  or no  were discussed in details with the participation of expert doctors. Then there  was debate on how the alcohol is present in her blood when she was non drinker.
8. Then there was debate on where was Sridevi on 3 full days starting from 22nd to 24th evening, as no one had seen her going out and she was confined to hotel room,then why she stayed back and why she did not return. Was she sick or was she on some other drugs, all the angles were discussed.
9. When after the post mortem, Dubai Police transferred the case to Prosecuting Dept, then the murder angle came into fore.
10. Next Day even Prosecution Dept closed the case and handed the body to Boney Kapoor , subsequently body was brought to Mumbai for cremation which took place on 28th Feb.
11. So for 4 days our news channels had nothing else to show/discuss except death of Sridevi. Why our so called investigating journalist can not digest that if  a person has a cardiac arrest/heart attack in bath tub full of water, the person can get drown in bath tub, and cause of death can be due to accidental drowning.
12. There are still doubt in many investing journalists’ mind, now the death has occurred in Dubai and their Police has closed the case then we should also close the matter, and remember Sridevi as great artist and good human being.

It is not the first time this has happened. For any news/scam happening in our country, same is always bound to land in investigating journalist lap and then there will be umpteen numbers of panel discussions on the matter.

I do not know, where this type of investigating journalism is going to take us. Presently , any action by govt is being discussed on the panels of  news channels and there are participants present  there from opposition who will criticise govt actions and  ruling party participants who are going to defend the same. Most of the times it happens that there are more panelists who are from opposition, and  participants  defending ruling party are in minority and you are forced to believe that action by the govt is not right.

In the end it has become very difficult to get unbiased/correct news either on TV news channels or in Print media.

Waiting for your views/feed backs/comments on this matter.