My view on Mr Sardesai's chat briefing

Something to think about :
[ Rajdeep on lessons from Arushi case ]

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Mr Sardesai:

There is a stark inconsistency in your statements. You admit 'Arushi murder case is a great story' while at the same time, you also say 'We could exercise more restraint'. What 'restraint'? Give me an instance when you exercised any of it!

I vehemently protest when you suggest that Dr Talwar must be more media-savvy in his appearance - after release from a 50-day prison term? You said -

"Let’s be less hypocritical. Arushi was a big story; Rajesh Talwar's release was a major photo opportunity. A cameraperson and a reporter are working in tough circumstances—they need the story; they need the pictures. Sure, we could handle it better, but for that it’s not just the journalists who need to learn a few lessons. Those who have to handle such situations could also become more media-savvy."

You must be joking Mr Sardesai. You had the time and luxury to prepare for this chat briefing. You didn't have to face the readers and could take the help of others around you in replying. You didn't even have to jostle with the readers surrounding you and forcing their mics inside your mouth.

When you say "Rajesh Talwar's release was a major photo opportunity", do you claim that it gives you the right to shove your mic inside his mouth? That is what your cameraperson did - and many others. To me, the sight was obnoxious. Yes, the camerapersons and reporters work in tough circumstances. Who is to blame for that? Dr Talwar? Isn't it because of the mad rat race between the channels for a 'quick byte'? Isn't it because reporters and camerapersons are expected (may be even required) to get the best photo-ops, other people's convenience and courtesy be damned!

Mr Sardesai, you ask - "Apologise for what?". And now, I will quote your own words in reply. You admit -

"I think at times television news channels need to go beyond the hourly news wheel and step back a bit. We are titillating viewers with morsels of information instead of really informing them."

"My prime responsibility as a journalist is to tell a story. My commitment must be to tell that story as honestly as possible. It’s a commitment we have often failed to respect."

"You make a good point. I think a 24-hour news channel is a bit like a carnivorous beast that needs to be constantly fed. There is a certain limitation of format that forces us to often pass off trivia as news. This is no excuse though for declining standards"

"A father was accused of murdering his daughter, so naturally the media was excited. Where we failed was to understand that the bigger the story, the greater the need to exercise restraint."

"If news is entertainment, then we live in dangerous times. Again, lets not blame the entire media for this. However, those of us in senior positions must take prime responsibility. We have failed to set an example to the next generation of journalists. Moreover, training systems have weakened considerably."

We have a lot of "We failed" statements here. Where is the corresponding "We are sorry"?

Mr Sardesai, you also say -

"I can say with great pride that at CNN-IBN, we never attempted to concoct facts, or do stories without cross checking on the Talwar case. Having said that, I do believe that we could have handled the story with greater sensitivity. I also feel that the answer is not for the media to apologise to the Talwar family, the bigger question is: when the next time an incident like Arushi happens, will our coverage be any different?"

You can be sure that readers will definitely watch out for CNN-IBN's coverage of the next big story. If past precedents are anything to go by, I have very little hope the coverage next time will be any different.

Let me also give you candid feedback about what happens at my house. While sifting through channels, we look at IndiaTV and simply say - What the f***. Invariably, the stories in that channel deserve the response they get. Increasingly, we look at CNN-IBN and say - What the heck? We restrict our exposure to your channel to a few minutes at the most. Your channel is no better than the others.

In my opinion books, Arushi case dealt a final blow to your channel's track record. I no more watch your channel for more than a few minutes at a stretch because the titillating headlines and repeat telecasts have become intolerable.

You have kept the focus on Arushi case and deserve the credit for ensuring the investigations follow through. But you are also to be blamed for making a tabloid scandal out of a murder story and dishing it out to the viewers 24-hours a day.

Finally I ask you - when the next time an incident like Arushi happens, will your coverage be any different?