I thought that worst was over, but it wasn’t to be. One of my dear friend went missing after he failed to clear exams and sadly enough his name was struck of the academic roles. An FIR was lodged in connection with the incident, and we looked forward for cooperation for ‘Media’ to help us trace him. But instead of looking into our agony and concern, once again the torch bearers of so call ‘freedom of press’, preferred to rub salt on our wounds. I can’t even imagine the extent to which the report in the so called world largest daily was flawed:-
1. The branch of the student concerned given wrong.
2. The year in which he was currently studying incorrect.
3. The so called marks obtained by him in last two exams were totally cooked up. The thing that surprised me the most was that even when the student himself never got to know the precise marks obtained by him, how an outsider can get to know such intricate details. This was even more amazing when one realizes that grading system is followed and precise marks of even the successful students are not known.
These moguls of the blooming media industry have probably been blinded by the glitter of the power and influence they command that they even fail to see that without being factually correct, they can never gain trust of common man, they have become emotionless to feel the pain and agony of the common man.
The most distressing part of the report was that even in this hour, they didn’t fail to dig the dead from graveyards. The most insulting part of the article was the presentation in which they reported saying that ‘recently the students have been involved in a series of violent clashes ‘ referring to the small tussle that had already been resolved and digging a three year old incident that had nothing to do with the current students as the involved people have already graduated.
Its really agonizing to see that just for the sake of increasing their TRP’s these people who have the social responsibility to keep the society informed and aware, are stooping to such low levels. Can’t these heartless people think of the sufferings of the family of the person missing that they further damage the name of the student, and the institute.
It’s now high time that media should be charged of bringing bad name and disrepute if it indulges in such misinformation. Like many of the nations where freedom of press is respected but at same time these media persons are reprimanded for their uncivilized deeds, we need to have a similar mechanism. If such malicious and irresponsible reporting is to continue, it’s not long enough when people will loose their faith in the ‘Fourth-Pillar’ of democracy.