The media is playing out to the gallery, be it in favour of Team Anna or against it. Yesterday was a day when in the game of media perception ping pong, Team Anna was targeted.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi's speech in parliament - which itself was directionless and added to confusion, rather than offer a solution - there were not much visuals to relay in a loop and still keep viewers interested.
Kiran Bedi's speech and Ompuri's speech were targeted as being, what else, 'unconstitutional, vituperative, against democracy, etc; *yawns*
What they said was nothing new nor was it a feeling held by a few, but their bad luck the nitpickers got a chance to pick on them on a 'low breaking news day'.
It is interesting to see how a single speech is presented in two different forms from two different media houses, showing its an all out media war in a large proportion.
First, is a highly emotional Kiran Bedi talking about how MPs have only extracted money out of the people and a frustrated organizer's outburst at the inaction of govt. in response to a 74 year old's 11 days of fasting.
This is from The Times of India and shows her talking about the MPs. It has been edited to not show the elements that might be deemed embarrassing for Team Anna.
Second video is from NDTV.com, it naturally being as always in favour of the ruling dispensation has put only the parts that seem embarrassing to Team Anna.
The truth is a combination of both these videos. The crowd has been awaiting for a long time now for some action. The wear out of a prolonged protest was setting in and Kiran Bedi just tried to keep the crowd amused in a manner that would keep them interested, but alas the 'disconnected-from-reality-intellects' expected her to speak always with a stiff upper lip.
Time these guys just woke up... A 'Jaago Re' campaign required for the intellects now?
Bingo!
ReplyDeleteClearly, news channels have no respect for democratic institutions, processes, and even conscientious Civil Society leaders.
All they want is TRP.
As for intellectuals, I have been to several protests around Mumbai. People outside Azad Maidan, returning from office or business, after 7pm, are often the loudest and most "dildaar" protesters.
I went to Priyadarshini Park, in Mumbai's most posh area of Napean Sea Road, thinking that some powerful speeches might be heard as PDP is full of joggers and kids throughout the year.
Instead, we had a total of 50 people, hardly anybody shouted, only IAC volunteers did some serious shouting, everyone else was literally gossipping about daily matters.
Basically, the easier you have things in life, the lesser you are motivated to act towards a social cause. Add intellectual ability to prosperous laziness and you get an anti-citizen, a lazy bum with really smart words, in other words, an "intellectual".
That's the type that still refuses to see the reality that is obvious to even the corrupt netas - that Anna is going to change everything.