Friday, November 28, 2008

NDTV, CNN-IBN, Times Now Accused of abetting Mumbai Terror Attack

Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai
Whether the terrorists are foreigners are not, whether they received local assitance or not is yet to be answered, 24 hour News Channel like NDTV, CNN-IBN, Times Now and Headlines Today are clearly assisting the terrorists.

This morning the news channels beamed live footage of NSG commandos being airdropped on the attacked building. Any terrorist inside the building had the enormous advantage of knowing how many commandos were entering and from which position. This was a very specific example. Right from announcing when NSG forces arrived to the number of security forces, the news channels are doing all, in utmost competitive vigour, that they can to keep updated the terrorists inside the attacked building and their accomplices in the outside world with whom the attackers might have possibly maintained contact telephonic contact. Earlier, they had telecast specific footage of crouching commandos up on the Gateway of India providing additional cover in case the fight spills over to balconies or terraces.

The sheer pressure for eye-balls and rivalry amongst news channels is sabotaging the already fragile national security scene. It took all of 40 hours since the first pictures for the Army to 'request' news channels to not beam live pictures. A more powerful government would have ordered the eviction of reporters out of camera range. Anyways that was request was not particulary followed

News Channels have their utility, during times of Emergency, of sending messages about the hurt, the missing and the stranded. If the government is botching up the operations, sure, the people deserve to know, but not like running commentary .

Even if the capture of the attackers is delayed by as much as a minute on account of the advantage that the news channels give them, the news channels are playing an anti-national, pro-terrorist role ( even during peace time, this writer is of the view that several news anchors play a divisive anti-national role)

Is the government so weak that they cannot control media in times like these ?

8 comments:

Genieaps said...

Agreed. Terrorists talking via the the media to the world, justifying the gory and declaring themselves victorious and happy was disgusting. All this should be filtered

Gowrishankar said...

There is an other side for the story which you've written about the media.

Media tries to double up the fear and tensed atmosphere. For ex, see this sentence apprearing in NDTV website: "With such unprecedented attacks all over Mumbai, sleep would not come easy"
Similar thing is being told in CNN and CNBC channels that Mumbai is no longer appearing to be a safe place to live in.
So, what is that the media is trying to prove?

There are some basic ethics and code of conduct applicable to journalists, a scene of murder or bloodshed should not be shown close etc. But who cares to worry about them?

Flipping the coin, let us see why media is so? Because the readers and viewers (read: we) demand that.
In the last 2 days, i've read all the articles of this mumbai episode fully without missing any item. I'm not tuning into any regional channels and only watching the so-called terror stories.

In a competitive world, it won't be fair only to blame the media which will obviously deliver what is demanded and try to make hay while the sun shines..

So, who should bell the cat, may be govt policies, may be strict enforcement, i Dont know...!

Pavan N Rao said...

I too lapped up every single news about the incident.

Very true the media is overplaying the incident. While they might make a little money, the economic repercussions are larger.

Tourism revenues will no doubt fall, but it would not be as much , with moderate media coverage. Statements like ""With such unprecedented attacks all over Mumbai, sleep would not come easy" can be easily avoided.

Anonymous said...

It is very surprise to me that nobody including indian public,press,policians are demanded to declare war against pakistan for their hand in mumbai terror attack. Further r we expect pakistan to kill more innocent indian citizen?ENOUGH IS EN0UGH. We have to attack the terror camps in pak without delay and garner support of the world for this action byshowing the evidence of pak link. Otherwise all the politicians will pay the price for this. If ANY BLOOD RELATION OF PM,FM,CM will died then they will take the action immeidately. IF they want to do so then it will happen in future to them.

Anonymous said...

Now with high pain our Home minister resigns and the appointment of successor will be in the hands of our PM AND SUPER PM.

Lets Hope that the our PM AND SUPER PM SONIA will not appoint the capurted terrorist as our NEXT HOME MINISTER to garner minority votes

Anonymous said...

It is very surprise to me that nobody including indian public,press,policians are NOT demanded to declare war against pakistan for their hand in mumbai terror attack. r we expect pakistan to kill more innocent indian citizen?ENOUGH IS EN0UGH. We have to attack the terror camps in pak without delay and garner support of the world for this action byshowing the evidence of pak link. Otherwise all the politicians will pay the price for this. If ANY BLOOD RELATION OF PM,FM,CM will died then they will take the action immeidately. IF they want to do so then it will happen in future to them.

Anonymous said...

hope my fellow bloggers read the comments of caputured terrorist that he has no regrets by doing this henious crime and want to live. How dare he said. Becos of congress govt. How? he knows very well that the congress govt will definitely help him to live long by extend the case deadline and finally they let the case dead and not him. WAT HAPPNED TO AFZAL GURU has been known to him very well. Thats why he took the decision to live. IF the congress govt hanged the afzal rascal earlier the terrorist will not do such a henious crime and this MUMBAI ATTACK WILL NOT TAKE PLACD AND ALL THE INNOCENT LIFE WILL BE SAVED. Definitely they will think twice. Now they confirmed very well the present bleddy congress govt is having so soft on terrorism and they bet they will not be punished in india AND HAVE HOPE THEY WILL BE EVEN FREED DUE TO MINORITY VOTE BANK POLITICS.

Anonymous said...

OUR INDIA HAS CELEBRATED 61ST INDEPENDENCE DAY and we are facing terrorism in indian soil for the past 25 years. Y? We are a democratic country and we elected our representative and for the past twenty years and they r not capable of handling issues. Y ALL WE R NOT THINK OTHERWISE?

NOW WE ARE PRIASING OUR ARMY,NSG COMMANDOS AND OTHER MILITARY SETUP.
FOR THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS WE HAV TO ASK OUR ARMY ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE CONTROL OF INDIAN ADMINISTRATION AND WILL BE MONITORED BY THE HIGHLY JUCIDIARY SETUP HAVING EMINENT NOTED PUBLIC AND JUDGES,LIKE CHO RAMASWAMY,RAMJETHMALANI AND NO PRESENT POLITICIANS SHOULD BE INCLUDED. ALL THE PRESENT AND PAST POLITICIANS NATIONWISE AND REGIONWISE WILL BE ARRESTED AND THEIR ASSETS WILL BE NATIONALISED AND THEIR SWISS ACCOUNT WILL BE FREEZED. THEYALL SHOULD BE HANGED IMMEIDIATELY FOR THEIR LACK OF PATRIOTIC BEHAVIOUR. THEN ONLY THE FUTURE WILL BE OURS. PAK IS AGAINST ARMY RULE IN THEIR COUNTRY BUT NOW THE TIMES COMES THAT WE MUST NEED OUR INDIAN ARMY RULE TO STENGTHEN INDIA TO FREIGHTEN OUR OWN POLITICIAN AND TERRORIST.

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