Monday, 20 June 2011

Yellow Journalism and India

Hello my dear friends,
Today my friend suggest me to write something on Yellow Journalism. So with dedication to him, this time lets talk about something very unfair practice in the media world, about which most of the population is unaware even its hardly effecting us. Its about the Yellow Journalism or Yellow press.
"Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism." Ref. Wikipedia. Campbell (2001) defines Yellow Press newspapers as having daily multi-column front-page headlines covering a variety of topics, such as sports and scandal, using bold layouts (with large illustrations and perhaps color), heavy reliance on unnamed sources, and unabashed self-promotion.

Yellow journalism is actually a way to get the more viewers or readers with the lesser efforts. Patience for a useful news and workout for the spicy news, both are far differ from each other. In the media taste, the news must be something happening from around the world about which public should know. Not only the news but also the all aspects of it which effects us. But now a days lots of newspapers and TV news channels are practicing this way of immoral journalism. Hmmm... I remember a news on a very famous News channel (I think people can guess the name) some days before. Its Headline was "Kya Alien Bhi Gaay Ka Dhoodh Peete hain ? (Do Aliens Drink Cow-Milk ?) " Actually the news was of some place where some cows got missed in night and people were thinkin' of Aliens doing. But I would appreciate the way of expressing the news which wass totally a rubbish but attracted the attention of a Niche market. You can say it as "Unfair, Unrealistic and Immoral but Effective in some extent."

Yellow journalism is not a pure version of journalism rather a pure version of Business. Some news channels and news papers still think that anything can be sold in the wrapper of Breaking News but Not now big fellas ! Off course, there are many people who still stop on a News channel while playing with their Remote controls of their Idiot-Box for something interesting. Actually they are not a bit concerned of something important news. It creates a Niche Market if we talk about in Marketing Language and these TV channels are serving only to this market segment with lots of spices and flavors in the News. It impacts on their TRP positively and as per Morals for the Media Business, Negatively.

How can  media persons call themselves an "Intellect" even they are much aware of the meaning of it. They can make a history of baseless rhetoric but can't achieve a real mean of Journalism.
Yellow journalism should be stopped but only when they will come to an end of this senseless competition and profit fever. Their should be a "Hand in Hand" scenario rather than "Dog eats Dog" scenario.

Media is called one of the pillars of Democracy. Its strength lies in journalists as well as in our hands. We should  be aware of our responsibilities. Because We are the people, We are the Voice, We are the Media and its We, who runs the Democracy.

Thanks Everyone !! :)
-Mani K. Rai

mani.rai108@gmail.com
View Mani K. Rai's profile on LinkedIn