SIGHT & SOUND
TRPs trigger trial by media
Amita Malik

A media column is not there only to evaluate performances, much as they are of interest to performers and listeners and viewers. It also has the job of evaluating the aesthetic and ethical values observed by various channels, and national and regional channels in particular. Some channels, particularly in the South, are openly political, which makes it easier. Others are often accused of being biased in various ways. But in the ultimate analysis, it is up to the channels to observe democratic values in a country such as ours, where values vary from old-fashioned traditional ones to modern,
forward-looking ones.

Last week, this column analysed the unseemly spat between a highly respected star like Amitabh Bachchan and a vastly popular one like Shahrukh Khan and attributed most of it to channels cooking up a controversy where there need not have been one. Big B called it a cold war created by the media, but both stars fell into the trap.

This week I will go in depth into another very ugly instance of jumping the gun and media acting as a super sleuth when every party involved, including the police, is speaking and acting with restraint. I am, of course, referring to the disturbing and highly volatile matter of West Indies player Marlon Samuels leaking vital information about a match to an alleged bookie and a raging controversy about match-fixing.

And here lies the rub. Two channels in particular, Headlines Today and Times Now, went into overdrive about the term. They even pounced on poor Robin Singh, who had just got off a plane from Cuba where he had gone on a government assignment and questioned him about his alleged involvement in the "match-fixing" drama. He naturally looked bewildered and said he did not know what they were talking about.

Now contrast the statements of all the important parties concerned. Brian Lara and his team declared they were standing by their team-mate. The West Indies Cricket Board, while stating that it would look carefully into the allegations, declared it had not got any details and would not succumb to "rumours and
gossip" before making its stand.

Beginning with the police commissioner in Nagpur, the police there kept on saying firmly in interviews that while they had evidence of the player breaking the code about giving information to a bookie, they did not think it amounted to match-fixing. The ICC team, when it arrived in Nagpur, said that while it would meticulously look into every detail and take suitable action, it believed in the dictum that people are innocent until they are proved guilty. Yet some of our channels were acting the other way round, and trying to prove the probably innocent guilty.

Earlier, the West Indies Cricket Association, when saying that it would wait for facts and not give in to rumours and gossip, had also added that the career of a talented young cricketer was at stake. That is the attitude our erring channels should have taken and not rushed into conclusions and accusations. Everyone agrees that if Samuels has, indeed, betrayed the trust of his team and country, he should be severely punished. There are no two opinions about that. But give the man a chance to prove he is not guilty before he is hanged.

Luckily, all the bodies concerned, from the Nagpur police to the ICC members in Nagpur at the time of writing, are acting with responsibility. Let our channels follow suit. Trial by media has good points when they focus on cases such as Jessica Lal’s or Priyadarshini’s. Tehelka has also done exposes of interest and value to public life in our country. But let channels not go overboard in a bid to get the highest ratings. That is not fair or ethical.

The channels really went into a frenzy about the choice of the five wise men on the 15 best cricketers for the World Cup. It was truly exciting and enjoyable to see the experts, the man and woman on the street, ex-players, ex-captains, all chipping in with their choice. We had ours too, and are feeling sad about Ramesh Powar and Mohammad Kaif. And while Bengal and the rest of India exulted over Sourav Ganguly and Bengal mourned the omission of Ranadeb Bose of the Ranji Trophy fame, UP cried foul loud and clear about UP’s players being left out. Orissa had already done the same. There’s no doubt about which is the most popular game in India. Even if DD’s viewers get it seven minutes late.