The new ad for Idea mobile where the world saves newsprint and used the mobile instead, is fantastic. You see, it illustrates a serious truth. One that we don’t seem to want to do anything about.
No, I am not talking about the environment here. It’s grimmer than that.
Newspapers are not worth reading anymore. One would have to be seriously optimistic to open the newspaper or flick on a news channel to get anything worth the time.
There ads, yes. Lots of them. And there’s tons and tons of crap. I guess circulation and TRPs make more business sense than anything else.
Yes, one can argue about the actual news items that make up the functionary bit. Because that is all there is to it. There is no journalistic perspective; there is no analysis of the happenings. There is just clear information that any account executive can put together like the minutes of a meeting. And there is the vagueness. The kinds that really does not warrant newsprint.
Ink is valuable. Ink on paper is sacred. Good reporting does not only uphold the truth but it pushes the whole society forward. But all that is ‘idealistic’ stuff that does not work for the ‘business’. Unless the media can take up a ‘crusade’ that promises to generate more eyeballs. Or pick on Shashi Tharoor. Anything at all as long as it's close to entertainment and away from news. Like the magazine sections, where gossip of all nature takes birth.
Twitter updates on the other hand are far more reliable for the latest happenings. For one, they are quicker. And have very little bullshit. Second, they are honest straight from the heart opinions by logical people who feel strongly about something.
That is analysis. As simple as that.
Every educated person can make a fantastic writer. It just takes linguistic common sense. From there, the road forks. The artisans and craftsmen write ads, films, songs and books. And the ones with less art and more balls to perform a greater selfless good, become journalists.
By the looks of it, the fourth estate is now well within grasp of the third gender.
