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News, really?

"I have no regrets, says porn star"

That was the main headline in the paper today. Big and bold. Well, I have no issues with the porn star not having any regrets with her way of life. I think its perfectly alright. But what I don't understand is, how is it relevant to my life, and to the thousands of other normal, middle class people sitting down to read the paper.
I admit, I did end up reading the whole article. And undeniably, this kind of news increases readership. But what has happened to our sensibilities? Where has normal, intelligent news gone? Why don't we want to read anything sensible these days?

I turned the pages of the paper. Page after page has news about random celebrities and gossip about them. I don't really care if a certain celebrity has gained a few pounds and yet wanted to pose in a bikini. I am sure a lot of magazines are there specifically for this kind of news. Daily news, really?

Well, I am not being some kind of moral police here, but I really am bored of seeing pictures of women clad in skimpy clothes in news papers every single day. For heaven's sake, where is the real news? Is this the level news papers have to stoop down to, to get normal people to read the news?

I had a thought the other day. I was having dinner and my mother wanted to watch news on TV. It struck me at that moment, that it really has been months since I have watched the news on TV. They seem to either be sensationalizing news and making it sleazy, or they just show negative news and horrendous images of victims of bomb blasts, accidents or any other kind of violence. It practically kills my sleep for that night. I have stopped watching the news on TV and I think I am also going to stop reading the news papers.

What has happened to all the positive news? Has nothing god been done by anyone, anywhere? Why don't we see it often on TV or read about it in the papers?

Are we as a nation going to reinforce sleaze, sensationalism and negativity?

I remember when Doordarshan used to air the news on TV everyday at 8 p.m. The whole family used to gather around the TV and it was an important activity for that day. I think they showed wholesome news. The important national and international news which was relevant, and intelligent.

Talking about positive news, a couple of my friends have started a site Are We MAD. They write only when they have a story worth telling.

May the good old days of intelligent news come back again....

Comments

Srik said…
i reckon you read "Times of India" or "Bangalore Mirror". They are from the same group anyway.
To not see and read all this bulls***, I have always preferred "THE HINDU"... :>
May 6, 2009 at 1:08 AM
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