Let Down!!

Critic

1. One who forms and expresses judgments of the merits, faults, value, or truth of a matter.
2. One who specializes especially professionally in the evaluation and appreciation of literary or artistic works: a film critic; a dance critic.
3. One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.

The above are the three meanings of the word Critic that Dictionary.com shows. Well I don't think I can make a professional evaluation of something, neither do I intend to. But last couple of days I have not been at ease with myself and I thought to give vent to my frustration, let me criticize something that I feel has been a big let down in terms of my expectations.

Starting the day with a newspaper is something which must be a habit for millions of people and I am one among them. This has been a habit since school days itself. Having done a major chunk of my schooling in Mumbai, The Times of India was the paper that we used to get at home. We used to get The Hindu and The Statesman in school and we used to flirt with them too. Though my mother (who was a librarian) and also the English teacher, used to insist that I read the editorial, I never used to actually read the editorial. I didn't know what the aversion was at that point time, but even today I never read the editorial. Today I have words to express my aversion. "The editorial is an opinion! I read the newspaper for facts. I can make my own opinion when facts are presented to me! . Subsequently I lost touch with The Times of India and The Hindu became my morning starter.

After coming to Delhi, one thing in the back of my mind was that I will get to read the Times once more. I was actually looking forward to it. But my expectations have been met with a rude shock! Reading the Times has been a big Let Down! . I was really appalled by the content of this newspaper. The quality of headlines has been really pathetic. Is there nothing of importance happening that the content has to be so light? News items which I never thought would make the Front Page are what I see making headlines on a daily basis. The height was the day actor/MP Shri Sunil Dutt had passed away. The front page had just two main news items. One was of course the news of Sunil Dutt passing away and the second was a big write-up on Sachin Tendulkar not being able to play for some more time because of his Tennis Elbow. Was everybody in India/World sleeping the previous day that Sachin's Injury was the only important news item to cover more than half the Front page of the leading Newspaper of India? Have we become so shallow? Now even I am an average Indian Cricket Fan, and have respect for Sachin, but this was the height. Just the other day another half of Front Page was devoted to Kapil Dev's comment on Sachin should Retire. The next day when Kapil Dev retracted his statement saying that he was misquoted, that found only a small space on the last but one page. When the front page is so appallingly short of meaningful content, what can we expect from rest of the newspaper?

Now I am a big fan of Sania Mirza and I feel that she should be promoted as a sports/youth icon in a manner that can inspire youngsters. I guess the people at The Times must also feel something like this, because the decided to devote two pages of the sports section on her antics at the Wimbledon. And guess what picture they decided to put up? The picture was of Sania serving and her undergarments clearly visible!! Was there no other picture to put? What was in the mind of the guys who selected and okayed to put up that picture? She's got it! She Flaunts it! So let’s blow it up because that’s what the masses would love! Is that responsible act by a national newspaper?

The height is the supplement that comes along almost daily. There is Mallika Sherwat in various stages of undress almost daily. There is a section which says ask all your sex related raunchy questions and we will answer it! Have children stopped reading newspapers in India, that it is ok to put such things in a newspaper. Or is it that you are giving them Sex Education through your columns?

Media is supposed to be one of the pillars of democracy. All of us are aware how shaky one of the pillars, The Parliament, is. In such circumstances the Media should rise above and use its power to set things right in society. I guess I am overreacting or I am not so modern to understand these things. One thing that comes to my mind when I see the content of this newspaper is an incident in The Fountainhead. When Gail Wynand took over the Banner, he ran two stories seeking help from public. One was about an unwed mother to be and the other about a brilliant but struggling scientist. Donations poured in for the unwed mother to be but only a few cents came in for the struggling scientist. Gail Wynand shows the results of these campaigns to his staff and says that it should be clear to everybody what the policy of the Newspaper is going to be. Play to the masses! I guess that is what the motto has become for The Times of India.

If I were to compare the The Times of India to a Bollywood movie, I would say that it is like a Govinda - Karisma Kapoor masala movie which is intended to be an entertainer for the front benchers and is fully devoid of any kind of meaningful storyline or content! But is that what a national newspaper is to be?