Making New(s) business

They say that when one door closes, another one opens, implying that there is always an opportunity for someone even when they feel all is lost. Just kick away the word door from the previous sentence and drop in the word 'gate' and you'll find that it is entirely true. From IPLgate through commonwealthgate, kargilgate, and spectrumgate we have finally landed at mediagate (#barkhagate as it is better known among tweeters), while another gate about land allotments runs a sideshow in Karnataka.

But Barkhagate seems to be bolted shut with our otherwise over-enthusiastic, privacy-infringing, fanatical and at times unbearably vocal news anchors fully choosing to keep away from Barkhagate. This is very striking given the hunger that drives our news channels to unethical practices while reporting sensitive and dangerous issues (viz live coverage of 26/11) and even going about their own sting duties. It is also interesting to note that it is these journos who planted bugs to record telephone conversations to nail corrupt officials. Thus it surely has come as a setback (by no means a shock though, given that this has been happening with full attention and intent). Surely the oddity would be glaring if "We the people" had its running topic as "Has Barkha Dutt lost her integrity" or "Has Barkhagate shadowed a Rs. 1760000000000 scam? (please count to ensure i have put 10 zeros)" with Barkha herself hosting it, jumping to sections of audience asking " So your saying that it's not just Barkha, but every news anchor who has sold his soul to TRP?", while keeping up her habit of cutting speakers midway through their sentence.

Thats where the question is. TRP. It's quite intriguing that the media is losing out on a huge chunk of TRP by near-boycotting expansive deliberations on Barkhagate, all because of, well.., its Barkhagate, Mediagate in general. NDTV and co are ignoring the magic lamp because the snake that guards it is their own creation. But quite certainly Barkha wont be bothered about all the lost TRP. Niira and Raja would have given her enough zeros as a part of the PR work that helped sustain spectrumgate. One of the reasons she gave in her defense was "why would i lobby for Raja? I've never met him, i dont know him. I've always attacked him on air". Thats probably the symbiosis of the whole episode - 'Raja, I'll lobby for you, you do your loot, I'll do my usual obnoxious hype on TV for some good solid TRP. All I want is 1x10^-6% of your loot" (Raja would have been delighted of course given that 1x10^-6 is the smallest percentage he's ever heard). And Barkha will be counting zeros as i said, zeros... something all her opinion on NDTV should rightfully count for from now.

What should worry sincere journos now is the word that now defines relationship between them and politicians - nexus, instead of say cooperation (though it exists between them), or partnership. While there have been several discussions in the past about political power buying media space (those aware of Jaya TV will be all too familiar with it), how startling is it when you know that Barkhas are actually volunteering willfully instead of it being an actual buyout of media space and time by politicos? PM Manmohan Singh, the sitting duck PM (sympathies to him more that aversion), told a gathering of eminent journalists how they were the guardians of democracy. They are quite clever at exercising their democratic right to profession of actually 'making' news and are currently, after Barkhagate, failing to adhere to the right to information (giving news that is actually made 'on' them).

Feigning uncertainty during cabinet formation, quite hilarious. Barkha could've been direct with her reporting, saying " .... and Im trying to get Raja the telecom ministry. The PM is yet to talk with Karunanidhi and Alagiri. But Im doing my best, dear viewers, but do keep watching NDTV... Because we will be the first to know, you know, because Im directly involved...". So after the next elections if the gatemaster is still at NDTV, for all you know the oath taking ceremony could be held in the NDTV studio with the bottom center of the screen reading: " In the chair: Hon'ble GateMaster".....

P.S: The New Indian Express published the transcripts of Barkhagate last saturday. Interested people with nothing else to do can try grabbing a copy.