#Attack from the newsroom

Even as the nation debates its next course of action after the covert Uri attacks that claimed the lives of 18 jawans, a special contingent has launched a peculiar assault on Pakistan. Only, it isn’t from the border, but the confines of a newsroom.

Replete with animated hand gestures, high-pitched voices and a nationalistic fervour, news hours offer information, with a generous dose of drama, and, often, an unwarranted opinion. The past few days especially, have had news anchors urging people and the government to take a stern action against Pakistan.

One of prime time’s most popular news anchor, Arnab Goswami on his show, said, “You don’t solve terrorism by organising ghazal or qawali sessions or a literature festival which is in fashion these days. These moves will change the way that the enemy — not the neighbour but the enemy that is Pakistan — looks at us.” Zee News urged its viewers to get out of a slumber, in the wake of the attacks.

These aren’t the only channels and anchors pushing for a more aggressive response. While there are many that lap up the popular sentiment, others, such as media personality Pritish Nandy, aren’t impressed.

“War is a subject that governments should talk about, not something that media can try to provoke. Their doing so will only cause damage to India and its relationship with Pakistan. No matter what, you cannot annihilate the state of Pakistan, or deny the fact that good or bad, the country is geographically our neighbour and we have to coexist with them. The media has ceased to see what their role is, and is trying to capture a role that is not for them — one where they air out political views rather than reportage. We are not at war with the people of Pakistan. We can say that we are unhappy with their government, perhaps the army, or even the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the Jaish-e-Mohammed but the people are a different matter.”

In other words, “Don’t go gung ho like Rambo about it,” says comedian Sorabh Pant. He reminds us that the last time former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee called for action, it affected close to 1,800 lives. “Social media and news channels are fanning the fires when it comes to anti-Pakistan sentiments. News channels are constantly trying to outdo each other and it becomes a competition of who can scream the loudest. I understand the anger, but when you are talking about war, there should be some responsibility”

However, senior journalist and lawyer Sanjay Pinto says, “A news channel has the right to take an editorial stand. Hyperventilation or jingoism cannot be grounds to stop such shows. While a more restrained and circumspect stance is expected from the fourth estate, aggressive nationalism is not a crime. Foreign policy is not dictated by TV anchors.”

Writer and columnist Aakar Patel entirely disagrees with the way news channels conduct themselves, but has an explanation: “The electronic media runs on a different stimuli than the print media. Unlike the readership survey for newspapers, which only comes around once a year, TV channels and websites get daily feedback. What happens is that you tend to conflate entertainment and passion with reportage. So a socialite’s daughter’s murder, India’s performance during the cricket World Cup, or war is given similar treatment with four or five people forming a panel and talking about it.”

He adds, “The PM should maintain a distance from social media right now because it is full of impassioned opinions of people who are not well informed. I do believe that the people have a right to be heard, but in this scenario, he would do better to listen to the opinions of experts. Modi is doing what many before him have done and treating this matter with caution, which is a stance you have to take when the talk is of war.”