Media’s involvement in Ayodhya verdict and Commonwealth Games

Nitisha Kashyap
MAMC III SEM
Bhopal, 12oct2010
Media, as we all know, plays a very crucial role in making opinions and propagating messages. We have two cases in which media’s participation have been contradictory.
The first case is the Ayodhya verdict. After more than a decade’s wait the historic Ayodhya verdict came on September 30. Like the year 1992, this time too there was maximum probability of riots. Much havoc were created by the anti-social elements and the media forgetting its social responsibility were dogging them. Similar coverage was done with the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack case. It had raised a lot of questions (which all of us are well aware of). This time, as Shailja Bajpai of Indian Express opines, media did take lessons from 26/11. The panic creation was null. In fact news channels like CNN-IBN, NDTV 24×7, NDTV India started a campaign where we saw celebrities requesting and appealing for communal harmony. Apart from the news channels, we also saw newspapers appealing for peace. There were articles related to communal harmony and version of various religious leaders/preachers asking for peace. Media having greater and immediate impact on public did not go for the oversimplification and over interpretation of the verdict. In fact they said that it is a very “secular” verdict. Kudos to media.
But when we talk about media’s coverage of Commonwealth Games, we do not see an iota’s positive ness. Media has been very critical about the Commonwealth Games. Each and every thing has been criticized. Media’s exclusive stories about the games village are disappointing. I am not of the view that media should not expose the conditions but in a particular manner. Daily in the morning when you pick your newspaper or switch over to various news channels the only news for people were the stories of CWG ‘s bad progress. Those news could have been in the inner pages of the newspapers. (Well i’m a novice to comment on this). No wonder the foreign media is also criticizing. The Australian media telecasted a fake sting operation showing the “ill security” inside the CWG village. Though that news was later criticised by ABC(Australian Broadcasting Cooperation). Apart from showing the ill-functioning they could have shown the hard work that they have put. I’m not talking of the CWG’s management or the corruption (it will involve an incessant debate). There were many things to highlight apart from the ill functioning. Commonwealth Game will reflect our image in the international market.

In Ayodhya verdict case media was successful in developing a positive image and response but just the opposite happened with the coverage of Commonwealth Games.