As the nation, infact the whole world condemns and debates on the new face of terror, I wonder, how long will this be a major event in our collective memory.
From the very blasts in 1993 till now, there has been countless terror attacks on innocent citizens across the world. But how many of them can we recollect without putting a major effort on our memory? Probably 4 or 5.
Even when we look at the major attacks, the media attention and consequently the collective public memory of the event would have been for just 3 or 4 days. 9/11 managed a better 2 week coverage as it was a high profile attack. Blasts in Assam and attacks by Naxals dont even manage to get a front page or breaking news listing.
Media's role is supreme in shaping public opinion and today, it even controls the collective memory. I am dead sure, if we provide our our media with a leak on abhi-ash tif, all the recent terror related coverage will be replaced with "live" coverage on Bachan family. They will even stitch together various movie clips and have the news enacted and post mortemed. Within a day of media overdoze, the anguish and grief we had about the terror attack will be replaced by excitement and gossip related to Abhi Ash.
As the media coverage of terror attacks fade away, our beaurocracy, politicians and we as citizens turn complacent and puts the promises we took for improving the situation on to the back burner. There it will remain till the next bomb explodes in the parliment or presidential palace.
A month from now, How many of us will remember the pledge we took, the 2 minutes of silence we offered, the promise to self that "I will do what I can, instead of blaming the politicians"...
In one way, why blame the media, its profit driven, serves us with what we in general wish to see. Sensationalized news of trivial issues happening to our celebs, or "khufia cams" on our politicians.
We are the problem. We are the solution.
Arun
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1 comments:
Taking pledge does'nt make sense if we dont act on it.
Media in the act of increasing their TRP have forgotten their role.
Its true that the tiff within the bachchan fly will get more importance to that of the terror related issues.
I guess these will change only of we the "common people" come together and make it a point not to encourage such ediotic matters.And emphasis on actual matter of concern.
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