V Day – An Honest Indic View
When I opened Google search today, I realized today is c#utiy@’s day (moron’s day), when lakhs of youngsters in India throng to gift sites, cake/chocolate sites, florists, date sites, and Oyo rooms. While young men, with bright careers and exciting lives ahead will sacrifice both life, career & happiness after being hoodwinked by a gold digger, many desirable and noble women will get hoodwinked by loser men.
Some of these women will work in the office, then come back home to cook while the loser plays video games or watches sports all day.
Love in India is a lifetime commitment that promises mutual togetherness and unwavering support for each other. Since some western communities believe that time has a finite value, it forces a timeline on everyone. However, most Indians believe that time is multi-existent, always changing and spread over many realms. Therefore, be aware of the gloomy reality hidden beneath the rosy portrayal of this day and why we shouldn’t fall for these deceptive advertising ploys that serve to forward their sinister covert marketing goals.
It is a fact that a majority western countries do not observe/celebrate Valentine’s Day at all. Moreover, c#utiy@s day is not even included in the new calendar of Roman Catholic Saints which is generally published. If this is the case, why should we place such a high value on it?
In India, every festival is based on nature, climate and science. Our mendicants and sages have recorded the advantages of the cutoms of each festival – for our body, mind and spirit, including other details in our scriptures. By adhering to our own culture, we can advance our positive traits in the world while also eliminating our personality flaws. We adopt values. And these values benefit all of humanity.
*For those trapped, my commiserations. For those still single: don’t fall for external looks & seek character instead of financial security to be happy. For gays – enjoy, you are free.*
#VDay, #ValentinesDay
Role of AI in Content Writing
Overview
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field, finding applications in almost every industry. AI has already made its way into our lives in the form of voice assistants, automated customer service, and more.
But did you know AI is also changing the way we write?
In this blog post, we will explore the role of AI in writing and how it can help writers create better content faster. From predictive writing tools to automation bots that can edit large pieces of work quickly and accurately – AI is revolutionising the way we write in more ways than one.
Read on to find out how AI could be your new writing buddy.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be defined as a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously.
With the help of AI, writers can create better content faster and with less effort. AI can help writers in many different ways, such as by providing feedback on their writing, suggesting topics to write about, or even writing articles themselves.
While AI is still in its early stages, it has the potential to transform the writing process and make it more efficient and effective.
How can AI help with writing?
AI can help with writing in a number of ways. First, AI can help identify errors and typos in a document. This can be especially helpful for long documents or those written in a foreign language. Second, AI can help suggest topics to write about based on past writing. This can be helpful for writers who are struggling to come up with ideas or who want to explore new topics.
Third, AI can help generate outlines for documents. This can be helpful for writers who are struggling to organize their thoughts or who need some assistance getting started. Finally, AI can help provide feedback on writing. This can be helpful for writers who want to improve their skills or who are looking for specific feedback on their work.
What are the benefits of using AI for writing?
There are many benefits of using AI for writing. AI can help you to improve your writing skills by providing feedback and suggestions on how to improve your writing. AI can also help you to plan and structure your writing so that it is more effective and efficient. In addition, AI can help you to research and find information more quickly and easily.
Are there any drawbacks to using AI for writing?
There are a few potential drawbacks to using AI for writing. First, AI-generated content may not be as high-quality as content written by a human. Second, AI can be expensive to use, and it may require specialized hardware and software. Finally, AI-generated content may not be unique or original, and it may not be tailored to the specific needs of the audience.
How to get started with using AI for writing?
If you’re interested in using AI to help with your writing, there are a few things you can do to get started. First, try out some of the many online AI tools that are available. These can help you with tasks like grammar checking and style suggestions.
Next, read up on AI-based writing technologies. This will help you understand how they work and what their potential benefits are.
Finally, consider attending a workshop or taking a class on AI and writing. This will give you the opportunity to learn from experts and get hands-on experience with using AI tools.
Conclusion
AI has already made its way into the world of writing, and the potential applications are vast. AI can help writers create more effective content in less time, while also providing valuable insights and feedback that would be difficult to gain otherwise. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, so too will its impact on writing – it’s only a matter of time before we see even greater advances in how AI is used for writing.
Best AI Content Writing Websites for Marketing
Overview
In today’s digital age, AI (Artificial Intelligence)-driven content is becoming an increasingly popular way to create compelling and relevant content. From blogs and articles to social media posts and press releases, AI-powered writing is fast, accurate and cost-effective. For those looking to incorporate AI content into their marketing strategy, many websites offer AI writing services. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. To make things easier, I’ve put together a list of the best AI content-writing websites available today. Each has its own unique features and benefits that will help you find the perfect fit for your needs. Read on to learn more about each one!
What is AI?
There is no one answer to this question, as the term “AI” can mean different things to different people. In general, AI refers to the ability of a computer or machine to perform tasks that would traditionally require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language or recognizing objects.
Some of the histories of AI can be traced back to ancient Greece, where philosophers like Aristotle and Plato speculated about the possibility of creating intelligent machines. However, it was not until the 1950s that the field of AI truly began to take off, with early successes in areas like game playing and natural language processing.
Today, AI is being used in a variety of ways, from helping humans with their work to powering self-driving cars. The possibilities are endless and continue to evolve as technology advances.
Best AI Writing Websites
There are many different AI content-writing websites out there. Here is a list of the best ones:
1. QuillBot – This website uses AI to help you improve your writing. It can help you with grammar, spelling, and even style suggestions.
2. WordAi – This website also uses AI to help you improve your writing. It can provide you with context-based suggestions and rewrite whole sentences for you.
3. Grammarly – This website provides a grammar checker that uses AI. It can help you fix errors in your writing and make sure that everything is correct.
4. Hemingway Editor – This website can help you make your writing clearer and easier to read. It will highlight errors and suggest ways to improve your style.
5. SlickWrite – This website provides a variety of tools to help you improve your writing skills. It can check your grammar, offer style suggestions, and even help you brainstorm ideas.
Role of AI in Writing
AI is playing an increasingly important role in content writing. Here are some of the best AI content writing websites that can help you create high-quality content:
1. WordAi: WordAi uses artificial intelligence to improve your writing. It analyzes your text and suggests better alternatives to improve your writing style.
2. QuillBot: QuillBot is a free AI-powered paraphrasing tool that can help you rewrite articles or create new ones from scratch.
3. DeepMind: DeepMind is an AI research company that has developed a number of innovative technologies, including a neural network that can write poems.
4. GPT-3: GPT-3 is a powerful artificial intelligence platform that can be used to generate realistic texts.
AI Writing
There are many different types of AI content writing websites. Some focus on helping you improve your writing skills, while others focus on providing you with well-written articles or blog posts.
If you’re looking to improve your writing skills, then consider using an AI content writing website that offers feedback on your work. These websites can help you identify areas where you need to improve and give you tips on how to make your writing better.
If you’re looking for well-written articles or blog posts, then consider using an AI content writing website that provides these services. These websites use artificial intelligence to create high-quality content that is plagiarism-free and error-free.
Conclusion
AI content writing is a great way to boost website traffic and create interesting content that engages your readers. With the help of these 10 best AI content writing websites, it has never been easier to get started with AI-powered writing. Whether you’re looking for an automated assistant or human writers who specialize in AI-generated copywriting, there’s sure to be a solution that meets your needs. So go ahead, explore the possibilities and start creating amazing content today!
Why Do We Drink?
Hi all,
It’s been a fantastic year!
It’s that time of the year when people have to take a step back to ‘reflect’ on the year past and plan for the year that’s yet to come”. But, I am sure many of you, like me, end up drinking half a dozen pegs of JD or Jim Beam and hammering your brains into oblivion instead.
Lucky for you, I actually took out a few minutes to reflect and put this juicy piece together.
If any of you are reading this with a head-splitting hangover from last night’s rage, this will undoubtedly provide some comfort. Because today I’m writing this with a heavy hangover, and I’m going to talk about on one thing that jackhammering my mind nowadays, “DRINKING.”
Some think that drinking is a stupid act of getting wasted.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been taking a step back and asking myself, “Why do we wreck our bodies with that rotten shit despite promising ourselves that this is our last drinking ever, only to repeat the insanity the next week?”
“Does alcohol really help people, so much that they are ready to bear the deadly costs (hangovers, fights – physical/verbal, mistreatment, accidents, health issues, etc.) that come along with drinking alcohol?
And, Lo! I got some answers, “Because we think drinking helps us deal with the unique challenges we face.”
Brings Back Child-Like Creativity and Helps Deal with 3Cs
While for businesses, alcohol is a great help when it comes to dealing with the 3 Cs (Customer, Company & Competitors), for artists, drinking also brings back that child-like creativity & wonder that was gradually lost while growing old & matured.
Allays Fears (Anxiety Reduction)
Alcohol is known to provide comfort to those faced with chronic stressors. Alcohol is the shortest way to get that internal painful dialogue box to shut the “F” up. Drunk people enjoy life uninhibited – free of the endless thoughts that cause so much overthinking and stress.
Alcohol: A tool to solve cooperation Issues
While human societies are built on the foundations of trust, we are, by nature, inherently suspicious and cannot decide whether to trust the person in front of us. At this juncture, when both parties drink alcohol, they are not regulating their brains, taking off their external masks and engaging in mutual openness that eventually builds trust!
Conclusion
Hence, we have had an interesting history of alcohol consumption from solving problems of cooperation to creativity, to dealing with the 3 Cs. When it comes to New Year’s Eve parties though, nobody gives two hoots about these ideas: and we all dive headfirst into this night of outright madness.
I’m sure, now that you’ve read this piece, you’ll remember it the next time you raise a toast. Cheers!
Dinner At The Indian Wedding Reception
There are rushes, there are stampedes, there are long queues, and then there this anxiety whether you’ll get that coveted seat/plate or not… Yeah! I am talking about wedding reception dinners.
It all begins with the guests slowly piling up in the hall, building into an army that cannot wait to unleash its wrath. Everyone has come for two purposes: taking a photo with the couple on stage and then going crazy at the dinner table or buffet counter. Actually, it’s just the latter one.
Taking the photo is nothing but a unnecessary obligation. Neither the people/guests nor the couple on stage is excited about it. The couple, in particular, does not want pictures with 500-odd people whose existence was never a part of their sphere of life until a few seconds ago. People just see those long lines for photographs as the time cost of accessing the limitless plates of food they have been getting wet dreams.
While the waiters have been roaming around with starters from the beginning, most of the people feel neglected. Every time a waiter comes close and the exact moment people stretch their arms to grab a dozen cheese corn balls, they turn away. It’s a tragedy. In addition, kids running around the hall occasionally grab all of them from these waiters, further reducing the supply of starters and increasing its scarcity. Clearly, the starters are not going to pacify this crowd and matters start heating up.
At this point, everyone is in a dilemma whether to stand in line and wait eternally to reach the stage and finish with that photo ceremony? Or rather walk quietly around the buffet counter like a vulture and wait for the first signs of its opening? But, smarter ones hedge their bets- They stand near the stage for photos while asking their kids to check around the dining area.
Lo! Suddenly, the chat counter opens out of nowhere. Some insiders, presumably close relatives and cousins of the groom, knew exactly when that will happen and manage to position themselves strategically to gobble those Pani Puris. But the entire dinner section is still not open. So most of those seasoned uncles hold their horses.
They don’t rush for the snacks, lest they’d be perceived as greedy geeks. At the same time, those close relatives and cousins continue to binge on their 7th plate of Tikki, cutlet and pani puris dangerously on the brink of violent dysentery.
Meanwhile, the line for photos continues to grow and the waiting guests soon get frustrated. Their hunger is reaching dangerous levels already, and the enticing menu items threaten to turn their salivation into a veritable flood.
Meanwhile, some free-thinking “baghis” (revolutionaries) decide to skip this photo line at the stage and start queuing up for the seat or plates. Their hunter-gatherer mind tells them, “Enough of this blody waiting, I want my “Malai Kofta” and “Paneer Lababdar”.
And… all it takes is for a few desperados like them to start queuing up. It’s enough of a precedent, bringing a barrage of people behind them. And the queue turns into a serpentine line stretching a few kilometres.
“An ever-growing queue pulls in even more people.” Does it not remind you of a multi-level marketing scheme? At one point, even the parents of the couple ditch the photo ceremony, They start lining up for dinner. Their logic dictates that they can’t risk missing out on the Navratan Khorma and Paneer Makhani, the crowd favourite on such debauched occasions.
After endless waiting, the caterers finally get the go-ahead. The floodgates open, and what ensues is a level of barbaric looting that makes the Vikings look like the epitome of sainthood.
Plates clank, gravies fly, people ransack the last vestiges of the Hakka noodles and world peace seems like a myth as war rages at the live pasta counter in a bid to ensure that nobody in the family walks out without gaining a few kgs. Separate skirmishes go all over the ground to secure a seat at the limited number of tables.
And yet a few are putting every living cell in their body on notice and go berserk at the dessert counter.
Amidst these scenes of gastric warfare, the couple feel neglected. Even the cameraman and his crew left and are now seen destroying the non-veg section.
Realizing the perverse nature of the event, even the couple rush into the dining area, as FOMO reigns supreme and the entire reception turns into a giant orgy of endless hogging and looting.
The warring continues until the caterers threaten to raise the per plate cost (including the charges for smashed cutlery.
After watching all this from a distance at a recent wedding reception, I must admit it. Each person has a dark side. The easiest way to bring it out is to make them wait for the reception dinner.
Stay Creative – Even During a Creative Slump/Block
There comes a time in every creative person’s life when their mind goes blank as if it has reached a saturation point. Whether you are a musician, photographer, painter, poet, or a writer, all your efforts to draw inspiration from the world around you to create something original become futile during this phase.
It is the time when your mind keeps looping around the same ideas over and over again… not able to think of anything beyond it. Nothing seems to spark the fire of creativity inside. And then, the unspeakable happens. A sense of cluelessness steps in making you feel vulnerable to self doubt. That’s how a creative slump can feel to any artist. Something that can be utterly frustrating when you are working and have a deadline to meet.
But, having worked commercially as a copy/content writer for over 14 years now, I can strongly say that this phase doesn’t last forever. While a creative slump (or a block) can be extremely demotivating, especially when the pressure to create is mounting, you can find relief in the fact that there are ways, I figured, to snap out of it. It worked for me. Let me walk you through some of these ways.
#1. Know your emotional state
The inability to think outside the box can result from a mental fog. This in turn comes when you are in a negative frame of mind. Distressing emotions can often cause your motivation to dwindle, and that intensifies the block/creative slump. While there are writers and artists who know how to channel their internal distress toward creative pursuits, it does not always work during a creative slump.
Therefore, you should start assessing your mental state by writing them or talking to someone to understand if there are any factors causing you to lose inspiration and motivation. When you become aware of such factors, you may take corrective actions and snap out of a creative slump.
#2. Distance yourself from your ‘art’ itself (for a while)
A mental block or a creative slump results in a lack of inspiration, which in turn is the result of a rigid way of thinking. The tunnel vision that a writer or an artist can develop when they focus too much on something can suck out the creative perspective itself. The more you think about it, the more you struggle to crack it. The key to getting out of this loop is to take a break from the current creative activity.
The temporary distance can help you calm the angst and frustration that entails a period of creative block. When you take a break and focus on something else for a while, your brain gets time to rearrange the thought process and give you a fresh perspective.
#3. Go for a walk amidst nature
Nature always heals in its matter-of-fact manner, and you can hope that you can find some way out of your frustrating creative block when you spend some time close to it. History has it that nature has inspired writers, poets and artists around the world with its splendor. So why not surrender yourself to its benign touch when there’s a hiatus in your creative activity? When you take a break (point number 2), consider spending as much time as possible in nature. Touch and feel its elements and relax your senses.
A relaxed mind thinks more clearly and creatively. Some time in nature can really help you beat a creative slump/block and refresh your mind to think afresh of new ideas.
#4. Avoid blocking out inspiration
Finally, while it is good to take a break from your creative project, you should avoid blocking out sources of inspiration while you are stuck in a creative slump/block. There is no point beating yourself up for not being able to think creatively. Know that it is a temporary phase, and you can come out of it. Always keep your mind open to new ideas from other artists in your niche. Their successes and masterpieces can inspire you to keep exploring your own creativity and come up with unique pieces of art. Tell yourself, “If they can do it, I too can do it too”. Appreciate what inspires you and try to incorporate it into your own creative pursuits.
Skill Development is the Key to Stay Relevant in your Profession
I’ve never heard of schools and colleges that encourage you to find out what you are good at and focus on it. Instead, these institutions try to thrust a standard template of professional life into you. Extraordinary careers do not come out of templates. They come from years of practice.
There is also a theory that schools were invented just to make you obedient and not question authority. By now, I think it is kind of obvious. The “good boys” at school never had any real success in life. It was always the rebels. But that’s a topic for another day.
The world is changing very fast and there is no such thing as a “safe and secure” job anymore. Being relevant is crucial in this extremely competitive digitized business world. Staying up-to-date and learning new skills can help you become more active and marketable.
Upgrading knowledge by learning and practising new skills not only improves your employability but also helps you connect with your coworkers and customers.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Automation replace human tasks, humans have to take up new creative and advanced tasks to remain relevant and contribute to society.
In my experience, having learnt new skills (gradually progressing from typewriters to computers) to stay relevant in my profession, continuous skill development is the need of the hour.
— Inspired by Robert Greene’s book, Mastery
Suicide Bomber at the Gates of Heaven
Note: Zombies, who are in a delusion that they possess ‘ULTIMATE TRUTH’ (as told by their Gods, Babas, Books or Prophets), can stop reading this right now. Because someone, who can kill others (or ready to be killed) for their delusional beliefs, will never read anything honestly. For the rest, this story will surely be a food for thought. Read on…. Let’s begin!
A Suicide Bomber arrives at the entrance of the Heaven at the same time as his victims.
He was shocked to see his victims also at the entrance. Pointing to all the 36 victims he had just bombed along with himself at a ‘chat bhandar’ (in Hyderabad), the suicide bomber asks God, “What are these infidels doing here my lord? I thought I was going to Heaven alone.”
“He murdered us!” shouts a woman victim.
“Don’t let him in!” calls another.
God, sitting on a huge throne at the entrance to the Heaven, told the bomber, “It always happens this way.”
Bomber: “But why?”
God: “It is simple maths,” “The normal transport speed from the earth to Heaven is constant. So everybody who dies at precisely the same time reach here at the same time.”
Bomber: “Oh! I did not think of that.”
All the restless bomb victims started shouting “Justice! We want justice!”
God: “Stop shouting, let me proceed”. Turning to the bomber He asked, “What’s your explanation on this?”
Bomber: “Praise be to God,” Falling on his knees he said, “peace be upon all, I have blown them all including myself for you my Lord.”
God: “I don’t remember asking you to do it. Any other reason? But, a real good one please!” Staring into the bomber’s eyes God asks “Do I know everything?”
Bomber: “Yes, you do my Lord. GOD IS GREAT! ”
God: “Then why is it that I don’t know of a real good reason to kill people for me?”
Bomber: “Infidels!”. He shouted. “They are all infidels!”
A victim, who was just 3 years old, asked his mother, “What is a Infidel?”
Bomber: “Somebody who does not agree with my God and His true path!”
A victim turned to God and exclaimed, “I don’t! So let me blow him up”
God: “Up here… I am the One who award punishments and rewards.”
Bomber: “Then no doubt I have earned an eternal reward in this Heaven,”
“Never!” shouted a victim.
Bomber: “I earned my eternal reward with my life!”
God: “Eternal, yes, but there is a disagreement about the place.
Bomber: “But, my elders, advisors and religious superiors assured me Heaven. They said that I would go straight to heaven for blowing up these Infidels including myself.”
God: “I know that, it is one of the disadvantages of being all-knowledgeable.” Taking out a small notepad, God said, “See. I have a list of your elders, advisors and religious superiors. Now a big question… who should get into Heaven, you or them?”
Bomber: “Me and me alone. Surely not these infidels who never followed my path – the true path towards the LORD”
Victims in shouted unison, “We want justice!”
God: “That’s what I specialize in.” He turned to the bomber again and asked. “What do you mean by an Infidel?”
“They believe in different things than I do, particularly about You!”
God: “Why do you think it is possible for people to believe different things, even about Me?”
“Because they are wrong!” answers the bomber.
“No!” God screamed, “It is because I decided people should believe different things.”
Bomber: “You did?”
God: “Am I all-powerful or not?”
Bomber: “Praise be to Lord, of course, you are…”
God: “Then, if I don’t want them to believe different things, they would not be able to?”
Bomber: “Oh! Do you mean they have a right to disagree with me and my religion – the True Religion; the only path to Heaven?”
God: “How else do you think that they can get away with it?”
Bomber: “Hmm, I did not think of this,”
God: “I know that. Now, do you know I have rules?”
Bomber: “Oh, I know all of them by heart.”
God: “How about the one about do not KILL?”
Bomber: “I did not know that applies to infidels!”
“He’s guilty! He killed us all. Send him to hell”, screamed a victim.
God asked the bomber, “Do you think I made you?”
Bomber: “Yes, you did. God is great!”
God: “Do you think I made them – your infidels?”
Bomber: “I don’t know why but, Yes, I have to admit You made them all and everything else.”
God: “Now, what would happen if everybody decided to blow up people who do not agree with them?”
Bomber: “There would be even more blessed martyrs, my Lord”
A dead victim comments: “You mean crazy people!”
Bomber starts moving forward towards the Heaven says, “Then I can enter Heaven?”
God blocking his way said, “I am not finished yet,” He looked back at the bomber and asked, “Do you know we’ve never had any bombing in Heaven? It’s a very peaceful place. And you know why we did not have a bombing here?”
Bomber: “Because it is Heaven?”
God: “Yes, but there’s another reason as well. It is mainly because I never allowed a bomber inside.”
Bomber: “But I am done being a bomber. Now, I am a martyr. I am not a bomber anymore!”
God: “Have you not decided to be a bomber, did you or not?”
Bomber: “My elders, religious superiors told me to do it!”
God: “But you agreed or you would not have done it. Am I right?”
Bomber: “Praise be to Lord, you are all-wise.”
God: “Thanks. Then you will understand that once a bomber, always a bomber.”
Bomber: “Forgive me, my Lord. I was wrong.”
A man in the deceased crowd: “Never! He is a murderer!”
God: “I have to agree with them,”
Bomber: “With them? With these infidels?”
“Please, stand aside,” God said to the bomber. Then, told the victims, “You can all go in.” They all said, “Thank you, God.” and went to Heaven.
The bomber protested. He said, “But I am the one who deserves to go to Heaven!”
God: “Let us first talk about it, I believe you said you killed all those people for me?”
Bomber: “Yes, I did.”
God: “Do you think I let them be born so you can kill them?”
Bomber: “But look how they turned out!”
God: “Is that for you to decide or for me to decide?”
Bomber: “For you, Lord, I admit it. I was a fool and wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me!”
God: “I do forgive you, but I also gave you the freedom to decide who you would become. And I never change Heaven’s policy.”
Bomber: “Praise be to my Lord, tell me, what is it?”
God: “No bombers, especially the suicide bombers are let into the Heaven.”
With that, God raised his scepter and the unfortunate Bomber’s soul was dropped to his unexpected fate.
Skill Development, Not Education, is the Need of the Hour
I’ve never heard of schools and colleges that encourage you to find out what you are good at and focus on it. Instead, these institutions try to thrust a standard template of professional life to you. Extraordinary careers does not come out of templates. They come from years of practice.
There is also a theory that schools were invented just to make you obedient and not question authority. By now, I think it is kind of obvious. The *“good boys”* at school never had any real success in life. It was always the rebels. But that’s a topic for another day.
Learning new skills is very important in this day and age because, by the time you graduate from college, your skills are already outdated. The world is changing very fast and there is no such thing as a *“safe and secure”* job anymore.
As AI, Machine Learning and automation replace human tasks, humans have to take up new creative and advanced tasks to remain relevant and contributing to the society.
In my experience of having learned a lot of new skills (graduating from typewriters to computers), I have learnt that continuous skill development is the need of the hour.
— Inspired by Robert Greene’s book, *Mastery*
TIME TO SHOW MIRROR TO PRIMETIME NEWS SHOWS
A legendary Senior Journalist, D.V. Gundappa (DVG), once said, “The greatest danger that confronts a journalist today is the opportunities his/her profession affords for playacting!”
TV news channels are no better example than this. This is precisely what the national nightly news TV circus is about – “PLAYACTING”. And in the case of some celebrity news anchors (I won’t call them journalists), it’s SELF-RIGHTEOUS PLAYACTING.
If one traces the history of the fall of Indian journalism, one aspect stands out – mediocre journalists become top editors, then these top editors institutionalize wheeling-dealing, corruption, sleaze, and setting agendas for the country (rather than reporting news with facts). Nothing illustrated this better than the slanging match that ensues at the primetime news shows where these celebrity anchors single out an invited guest (far a debate on a topic) for a vicious, personal attack.
If we analyze this night-by-night self-righteous playacting with accuracy and flair, I would say that these news anchors have adopted a populist approach (Ex. Fox channel). They have become masters in spreading misinformation, propaganda and twisting information that has the potential to polarise public opinion, promote violence and hate speech. These anchors seem to decide who their target (or victim) for the day should be and go after them. Is this journalism?”
It’s as if they have the licence to heckle/bully and mock anyone, including the civilians (common men), celebrities, politicians and religious leaders, in public.
In addition, I felt amused at the audacity of these anchors repeatedly claiming that their channel exposed all the major scams and had exclusive news on anything. This begs obvious questions – did these media houses do a favour to this nation by exposing these scams? Is it not the real job of journalists or do they need incentives and pat-on-the-back to do even that?
Today, we have easier, better and faster access to information but that doesn’t (necessarily) mean we are better informed because even news (forget edits and opinion pieces) is no longer reported but managed, and the way it is managed shapes the actual content that’s put out in the open.
And when alert readers or the social media see such skullduggery by media, media relies on the infamous dictum in Hitler’s Mein Kampf, “PEOPLE’S POWER OF FORGETTING IS ENORMOUS.” Rising rapes of minors are ignored. Heinous human and animal abuse is ignored. News covering human trafficking, employment, women’s and LGBT+ rights, climate change, including country’s developments and social innovation are ignored.
When Union minister V K Singh once called these self-righteous anchors “PRESSTITUTES”, the Broadcast Editors Association, including these self-righteous anchors and the rest of the professional media, protested. They should tell us whether they think “Prostitute” is a dirty word. If their answer is yes, they must stop airing shows that support activism that supports commercial sex workers. We can’t have it both ways please.
I’ll narrate something that’s told to me by a friend who visited Bannerghatta National Park and Zoo at Bengaluru where, (I heard from him) you see a small green box with a closed door with a sign, “open this to watch the most cruel animal in the world.” When you open the box, you see a reflection of your own face. A mirror.
I think it’s time to bring in some strong regulations on these nightly news shows (circus) that acts as a mirror for them.
————– Inspired by a recent debate on a TV channel resulting in Delhi Police filing FIRs against some politicians, religious leaders and others for allegedly making derogatory statements against religions disrupting social & communal harmony.