Malvika Singh, the publisher of Seminar magazine, in The Telegraph, Calcutta:
“A pathetic scam that is plaguing the Indian Premier League has been making headlines for days, as though nothing else of any importance is happening in India. The media has been grossly irresponsible in this regard. This has not only made public discourse mediocre, but the truth has been systematically blotted out from news and reportage.
“How news is reported and presented is governed by higher powers and personal leanings. Half-baked news stories, a foggy truth and self-promotion come together, causing disaster.
“The electronic media — particularly the English language channels — report much like local city channels do in the United States of America, where even the slightest of things makes headlines. Ironically, the quality of news on the regional language channels and the state channels is better; it is far more cohesive and centred around real and dominating socio-economic and political issues.
“On TV channels, the same boring, predictable faces spout their personal views and positions with abandon, collect their performance fees, and go home. Outside broadcast vans have been known to arrive at private dinners to get a ‘bite’ from people who are guests at another person’s house, thereby rudely disrupting the get-together for the other people present there.
“There is something utterly ugly about this kind of uncultured, uncivilized and unabashed self-promotion. On the superficial social circuit in the capital, such television appearances titillate the performers more than the audience.”
Photograph: courtesy The Indian Express
Read the full article: Service by the people
Also read: ‘Indian TV is like a nautanki, a real soap opera’
IJR 
Superb write-up. The degradation in the quality of reportage has been palpable. Media – traditional as well as electronic – is actually focussing on reportage; analysis is all but defunct. For genuine analysis, one has to either do it yourself, or go the magazine way. Apart from this, the sensational seems to be here to stay; serious analysis and news is hard to come by, it seems. Sad part is that Media can do so much more to lead change, or create a dialogue on vital issues, or highlight issues… or any number of others points instead of the sensationalism that is now prevalent. Luckily, there are still a few papers that have not gone that way…
true
Don’t wonder why only IPL scam in English news channels. Give English journos some break. India or Bharat is sham. IPL is the real thing they can get to.