I have all but stopped watching news bulletins on television featuring noisy debates. As I am channel-agnostic, my disenchantment with the news cuts across all channels. There are two reasons behind this disenchantment. First the abysmal quality of anchors and their field correspondents, most of whom seem to be fresh out of college. Second, there is just no gravitas in their reportage, whether from an under-construction building which has collapsed or in front of a chief minister’s palatial residence waiting for the gates to open and an unidentified limousine to drive out.
Cut to the studio for the much-touted debate at prime time. Ten faces, including the anchor’s mug, stare at you, and some of those faces don’t even get a chance to get a word in edgeways, given the cacophony of combined voices. If the anchor is unhappy with the line taken by a guest, he or she will not think twice about cutting him off just as the unfortunate panellist is gathering a nice head of steam. At times, some very distinguished pundits appear on these shows. One must assume the appearance money is good.
These are the main reasons why I have stopped watching television news channels, and I am happy to state that I am in exalted company in this regard.
The more positive reason is thanks to the new, improved YouTube offerings — Podcasts. Forget about entertainment choices, they are too many and I have dwelt at length in the past about the joys of watching clips from sport, humour, interviews with the high and mighty and more. But let me confine myself to the main purpose of this missive: current affairs.
On YouTube, you get a choice of Indian and foreign, where not more than one or two distinguished experts sit and discuss at length the important headlines of the day. For those interested in deeply understanding issues bedevilling India’s politics or economics, the likes of Barkha Dutt, Palki Sharma, Smita Prakash and Karan Thapar speak to knowledgeable experts on a variety of subjects. The anchor lays down a marker in terms of outlining the limits of the topic and the guests are given a free hand and more than ample time to elaborate their points of view. No animus is displayed.
I cannot but mention the case of podcaster Ranveer ‘Beerbiceps’ Allahbadia, who got so carried away with his success that he went overboard with a harebrained level of idiocy, asking a guest a thoroughly tasteless and personal question about his parents. He should consider himself extremely lucky the courts let him off with a stern rap on the knuckles.
Mind you, it’s not only English-language programmes that grab eyeballs. Some podcasts in Hindi like The Jaipur Dialogues with the laconic Sanjay Dixit at the helm, approach sensitive subjects with a delightful sense of irony, tongue firmly in cheek as both he and his guests — podcasters in their own right (Abhishek Tiwary, Sumit Peer, Aadi Achint along with a plethora of palmists, soothsayers and astrologers) — treat viewers to elevating and entertaining programmes.
The same goes for Sree Iyer of PGurus, who runs his programme from Washington while conducting interviews with experts from India. Special mention must be made of ‘Scoop Raja’ Rajagopal who commences his observations with a Sanskrit shloka prior to launching diatribes against whoever may be in his crosshairs on a particular evening.
If you are interested in news from the US, Western Europe, Ukraine, or Russia, the choice of podcasts to watch on YouTube is humongous. You need look no further than the celebrated Joe Rogan whose incisive interviews had even Donald Trump sitting with him for hours.
Snippets from the US Senate hearings and ensuing debates (real debates) provide us in India with deep understanding, not to mention the entertainment value that people like Trump can give us. Have you ever heard an incumbent President refer to a former President as a ‘stupid President?’ That is what Trump called Biden who, in turn, had earlier described Trump as an idiot.
When all is said and done, one must determine for oneself if anything you watch on TV should first and foremost be elevating and entertaining and devil take the hindmost. I am inclined to veer in that direction. After all, if I wish to be seriously involved in matters of state, I can read from a variety of excellent sources.
Pulitzer Prize winner, American author-columnist Dave Barry, with delicious irony said this about the news on television, “I would not know how I am supposed to feel about many stories if not for the fact that TV news personalities make sad faces for sad stories and happy faces for happy stories.” That pithy one-liner, more or less, puts the lid on it.