What Makes News?

(Published in Banking Services Chronicle March 2005)

There were reports in the media that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had become visionless and directionless. It is very difficult for any of us to swallow criticism. But when it comes to politicians, they are simply a class apart. They fret and fume, giving dilated vent to their rage. It was natural, therefore, for LK Advani to remark: “If I am well, it’s not news. But if I fall down unconscious, it becomes news.”

Mr Advani would do well to remember the age-old definition of news. When a cat kills a mouse, it’s not news. But when a mouse kills a cat, it becomes news. Besides, good things take long to make news. But bad news make good story. So they are lapped up at lightning speed, or should I say Aaj Tak speed.

Consider Gujarat for example. Along with Maharashtra, the state became a paradigm for development. But this took years to happen. The good news began to be reported in the media only when an acknowledgment of its success became overdue. On the other hand, the Godhra incident made immediate news. And the subsequent Gujarat riots made news not only in India but across the world. Reason: Gujarat Burning makes a better story than Gujarat Prospering.

Bihar czar Laloo Prasad seems to have mastered this wisdom. He knows that the development of the state would benefit the people, but not him. He understands that people do not vote after reading The Economic Times. His objective is to be on the pages of The Times of India and Hindustan. And to release those perfect bytes on television channels. Where star value can be attained by projecting oneself as a messiah of the downtrodden. And by mouthing rustic lines. He knows how to play to the gallery.

There are others too who know how to make hay while it rains. The tsunami disaster had a magnitude that is unparalleled by other calamities in recent times. Yet people do not fight shy of gaining mileage while doing relief work or making contributions to it. To the extent that one wonders whether it is social work or an advertising campaign. For example, is Vivek Oberoi thinking of relief for the tsunami victims or of promoting Kisna?

Or, the more interesting news that trickled from Dortmund, Germany. Mercedes Mueller, who runs a brothel, has donated his earnings to tsunami survivors. The implication is that if you are visiting his brothel, you are a social worker by proxy. It seems ethics can take a backseat as long as part of your earnings go to charity.

Do these news make you feel cynical? If so, think again. The very fact that they fall in the category of news should reassure us that they are exceptions rather than the norm. We lend these news our ears because they are not what we normally hear. Apart from selling the stories, the newspapers also play a corrective role as the watchdog of the society. So they highlight these aberrations so that people take note of them and make efforts to get rid of them.

Besides, we still get to hear of people who are “making a difference”. Lawyer Ranjan Lakhanpal, for example. He does not show any animosity for the Pakistanis. Rather, he pleads for the Pakistanis who are detained in Indian jails for minor offences. According to him, why should a Pakistani be allowed to languish in jails simply because he strayed across the border? Though people mock him by the name of Mohammed Hussain, he follows the diktat of his conscience.

And we still celebrate success in its pure manifestation. When Sania Mirza does India proud in the Australian open, a pleasing sensation courses through our veins. When Narain Karthikeyan makes it to Formula One, we spontaneously wish him good luck.
So no need to worry, Mr Advani. BJP can make news if people see it as a beacon of hope. But that needs a lot of work.