MEDIA IN LS - 2009 : ROLE & TRENDS

Media has emerged as a crucial player in LS-2009 elections - much more so than ever before. I use the word "player" and not its designated role of obsever since more often than not it strayed from true journalistic principles of independence and balance .This situation arose primarily on account of the fact that this was perhaps the most " indoor " election till date- on account of lack of issues , IPL, scorching summer and a too protracted electoral process .From subtle planting of stories to clever spin on programming to blatant advertorials - it didn't need any
genius to discern the slant(s).From an active media , it became an activist media. Often it was creative journalism at its best.
Some new trends appeared too : tie - ups between newspapers and TV channels ; between newspapers of various regions ; new media ; print journalists in TV newsrooms ; TV journos writing for newspapers ; some channels showing exit polls only in terms of percentages (and not seats) ; public service campaigns by corporates etc. One could term it as confluence-a sort of content convergence . However , its efficacy was at best incremental ; regional copies lacked the desirable insights- perhaps lost in translation ; print journalists in TV newsrooms many a time reacted erroneously to breaking news - perhaps lost in transition - with no double checks of the desk to back them( newsroom is the wrong place to have print journalists - they should've been part of the studio discussions ; print pieces by TV journalists were stenographic - with their trademark lack of depth ( it became even more glaring as they were placed on the editorial pages) ; E xit polls should've known that percentages alone are not the place for TV as it needs the simpleast common denominator i.e the number of seats ( statistical jugglery is best reserved for newspapers/ journals / net ). All in all, it appears that our media( esp. the new media )is still getting its act together- just as our polity - a truly mature media will appear by 2014- shake ups and consolidation will ensure that.