thevigil.in: public scrutiny of news media

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On Monday, May 24, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address a press conference in New Delhi to unveil the report card of his government’s performance in its first year. The press conference is going to be unlike any other before it. It will not be limited to Delhi journalists. Reporters from Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Lucknow will be present by video to pose questions to the prime minister. Maybe a few questions will be taken from foreign capitals too. According to Harish Khare, the information adviser to PM, about 250 news channels and 1,500 print journalists will cram Vigyan Bhawan, the venue.

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Now that the dirt has hit the ceiling, it seems like there were more “mentors” than bidders for the IPL auctions. Shashi Tharoor says he was just “mentoring” the Kochi team; Praful Patel says he was just mentoring Shashi Tharoor (or helping a friend, in his words) for mentoring the Kochi franchisee! Will we ever get to know who was mentoring Praful Patel?

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That Shashi Tharoor’s ministerial stint can be summed up in four words: Twitter. Glitter. Sputter. Quitter. — B V Rao

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That if only that bunch of GenTwit which agrees with Shashi Tharoor is the “new India”, I’,m happy to be “ancient India”.

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That if the Prime Minister doesn’t want to tell Advani and Parliament what secrets he is talking with the US on Pakistan because Advani did not tell Manmohan and Parliament what secrets Jaswant Singh talked with Strobe Talbott, who’s going to tell anything at all to Parliament?

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By B V Rao

I was always worried I would die without knowing enough about Arindam Chaudhuri. But last week, The Hindu and Tehelka put me at ease. Thanks to these two highly respected publications, I will leave this world armed with better information about the management mogul, his life and his works. continue reading…

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By B V Rao (source: exchange4media.com)

From the way CEOs and editors keep defending the brain-dead programming on Hindi channels, you would think that the population of morons is galloping in the country.

Thankfully, the contrary is true. continue reading…

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By Bikram Vohra

Every trip home to India is bathed in revelation. Every TV channel shows someone crying, dying or being mourned which does wonders for your mood, since you wake up to this caterwauling and eat and sleep to the same ‘woe is me’ sentiment. continue reading…

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By B V Rao (source: exchange4media.com)

Team, I am aware the box office numbers this morning have disappointed all of you. I was disappointed, too, though I was not expecting anything other than a drubbing. We have suddenly stopped the supply of opium to our viewers and it is only natural that they should show severe withdrawal symptoms.  Rather than restart the supply to them, we should stay the course and remove all traces of the drug from their veins, after all, it is we who put them on the dangerous drug diet. continue reading…

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By Bikram Vohra

Imagine this scenario. It is not hard to do. A typical middle class Indian home in Delhi. Father walks into son’s room, sees apple of his eye glued to his studies and shouts, “You foolish boy, stop wasting your time, why aren’t you singing and dancing, the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa selection is on in one week.” continue reading…