Skip to content

thevigil.in: public scrutiny of news media

where the public critiques the news media, and keeps them true!
5+ / 2-

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…

3+ / 0-

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…

7+ / 1-

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…

1+ / 0-

By B V Rao (source exchange4media.com)

Tamilnadu is in the news for the arrest of two editors in quick succession on charges of criminal defamation. B Lenin, the news editor of Dinamalar, a widely circulated daily, was arrested on October 7 and A S Mani, editor of “Netrikan”, a Madurai magazine, was arrested in the last week of October. continue reading…

4+ / 4-

By Srimoy Kar

After all, 24×7 news channels need meat and blood to sustain viewer interest but one-upmanship in breaking news seems to have created a virtual storm in a tea cup in the trainjack case.

More at expressbuzz.com

9+ / 0-

By B V Rao (source: exchange4media.com)

 As a CNN regular, I have always marvelled at their readiness to not just pick important stories from rival channels but also give them full credit and play in their own bulletins. That’s such a rarity in our own country. Here, if one channel or publication comes up with a national scoop, the others will pretend as if nothing happened for as along as they can avoid it. continue reading…

8+ / 4-

By B V Rao (first published on exchange4media.com)

Things are looking up at the Time of India. The country’s biggest and richest media house, which rang the alarm bells first with an unprecedented round of blood-letting last year, has just announced the end of recession. Ravi Dhariwal, CEO, wrote an endearing letter to all his staff to inform them that the management has decided to put some money in their pockets ahead of Diwali, a sort of bonus payout. continue reading…

9+ / 1-

 By B V Rao (source: exchange4media.com)

 In 1987 the Times of India set in motion a process of deconstructing the Indian newspaper as we knew it up until then with the launch of the rather wordy Sesquicentennial (150th birthday) Celebrations. Even though journalism became collateral damage (some would say it was the primary target) in its relentless march to superstardom, the Times of India did much more than just deconstruct the newspaper. It changed the game totally and completely. continue reading…

1+ / 1-

By SAI SURESH SIVASWAMY

The highway on my way to work was so unlike what it usually is on a Monday morning. All it took me to reach the office today was 30 minutes; obviously Mumbaikars have made the most of tomorrow’s holiday declared to enable them to cast their vote, combined it with the weekend, and have fled the city to cooler climes. continue reading…

2+ / 0-
DEEPA GUMASTHE joins the debate on Naxalism on TheVigil:
We cannot expect marginalised people to adhere to democratic processes when the democracy they live in offers them absolutely no benefits. I think the key statement in her (Shoma Chaudhury’s) analysis was that these people seem to prefer a gruesome death to slow starvation and acute deprivation. continue reading…
 

You need to log in to vote

The blog owner requires users to be logged in to be able to vote for this post.

Alternatively, if you do not have an account yet you can create one here.

Powered by Vote It Up