So unlike us

IN Media Watch Briefs | 18/04/2013

Three major international news TV channels - CNN, BBC, and Al Jazeera covering the fertiliser plant explosion in West, Texas,USA were notable for their sober presentation. The anchors' questions were brief but pointed, the responses informative because those doling out were allowed to speak, bringing out the enormity of the accident. The officials, including the mayor, were careful. When asked if there were any dead, he said, "I don't know," but described it as akin to "a nuclear bomb" going off. No one speculated, and the calm voices described the impact. There were no high-pitched rapid fire screams of the anchors, everyone being responsible. So unlike Indian news TV and politicians.

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Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.