Media Trial, as significant this word may sound, has a catapulting effect. It weaves a narrative in accordance with noise that derives its magnitude from fake news and WhatsApp forwards. After accumulating conspiracy theories, selective news outlets run them on Prime Time for days, months and years until they are slammed. This time too, this popular Indian actor’s death by suicide was being misrepresented and maligned, with channels playing Sherlock Holmes, even challenging the acumen of top investigation agencies, Police, top hospitals in the country.
They groped everyone and anyone they could, to yell out loud their propaganda. This ensued a hate wave on social media for the accused even before there was anything substantially proven. She (accused) was pronounced guilty by bots and her social media prosecution happened even before the law agencies were allowed to do their job. And indeed, the trial did influence the case unfairly as we have seen in the past as well. Over the years, especially in the last decade, media trials have seemingly triggered an accused-shaming consensus in India, that is everything disparaging but fair.
The situation is such that facts don’t matter much but conspiracies do. From vilification of accused to barging into someone’s personal space, all lines are crossed, all ethics are eroded and journalism is killed. Here’s presenting to you news’ tryst with travesty with this short poem:
Breaking news is the norm, yelling is the form
We align with trials that have no norm
Media in the time of Corona is trial-&-justice driven,
Compelling ethics to take backseat
Or maybe, they took long back, just that it’s more evident with the onset of glee
The anchors care about justice too often now
That they ensure to pick sides now
They want the nation to know who killed, drugged and smoked
Forgetting the plume, they once endured
Media Trial in the time of Corona is propaganda of none, but channels
Where conspiracies are officiated and stories are fabricated
Dare you give a benefit of doubt to accused
Dare you speak for the accused
Dare you let investigation unfold
Dare you let the truth be told
Because there is media trial in progress, and dare you question it
Once perceived as trajectory of justice,
Media Trials now claim to be custodian of justice
Their operational mechanism is too WhatsApp to be true
Their ethical standard is too unethical to be true
What is true is the “Breaking News Syndrome“
Selling the model of Yell and Lead, Not Tell and Heed
Trapping people into make-believe stories
Trapping them into hate theories
Media trial in the time of Corona is important than dying economy
It is important than truth, because post-truth you see
It is so important that it prefers killing sanctity of press
So important that being number 1 is its only stress
Pronouncing the accused guilty is its favourite pastime,
Defaming them is its only PRIME TIME
From politician to girlfriend, parents to boyfriend
Everyone should be held behind bars
Their reputation should be lynched from scratch to scar
It will be so unfair that law and order will be tarred
It will be so unfair that speaking up will be barred
And all of this to make national joke of the tragic death of a star
And not let him rest with stars
And not let him rest with stars…
