Wanted: better news TV culture

Punjabi antenna

By

Randeep Wadehra

As one watched the Punjab poll coverage on TV one wondered whether news television could perform better. It kept its cameras and microphones fully primed as decibel levels soared upwards during the election campaigns that plumbed new depths, with rivals conjuring up metaphors and similes featuring canine faces and simian posteriors. With the polls’ conclusion the decibels plummeted to bearable levels. The political rhetoric simmered down even though tension has remained tactile because the entire election process has not yet been completed thanks to the rather long period of wait for the results. Interestingly, even as the votes were being cast in the late afternoon various Punjabi news TV channels went into the analytical mode peremptorily. Who will win, and by what margin? What does the unusually high voter turnout signify? Various experts had ready answers. On the PTC News they proclaimed ideology’s demise as a vote-catching device. Only the track record and image of individual candidates matter for the voter, they declared. They also were perceptive enough to tell us that those above fifty years of age would vote on pre-decided party lines while “45 and below” would vote for candidates and parties having credible developmental agendas. What about the significant chunk of voters in the 45-50 age group? I am whingeing, of course.

Zee Punjabi’s panelists had a different take altogether. One of them observed that if individual candidates were such “sohnay atey changay” then the credit should go to the parties that selected them. Although the effect of delimitation on the fortunes of some of the established politicos was factored in the experts’ general view was that people would vote on ideological lines. Now, if ideology is such a strong factor then both SAD-BJP and the INC stand to lose because they have hardly anything distinct to offer on this score – one being the Tweedledum to the other’s Tweedledee. The former have more or less veered away from their panthic-dharmic agendas and the latter is swinging between socialism and free market economy; and both cynically exploit various caste and communal equations in the state. The PPP campaign, on the other hand, has focused on development and governance, with emphasis on transparency and probity; this should enthuse at least the young voter. So, ideally, PPP should have an advantage. But, would it? Taking into account the huge voter turnout, one of the panelists predicted that there would be surprises in the election results. What would these be? Would there be a regime change; or, perhaps, even a rank outsider may become the next Chief Minister? Although some are predicting retention of power by the Akali-BJP combine the following equation appears more likely: Anti-incumbency + Manpreet Factor = Heavy Voter Turnout = Advantage Congress. The quality of debates invariably improved whenever politicians were absent, or in a minority.

Another event that caught the media attention was the exercise of the ‘Right to Reject’ by a section of the voters. The media pundits were quite excited. However, certain questions need to be answered first. What purpose does this right serve? Can it compel the authorities to order re-poll, replacing the rejected candidates with new ones? Obviously, this is not possible unless a majority of voters in a constituency reject the existing candidates. Nevertheless, this could be a promising start.

One yearns for the news TV culture that would encourage prospective candidates from various political parties to answer voters’ questions, live on television, on their track records, as well as future plans vis-à-vis development and governance. Or, hold a public debate among various candidates on major issues confronting the people of Punjab. This should help energize the state’s political culture and set a healthy precedent for other states to follow. Wouldn’t this make for great news TV?  

Published in The Tribune dated February 18, 2012