Breaking News: Live & Exclusive

It was sometime in 1991, when US forces landed in Iraq occupied Kuwait starting the Gulf War. And it was then when for the first time live pictures were beamed into our living rooms courtesy CNN, BBC, Reuters and others thus giving birth to 'Breaking News'. The events and the coverage that followed kept us glued on to our TV sets for days and nights together. While for parents it was international news of importance, for kids like me it was real life 'Top Gun' and 'Commando' playing in front of my eyes.

Over the next decade and half what followed made 'Breaking News' a programme to look forward to - Endeavour disaster, 9/11, Saddam capture etc etc.

This period also saw a slew of channels cropping up on the Indian horizon - general interest, sports, business and news. It all started with election coverage but soon followed the international trend. And then the events which happened during this period also helped - the Mumbai blasts, the riots etc etc. As years went by more channels cropped up. When I was wandering where is the space and what is the difference in identity between one another, was rather surprised to read that over 100 new channels are on the anvil!!! In order to get eyeballs and out to chase TRP the value of 'Breaking News' and the type of news which qualified was gradually 'downgrading'. The kid falling in the tubewell, the floods, the killings and some more riots....once I was appalled that a channel was showing pictures of daughter in laws beating up their father in law!!! With 'Breaking News', 'Live & Exclusive' also became part of the lingo. Soon everything was 'Breaking News'...politicians reaching a venue, meeting starting, even cricket team being announced!!! So much that people were watch the tickers than the channel itself!

Couple of weeks back Mumbai came under siege. When it all started cricket match just got over and almost all channels were beaming 'Breaking News' - India beats England, leads 5-0, when suddenly it all changed. Changed to 'Breaking News' - shooting at various places. Within minutes 'Live & Exclusive' were being beamed. Over the next day and half, what started as some small shooting incident panned out to be the biggest terror attack. All news channels had teams, sometimes bigger than the security forces covering the event live. Channels started boasting of 'Live & Exclusive' news, security forces movement, 'Live & Exclusive' footage etc. Soon promos were being made and aired. The so called advanced channels had to be told that what they are airing is giving away info the terrorists which is when for the first time they said 'we are always concerned and for security reasons we can't air movements' etc. I was just appalled by the coverage. To gather TRPs and mileage the channels went all out. First the whole event was sensationalised so much and then, nobody was spared...everybody coming out of the venue irrespective of who he / she was, people working at the venue, security forces, people rescued, media had a mike thrust in his/ her face.

As the event panned out to more long drawn than expected the channels packaging teams got to work - some had live time meter, couple of them said India at War!, others had SMSes going (as if the hostages are sitting and watching news) and some other had helplines. By this live minute by minute intrusive coverage even people sitting far away and watching in their living rooms were depressed.

Net net when India was under siege, channels were trying to make the most of it using the now popular term 'Breaking News' ...'Live & Exclusive'... While I was writing this blog was watching a programme analysing the news coverage of the recent events in Mumbai. One of the people part of the discussion, an editor with a news channel defended the actions of all the news channels and their coverage and blamed the government for not having proper news relases!!! He doesnt realise or maybe doesnt want to accept that, its only the government which made them realise they are causing more damage atleast immediate..than helping.

So much for 'Breaking News' ...'Live & Exclusive'...