An anonymous person wrote a scathing comment on my blog about something I wrote recently, and I reproduce it here. I wish he/she had revealed his/her name. Though I will respond to the comments, but I think more than attacking me personally it raises an important question:
Do we, as journalists, make any contribution to the people whose plight we write about? Do we help or touch their lives in any way apart from our soppy stories about them?
Responses welcome.
Here is the comment:
"Watching all this horrible and disturbing scene on your blog and the poetic description of tragedy of Madhepura is too heart breaking to bear.I ask you that why all this is being made the blog item? did you dare to wet your feet into the flood water of kosi? how many victims have so far been paid plenty monitory assistance by you? in the blog photo you look to be belonging to a prosporous family. If all this is just a report of a correspondance, then it is nothing more than the commercial use of the national calamity. For the sake of pity people please stop all this tear dropping and if possible take some real steps for their rehabilitation."
3 comments:
I once had a similar feeling..and had written an article about the same.. http://shwetapandey-kakshi.blogspot.com/2007/04/is-indian-media-responsible.html
But, later I realized, its easier said than done! Anonymous may not be aware of the kind of restrictions a reporter is subjected to. Also, if you do appear to be from a well-to-do family, you can't possibly rescue the whole of Bihar!Don't the reporters themselves face the hardships which are faced by the people. Aren't they bothered of being in the sensitive areas and isn't the fear of getting bombed proof enough of their courage and determination.
Neelesh, may be on your next trip to Bihar.. you can invite anon to accompany you.. and then see if s/he has the same questions! :)
Oops.. missed a word! :)
Aren't they bothered of being in the sensitive areas and isn't overcoming the fear of getting bombed proof enough of their courage and determination.
I respect your courage for posting the remarks/comments by the anonymous writer. People react this way because they find that reporting of an event and personal opinion of the reporter getting intermingled. This kind of trend is very prominent in the media now a days. The glaring example is the reporting by television media during recent Mumbai Incident. Still this adds to overall growth of the society where people have the freedom to express their opinion.
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