Nothing Newsworthy
By Pubudu Laksiri -January 16, 2014
As satellite television is now common in Sri Lankan households many of us enjoy the privilege of watching many international channels on news, sports, movies etc. I wish to make some interesting observations I noted in watching some of the Indian news channels and the stories carried by them; and despite how funny it may sound I feel that a comparison needs to be made with news reported in local media. The comparison shows to us different cultures of media reporting and also reflects different demands of society.
As televisions in Sri Lankan households are dominated by family from early evening thanks to the mega television culture, I always eagerly await that half hour of Sri Lankan news as it gives me a reason to join the family household. The expectation of watching news for me as well as any reasonable minded citizen would be to update themselves on the latest stories that affect their lives and the public large. But to my greatest frustration the leading stories reported by the news presenter features the ‘discovery of the mysterious white tortoise’ followed by the sensational story of how a female anaconda has eaten up the male anaconda in the national zoo. I watch these amusing stories jaw dropped at their irrelevance to the public and wondering to myself thinking of one good reason for these reports to be made the headlines of the day. Quite unsuccessful in that task I decide to move on and focus on the other story making news; and again I’m quite disturbed with the five minute long story on the latest ‘Reality Show’ produced by that news channel. And now… Oh for god sake !!! that hippie looking mohawk styled gigolo is interviewed in the news studio for another five minutes. Unable to bear his interview any more I start cursing the channel, only to be silenced by my mom. And without even knowing it, news is over and the commercial break is followed by the usual soap opera at 8. 30 pm; and surprisingly its first five minutes of cliche drama and not to mention its stupidity makes me wonder how little difference it is from the previous hour and half of news I just watched.Read More