TV and traffic

An Op-ed should also discuss social issues that citizenry faces daily, and do so without any claim to sainthood, realising one's own complicity in creating and sustaining some of these social ills. The contemporary media scene, especially the TV journalism, and the mayhem on our roads are some pressing issues affecting social discourse and the safety of life and limb, respectively.

TV journalism first. It is sad to see the degradation of Pakistan's media landscape, born with so much promise and fanfare under President Gen Parvez Musharraf. The rating wars and the paucity of intellectual capital force the mushrooming news channels into less than graceful business practices. This piece recounts some experiences with corrective expectations.

First, the anchorperson (who has recently acquired fame after some two or three programmes, to rephrase a channel staffer), mostly thinks it below his/her dignity to invite the guests to his/her show in person. The anchor should in all courtesy do so, at least for the first appearance of his/her guests, till they establish a repo. So, the job is delegated to lower-level staff, mostly the young, inexperienced and less trained boys and girls, who in most cases don't even know or defer to the age, experience and exposure of their guests.

These young people round up quests for their anchors, calling at odd hours, giving almost no lead time, and without even knowing the nature and contents of the talk show, the expected debate and conversations. Sometimes they evoke compassion by citing their job dependence for roping this or that guest. It becomes hard to ignore their pleadings.

Second, once you inquire these young people why one must participate, after necessary preparations for appearance involving time and effort, which in most cases is preferred by the channel to take place in the channel studio, without offering any transportation (in most cases), these young staffers would come up with interesting rationales like "Sir you will get famous!", as if appearing on their channel is the only reason of existence for the guest. They would repeatedly call without understanding that unreturned calls indicate other engagements, inability or unwillingness. Given the mushrooming media scene, with all and sundry opening 'news channels', and all these news channels discussing the same issues, it is understandable that qualified, experienced and willing 'analysts' are in short supply.

Third, past the ushering stage, the programme would invariably start late in most cases, keeping you waiting without even an apology. The IT staff would not check the communications beforehand. The anchorperson would appear late in his/her regal style and mostly ask questions about a topic for which he/she has no competency, and which in some case is just out of the blue. So, to add value to one's participation, the anchorperson is, at times, fed questions that ought to be asked.

The anchorperson would sometimes cram more than two topics in a single programme, disposing of guests in hurried succession, without due respect and regard. The time compression would force the fast-talking anchorperson to cut you mid-sentence in a very rude manner or ask questions to fill the remaining seconds without waiting for and listening to an answer. Most questions would be superficial, belying the anchorspersons' lack of preparedness. Since, without due diligence, one cannot be an expert in all fields.

The anchor, in hurried mannerism, would, at times, not even know your name and/or misstate your credentials. In most current affairs programmes, the scene is of a drawing room with some participants in the studio and others online. In a classroom manner, questions are rotated among guests who invariably must speak in sustained bursts to hurriedly air their views.

Discussions are hardly interactive, and the next round of questions may not even happen, as the drawing room has more guests than are required for an issue-based intelligent conversation. The channel management and anchorperson ostensibly prefer posters with 'big names', rather than content for such shows. Discussion mostly revolves around swiftly changing 'current affairs' rather than trends, analysis and situational constants and variables.

In some digital channels, controversy seems to be the only attraction and preferred mode, rather than a healthy, positive and outcome-oriented debate. Shouting matches, tautology, crass and less than decent and less graceful comments and behaviour supposedly enhance the channel ratings. In some Indian and Afghan channels, Pakistani participants are subjected to discreditable criticism, exposing the poverty of debate and the bankruptcy of anchors and 'other' participants. Winning an argument seems to be the way to go, rather than educating the viewers and getting educated in the process.

One hopes in the great grind of correction, these cited media aberrations would be auto-corrected, so that people start watching TV again, without losing their sanity, composure and perspective.

The second issue is the mayhem on Pakistan's killer roads. It is sad to see the total apathy, neglect and culpable complicity of our traffic police in sustaining this mayhem. 'Bikes on installments' have created dangerous congestion on our roads, especially in urban sprawls. The daredevil motorcyclists, especially the ride-hailing drivers and delivery boys, have absolutely no regard for their safety, or the safety of other commuters on the road. It is shocking to see multitudes of bikers driving at night without any head or taillights or even reflectors. They are least bothered by traffic rules, helmet safety, or driving on the wrong side to take illegal shortcuts, generally right under the nose of traffic wardens, if present.

Most of these death-riders perhaps do not possess a valid driving licence as they seem not to know or ignore traffic rules. Making a turn right in front of four wheelers without indicators is a common observation. One literally must have 360-degree vision 24/7 to drive safely on our roads.

And our once efficient traffic police is mostly nowhere to be seen, or seen for limited times during rush hours, or mostly found loitering idly, or being busy on their smart phones, ignoring this mayhem.

So, TV and traffic need societal attention before it is too late!