I was extremely saddened to see a TV programme host ‘interviewing’ mentally disturbed people on world politics.
KARACHI: I just saw a programme on a TV channel in which the host was ‘interviewing’ mentally disturbed people in a psychiatric hospital. I was extremely saddened and disappointed to see that the insensitive host was asking questions on world politics and other serious topics to get irrelevant answers from the patients. The answers from the patients were being served as humour and comedy with cheap tricks like laugh tracks being employed in the background.
The media — which is usually the first and harshest to criticise all elements of society — is getting increasingly irresponsible and cheap. Media houses, which were thought of as respectable and having integrity, are now using pathetic and cheap tricks like employing songs on news and reporting news that would not even have previously made page three news. The race for ratings is bringing our media to new lows.
I hope the channel and its owners delve into some introspection and realise the importance of integrity in their profession.
Asad V Shairani
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2012.
