REPORTERS’ DIARY :MEDIA’S BLINKERED APPROACH

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, goes a proverb. It underlines the importance of adapting oneself to the customs of the people who are in a certain place or situation and behave like they do. Curiously, journalists do not follow this basic etiquette even when they are in other states on campaign trails during polls. At pressers conducted by national leaders, such media representatives adopt a blinkered attitude and deliberately raise queries relating to non-local issues. Telangana has just hosted many such national media representatives who are both blind and deaf to local issues, but ask questions about all other corners of the nation – – Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kolkata or whatever. Another problem with them is that they compete with one another in asking questions, virtually mistaking local reporters’ decency for diffidence. During Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent press conference in Hyderabad, a senior reporter from a Telugu media house vented his anger at some national media representatives, observing: “What can Delhi reporters ask if Hyderabad reporters ask about Kejriwal’s issue?”