Portrayal of violence on news channels

VIOLENCE IS never very far from our minds, it isn’t allowed to be. It is on television all the time for everyone’s viewing on our numerous news channels. It has become their favourite kind of news. India has 28 states and 7 union territories, and more than 18 major languages, and many many more minor languages. India has many religions and many castes, and all of them have innumerable festivals.

And still, what we see on news channel is not who celebrated what, but who killed who with what. Its not that violence should never be shown, but still, it shouldn’t be shown always. American boxer, Muhammad Ali had once said, “There are more pleasant things to do than beat people up,” but I think that to publish it all over the world, and that too not for spreading awareness but for gathering fame is the most unpleasant thing. Indian national anthem, ‘Jana Gana Mana’, was declared as the best national anthem in the world by UNESCO, but not even a speck of it was seen in the news channels. Of course they can’t collect everything, but there should be a separation between what is needed and what isn’t.

The peacekeeping mission initiated by the United Nations since 1948, started 186 new missions in 2008, but why was there not even a syllable of it in the news? All there could be seen was how two neighbors fought and killed each others in some godforsaken land. Everyone loves to see violence, I don’t say that I don’t, but still, if one does not see a thing for some time, he would obviously forget it.

Issac Asimov very correctly stated in his novel ‘Salvor Hardin’ in the series ‘Foundation’ that, “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent,” but what I believe is that to spread violence, is the first move of the coward.