Monalisa Changkija
On November 16 last, Nagaland also celebrated the National Press Day on the theme “Changing Nature of Press”. Nagaland has three Press Clubs at Dimapur, Kohima and Mokokchung hence the day was celebrated at these district headquarters under the aegis of these Clubs with media and other personalities speaking on the theme and the numerous challenges the Press confronts daily. One of the crucial issues that were highlighted during the programme at Mokokchung was of people’s preference for feel-good stories. About the discussion on the issue, a local paper reported: “…how society often prefers positive portrayals over critical analyses, which challenges the press in delivering objective reporting… society often only wants to read favourable narratives about themselves”. But we know that it is not the job of the Press to make the people feel good ~ particularly not the Government or anyone, who hold enormous power and privilege even in the private sector and in other fields. And, not all narratives are favourable.
But it’s also not the job of the Press to make people feel depressed, sad or even suicidal ergo a judicious balance is called for. These are days of PR, news and opinion management, mind and emotion control and manipulation, smokescreens of half-truths and blatant lies, influencing political, public, personal and private actions and generally making decisions for readers/viewers. Unless one is very conversant with language and the subtleties thereof, it is very difficult to detect where and how one is being led by the tail. True, the quality of language is no longer what it used to be in our print and electronic media or perhaps Editors are no longer doing their job but simply ensuring that the ‘right’ message is disseminated to create the ‘right’ effect and language be damned. Conversely, perhaps young people are no longer blessed with good language teachers. Nobody is perfect but no efforts are also made to learn. This problem is rife in the Press but then probably correct language is no longer the Press’ or the readers/viewers’ priority ~ and some of us are simply doddering dinosaurs.
In Nagaland, people from across the State want the Press to highlight their plights, deprivations, suffering and numerous other issues because they believe only then the Government will pay some attention to them and address the needs of their communities and areas. This is our job ~ in fact, we need to go to the people and highlight their plights before they come to us but that we often fail to do so is our drawback. Highlighting people’s plights very often does receive some attention from the Government ~ although it does inevitably like to have the last word, as is the wont of Governments these days. However, for people to want the Press to make them feel good is ludicrous and also very sad. Imagine how sad, miserable and empty these people’s lives must be that today with no dearth of entertainment, they still want to ‘feel good’. It is human nature to want accolades and validation so it is natural that people want to read favourable narratives about themselves but not wanting unfavourable, unpalatable, uncomfortable and inconvenient narratives is somehow indicative of disturbing societal immaturity and trends. Without knowing what is black, how would we know what is white? Without accepting that life doesn’t always hold happy endings, how do we confront the challenges life throws at us every day? By reading feel good stories, favourable narratives about ourselves and that 15-minutes’ of fame in newspapers?
This feel good thing is also indicative of a society and State, which doesn’t inspire much hope and the corollary reaction of burying the head in the sand instead of acknowledging that hopes spring from within and not from the Government or any other external source. But then today political parties, Governments, institutions, corporate, showbiz are so in the business of feel good that people expect to feel good all the time. It has become a kind of an intoxicant, an upper if you will, that numbs the mind and lifts the spirit. Would the human race ever stop looking for a fix? No doubt, everyone wants to be put in good light but everyone must also acknowledge that we are not made in good light only. So imagine how challenging it is for the Press in a society and State that has wrong notions about this institution.
Our job is to lead and to help people make informed opinions and choices, not to pander to the current whims, fancies and trends of the people or the Government ~ much less be led by their heart’s desires. Independent media connotes independent thinking, not catering to market demands. Perhaps the Press’ impact in Nagaland has not been as much as we would have liked simply because much like the Press elsewhere, we too are following trends and narratives thereof instead of leading trends and not being influenced by narratives. Inarguably, the Press here lives a very precarious and perilous existence and we are still negotiating the sharp bends of the potholed roads in a development-deficit society and State deeply rooted in customary, cultural, traditional and religious ways of life ~ often unwilling to listen, discourse, see another’s point of view and agree to disagree. Herein lies the challenge to democracy, therefore to the Press.
Meanwhile here is a small suggestion to feel good ~ if you are not getting your daily dose of ‘feel good’, perhaps discontinue subscriptions to newspapers and television channels, especially those that concentrate on views and pass them off as news therefore hosts high decibel debates. You see the same people in the panels on various issues and you know their entrenched views even before they speak. While some people may be partial to circus shows on debate panels, avoiding them saves trips to the doctor because your high blood pressure reduces on its own ~ naturally, unaided by chemicals. Such programmes make you feel angry, agitated and aggressive ~ unless you take delight in and feed on these emotions. But sometimes, it is necessary to feel bad because it then makes you want to change things and propels you to act.
But seriously why do people want to wake up and have tea/coffee with the biscuit of feel good? Why not feel good from within because life is good and it feels good without that biscuit? Perhaps, as the older generations are slowly leaving us, majority of the readers/viewers are of the generation that has been breast fed by instant gratification? But isn’t this generation supposed to be hooked to their smartphones and disdain outdated newspapers and television? These days even in our villages our elderly folks are connected to internet and lead a very ‘on-line’ life. So, who exactly wants feel good stories and favourable stories about themselves? It appear that despite whatever is said of the print media, people here still needs their daily dose of the newspaper, which means it is not in a hurry to disappear like the morning dew with the appearance of the sun of social media and the like.
(The Columnist, a journalist and poet, is Editor, Nagaland Page. Published in the Assam Tribune on November 27, 2024)
