Spring Martlet 2017

Is technology changing the media landscape
in India, and if so, what are the political,
economic, and/or social implications of
these transformations?
Technology is changing the media landscape
in India rather dramatically. In the mid 1990s,
India experienced a television revolution
when the monopoly of government
broadcasts was broken. We now have
almost 400 24/7 private news channels
beaming into people’s homes. We also now
have more than 300 million smartphones.
The explosion of information has created
a society that is more aware but also more
noisy. The media revolution has fuelled
the aspirational urges of a new India: it
has driven the country towards a market
economy while also making the country
more politically conscious. The anticorruption
campaign in India a few years
ago, for example, was literally driven from TV
news studios.
You have been a major figure in broadcast
television, but you’ve also written a regular
newspaper column for many years. Is
your role as a commentator different in
these different media? Does compelling
TV journalism have basically the same
ingredients as a compelling newspaper
column or are there critical differences in,
say, tone, emphasis, composition?
I have always seen myself as a multi-media
person. So while I began my career in print,
I eventually found a professional home in
television. Writing newspaper columns is
satisfying because it gives me a chance to
express my opinion on complex issues in
a manner that a TV programme perhaps
never can. Television can be compelling
viewing, especially in live situations. But
it tends to have a sense of urgency as a
result of which certain nuances are lost. A
newspaper column, on the other hand, offers
an opportunity to press the pause button
and reflect. I enjoy both. I also now have my
column translated into half a dozen Indian
languages to reach new readers.
THE MARTLET | SPRING 2017 9