English Press — Face behind the Mask — Case Study 1

11 July 2006

Points to note:

In comparison to that:

• The same newspaper HT, the earlier day 10-7-2006 on page 8, carried an item with more space, the header of which read as "Nayak to Khalnaayak: Heroes all the way"

• The item was supported with a photo by some "Durga (a respected Hindu name)"

• Photo showed a suited-booted well-trimmed guy with a rifle in his hand

• Most conspicuous was his head with a big vertical red "Tilak" on his forehead

• The details covered several names like Shah Rukh, Saif, Aamir, Sanjay Dutt, DJ Aqueel and Gautam Singhania

• All these names except one appear to be Muslim names, but the photo which draws instant attention is with conspicuous Hindu "Tilak" on forehead, whereas to look for the names you have to search from the small prints

Think about it:

• What kind of image the English media is trying to project?

• What kind of images it is trying to build?

• What kind of impressions it is trying to leave in readers minds?

Desecration of MaSaheb Minatai's Statue at Shivaji Park Mumbai and other issues

Now look at the same newspaper HT of the same day 11-7-2006:

Minatai's Statue at Shivaji Park was desecrated. Mud has been put on her face. Minatai was like mother to all Shiv Sainiks. They went on rampage. Got the shutters down for shops. Crowds gathered. Noise and bit of confusion. Some odd places they put torch to empty buses, not many. TV channels called it shameful. Hindustan Times was very vocal.

• Front page has header in bold "Proof may embarrass Sena, says Deputy CM"

• Followed-up by full page coverage on page 5

• With large photographs

• With carefully crafted highlights

• Creating an impression in the readers minds that it was Shiv Sena itself which arranged to put mud on Minatai's statue

And what was the line of reasoning based on which such impression was built:

• Was there any definitive proof?

• No, not yet

• All that seemed to be available were few assumptions

• That: why Shiv Sena failed to protect the statue it built from being desecrated?

• That: Sena is yet trying to prove that it has some strength left

• That: Sena is trying to establish that Rane and Raj's exit hasn't made Sena helpless

• That: they probably did it to get political mileage

So, what is their modus operandi:

• Self-proclaimed Secular newspapers have a well defined strategy

• When it comes to Muslims, play it down carefully

• When it comes to Hindus, blow it up out of proportion

• Doesn't matter if you must fuel an unproven hypothesis to attain your goals

• Who cares what comes as the final proof so long they are able to build an anti-Hindu sentiment by wide publicity of various assumptions?

• Initial impressions will live long with them

• By the time proof comes, it will be in some obscure corner of the newspaper, if it is found to favor Sena

• But if it turns out to be against Sena then it will be blown up again to cement the images in public mind

Published at my blog on 11 July 2006. Related items:

• English Press - Face behind the Mask - Sample 2 [2006]
• English Press - Face behind the Mask - Sample 3 [2006]
• How Powerful English media manipulates the public opinion [2006] 

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