5 fake narratives mainstream media has been peddling to you since 2014
Ever since Narendra Modi has come to power, I’ve noticed a change in the mood of the print and electronic media all of a sudden. Earlier the nation had a corrupt government which had siphoned off hundreds and thousands of crores to outside and yet the media tried to put it out with a straight face and show that all is well. However once the balance of power shifted, so did the reporting standards.
If you believe these channels then all of a sudden the nation was in chaos, democracy was threatened and the India was now in the hands of a fascist regime whose only aim was to rule by spreading fear and using propaganda.
The recent elections that concluded exposed many of these media houses. To consolidate some of their ploys here are the 5 fake narratives media has been running since 2014.
1. Intolerance
Be it the case of Akhlaq in Dadri, Churches in Delhi or the killing of rational thinkers like Dabholkar and Kalburgi who opposed some of the cultures and traditions on the ground of facts , the media has spun these things in a way to attack the Prime Minister and his party but also paint the hindu religion in bad light.
It was done in a way that avoided facts and counter arguments, such as, that the government they were targeting was not in power in the states or when the people of the hindu religion were attacked, not a single media byte focused on it, except through social media which twisted it so much to present a version that people today slowly are getting divided on religious lines, which was the initial objective in the first place.
2. A drama queen/king
If you’ve seen the recent Gurmehar Kaur Fiasco, you’ll know what I am talking about. She had so much to say against war and against ABVP (who is no saint). Then came out her victim card and the drama created after that is known to everyone. But here’s another side to the story of who Gurmehar Kaur really is and why her types cannot be trusted.
I don’t think we need anymore proof. The media however saw it as a way to repeat last years JNU when two overage students who should really get a job and contribute to the nation were made heroes overnight. They behave in a way that is unacceptable to evoke emotional responses and then play a victim card which the media tries to run for a long time. Be ready to see more of it in the next election
3. The true patriot
This is one of those narratives that has really annoyed the hell out of me. Who is a true patriot? What defines your love for the country. This is a very broad subject. A lot of things can be considered in this but I am sure that any level headed person will consider a few facts. Shouting “Bharat tere tukde honge and Kashmir/Bastar Maange azaadi” are definitely acts that go against national interest.
The strangest thing is that most of the political parties and mainstream media considered this as freedom of expression and not as act against national interest. To take things to another level, when the question was asked to the liberals, they chose to question the concept of countries and borders. Furthermore, what was disheartening was how members of the army who questioned these liberals were targeted selectively.
4. Freedom of expression
Speaking of freedom of expression, it is safe to say that the media considers it to be reserved only for those who support their views. So when Sanjay Leela Bhansali was attacked by a fringe group who believed that he was misrepresenting a queen, it was a threat to democracy a national emergency and a ploy of the so called fascist regime ran by Narendra Modi.
But when Tarek Fateh was attacked at Jashn-e-Rakhta, people were quiet all of a sudden. Not that many people in the media were interested. In fact you’ll find little to no interest in the media for that story. So does Sanjay Leela Bhansali has more freedom than Tarek Fateh or is it that the standards are different for those who do not follow the narrative of the mainstream media.
5. Glorifying terrorists
This has been really distressing to say the least. Kashmir has always been a hotbed of controversy. Things got really out of hand however when the terrorist leader Burhan Wani was killed. Most of the people were overjoyed and congratulated the forces, but the queen of presstitutes had another thing to say.
We still remember how some had went late into the night to the Supreme court stop the hanging of afzal guru and most of us didn’t like it a bit. Now their stories are being portrayed in a manner to show that it is these people who were misguided and the security forces were wrong. Similarly when the forces resorted to pellet guns in self defence against stone pelters, the media came out again on police brutality, and how innocent kids were targeted and ruined for life.
The media, used the same web of lies as it had done in the past to create an atmosphere of hate and polarisation. It is no secret now as most of them are in working day and night against the ruling party. There were many issues that existed in this country for years, but never have they been spun in such ways as to create an atmosphere of hate and divide in the country.
