Arnab Goswami’s channel and most others are in a producer-consumer relationship with their ‘followers’ (Playback Artistes’ Pratfalls). So only the channel and its consumers are allowed freedom of speech, no one else, especially not anyone from horrible Pakistan. So it was with the war-mongering scenario. Heavy bias, no moderation, relentless jingoism in the name of informed opinion. This phenomenon, I believe, is called ‘hyperreality’, well-explained as the ‘authentic fake’. The neo-middle class consumer wants to go to the mall, then to protest against the Delhi police against rape. By afternoon, they want a war so they can live in a delusion of being rich and powerful. Rang de Basanti-style patriotism rules the roost, which means that it is an impulse and not dedication to the nation. So if a farmers’ protest blocks traffic, they want the police to beat them with sticks. The farmers are fair game, the ‘urbanites’ are not. Sigh...I love this nation and I’m going to Facebook right now and like the ‘Burn Pakistan’ page.

Abhishek Prakash, Jaipur

So what you’re saying is regardless of what Pak does, the Indian media and public should not question them.

Rohit Bhalla, Delhi

It’s true, the Indian media goes overboard to satisfy what it thinks the majority wants to hear.

Soumya Saxena, Wachtberg, Germany

Arnab Goswami's programme, the Newshour, is excellent. Arnab has a lot of spirit, sincerity, passion and earnestness all at once. The other comparable shows, on CNN-IBN et al, are okay, but they go overboard trying to be 'objective' or 'secular', when such an approach is not called for.  The Newshour is more direct and forceful, and thank goodness for that. We don't want everyone to be exactly like Sagarika Ghose and Rajdeep Sardesai. There's room for variety and divergence, and Arnab Goswami certainly provides that.

  Madukar is right, programmes like these reflect the public mood far more than most other programmes. After all Pakistan has done, including hosting Osama Bin Laden and Dawood Ibrahim, it doesn't deserve objectivity and politeness.

Indian TV represents the view of average  indians when it comes to Pakistan,they don't sell their soul to cold diplomats and some spin doctors!  I think they do much better job than the govt of the day...

 None of them can match Arnab though NDTV, CNN-IBN all started this exercise when BJP was ruling the country, now finding itself at the receiving end when no one is watching other than TimesNow because this is the ONLY channel in the english side showing some consistency in neutrality, rest all like Congress puppies including Outlook.

Arun,

>> "How I miss NPR on radio and PBS on TV."

Still the best sources of news and analysis.

Razzak (Hyderabad) ...

Given your views on Arnab Goswami, which I agree and more, why do you watch it regularly. Wondering what is the redeeming value that may be I miss because I watch it for a bit while flipping channels - I can't stay with it - which is the only way I watch any of the 24x7 new channels.

You say .... " For a lesson, watch BBC or CNN and take a leaf from them."

BBC I agree. CNN of course has matured or mellowed - at least their international service we get to see (not sure of their US service). I see Indian news channel at the level of evolution which CNN was during the 1st gulf war with Wolf Blitzer, blitzing away to make a name for himself and CNN. Unfortunately, for our TV folks the role model appears to be American TV - more Fox and a bit CNN and not BBC. IMHO, 24x7 NDTV is slightly ahead of the pack in maturity but the newer kids on the block - Time Now, Headline Today, CNN-IBN are a bit too much. The Hindi channels of course are a breed apart (may be true for other regional ones too) - I can't even take them seriously - I find them surreal and humorous.

How I miss NPR on radio and PBS on TV. The concept of public funded rather than state funded or corporate/advertisement funded radio and TV is great ..... hope we also can this someday.

I am a regular watcher of Times Now. The way Arnab Goswami treats his guest looks pity, specially the experts from Pakistan. Recently I was watching a debate on beheading of Indian soldiers, a panelist and defence analyst Maroof Raza went overboard and started shouting at a Pakistani guest, thus making mockery of himself. All learned people are invited to a debate and have to behave decently irrespective of the issue. Arnab being a moderator should be neutral and give chance to all and justify his action. Always he is the first person to jump in the ring and pass judgements. All this is showing India in poor light. For a lesson, watch BBC or CNN and take a leaf from them.

 Just Joe King >> The anger comes largely because Indians don't care about pakistan except in a few areas.

The average Indian has no need of the theocratic pakistan in any way. Pakistan has nothing useful to offer to the Average indian. None of the top ten items (by value)imported by India is manufactured/mined in pakistan..

But  a set of elite businessmen based out of North and Western India do need Pakistan. They need the low cost labour of Pakistan and they drool at the market of Pakistan. It is these elite businessmen who are pushing for the Aman-E-Aasha project for they need new markets to peddle their substandard wares, and they know that a virgin market like Pakistan where awareness is less but purchasing power is fairly okay is the place to make monopoly profits out of their substandard wares.

Beware of the Aman-E-Aasha project and similar such projects, they are all done with some profits in mind. And the average Indian has nothing to gain from these projects.

 RAMKI >> Tell me Ms mariana babbar, if you have guts and if you really prove that you care for secularism .

PREDICTABLY , MS MARIANA BABBAR HAS NOT RESPONDED, ONCE AGAIN PROVING THAT THE FEUDAL ELITE PAKISTANIS ARE THE BIGGEST REASON WHY PAKISTAN REMAINS A THEOCRACY AND THESE FEUDAL PROGRESSIVE PAKISTANIS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE ISLAMIC TALIBANI SCHOLARS AND TERRORISTS WHO BOMB SHIAS.

Pakistan cannot be set right unless and untill this feudal corrupt elite is uprooted lock, stock and barrel.

The anger comes largely because Indians don't care about pakistan except in a few areas.
We have several problems & we don't need your problems adding to ours. Deal with your problems and let us deal with ours.
We don't hate or love you

How can India reply in the same kind now that its home minister has virtually given the clean  chit to terroist oufits abt their training camps in PoK, by accusing RSS/BJP of the same, thus undercutting its own army in taking any actions across  the LoC against the Jihadis. What a totally irresponsible and STUPID thing to do.

No wonder people like Dirttricky (Digvijay) singh have come to his defence. If this is some kind of new gimmick  by Congress to kill two birds with one stone with 2014 elections in mind then it can't and doesn't deserve to be the govt of India, no matter how much Don Sonia cries on his prince's shoulders ...

I have often wondered why assorted Pakistanis do show up on Arnab Goswami's shows. I imagine even though they complain, they do get something in return - name/fame and/or moolah or .... Otherwise why would someone subject themselves to this.

Anyways, on the larger point what Pakistan (actually Pakistanis who keep coming on various news shows) keeps missing is that they come across to us "as always being in serious denial" (and if that becomes untenable - passing the buck or looking for equivalent Indian sins). Mistakes can be fixed if first there is acknowledgement then acceptance. None of that seems ever visible.

Waise zayada kuch aman kii asha karni nahin chahiye. There is a time and place for everything and all good things come with time .... I seriously doubt much can be accelerated since India neither has carrots or sticks and Pakistan has no carrots and only one stick (non state actors).

BTW, is Times of India (the newspaper) and Times Now (the TV channel) have a relationship - is Times Now from the Times of India stable. Ek tho Aman ki asha mein laga hua hai aur doosre koo tho aman kii paribhasha hee nahin maloom hai. Or else, is it one of those "good cop - bad cop" routines - either way the cop wins!!!

The problem here is that no one knows whom to deal with and whom to blame in Pakistan. Everyone there is a king in his own sphere. Only one agenda glues them- hurting India. The Jihadis have their own agenda and motivation for destruction of India. So has Pakistani Army. So has the ISI. So have the non resident Pakistani politicians. Al Qaida also has. Also China and also may be also US/Bangladesh/Somalia. Also the geeky hackers of Pakistan and also the hawky diplomats.

The cricketers and English speaking pakistani journalists who grace the Indian TV debates hardly have any power there. I have sometimes felt pity for the hapless Pakistani Journos who are bombarded with allegations and insults by the Indian hawks. The inherent jingoism just makes me laugh at their misery.

India should follow the US policy of engaging Pakistan- Give aid to one king, Bomb another king, Give asylum to one more king, assassinate another king, Talk to one king and Trade with another king. Its so foolish of Indian media and govt to consider Pak as one unified entity and fill up the airspace with needless cacophony and empty patriotism.

 PAKISTAN IS A THEOCRACY while INDIA Is a SECULAR NATION..

When was last time you heard the voices of Hindoos (and Sikhs) in Pakistan TV, talking about the need for Pakistani army to stop war mongering and stop aiding bombing and terrorising Secular India?

Tell me Ms mariana babbar, if you have guts and if you really prove that you care for secularism .

 Soumya Saxena >> They are way to judgmental and decide everything for people.

Are you speaking about yourself?

pakis are barbarians. Screw them,

Did india ask pakistan to allow indian channels to telecast live from pakistan? its pakistan's unilateral decision. We dont need pakistani media nor do we need interactions with pakistan.

If there is a interaction, then why cant pakistani's answer the question about beheading and missing head? this article completely sidesteps the matter of the beheading and missing head of the indian soldier.

What it effectively wants to say is, regardless of what pakistan does, indian media should not question the pakistani's. The most simple solution is for pakistanis to stay away from appearance on indian media. The problem will be solved for pakistani's.

India doesnt need pakistan and pakistan doesnt need india. If pakistan behaves all the better. else lets forget it.

All this bluster about pakistan having moved on and india not having moved on is funny. Given a chance pakistani media like to pounce on indians. In a episode on pakistani tv, on role of indian and pakistani media, there were both indian and pakistani journalists.

The pakistanis first gave themselves a certificate that they do not follow the government's line and have infact gone a bit too far in condemning the govt and said how come indian media is not so? why doesnt indian media report on kashmir?

They wanted indian media to report on kashmir as per pakistan's preferences. When will pakistanis learn that no one india even bothers to spit on the muslim rule over india or its shining stars like babur or aurangazeb? when will they learn that indian's have a mind of their own. when will they learn that muslim rule over india will never return, they cannot dictate to us to behave as per their wishes.

The so called independant pakistani media men, never asked what was david headley doing in pakistan, what was abu jundal indian muslim director of mumbai attacks doing in pakistan and how did he end up in saudi arabia with a pakistani passport?

 Arnab goswami and most media is actually in a producer-consumer relation with its , well, "consumers" . Reporting on the delhi rape , for example , was heavily one sided , and any opinion contrary to the host was deemed "patriarchial" , "archiac" etc etc ... Beauty queens , who themselves objectify women in the first place and will emege as one of the greatest obstacle to women empowerment soon , are called to give feminist opinions on how mini-skirts are great (it is sad and funny at the same time , like catch-22 , but nowhere as brilliant) ... Only the media channel and its consumers have freedom of speech , no one else ... The case is the same with war-mongering . Heavy bias , no moderation , relentless opinions ... I am a darn patriot , am I going to believe a lie for being one ?? 

This phenomenon is described , i believe , as "hyper-reality" , well explained as "the authentic fake" . The media creates a whole environment and places various actors as it wishes and labels opinions as it suits them . Love beauty queens , love fashion , love malls , love war , hate police , hate politicians , hate any contrary opinion , hate any tradition whatever it might mean , so and so on ...

The neo-middle class (that class includes me, though i may not be so neo) wants to go to malls , then to protest against the police (yell dilli police haye haye maybe) and then wants a war so they can live in a delusion of being reasonably rich and powerful . Rang de basanti patriotism rules the roost , which means that it is an Impulse and not Dedication to the nation . If the famers protest , however ,they want the delhi police to beat them with sticks . The farmers are fair game , the "urbanites" are not .  

Sigh ... I love this nation . Gonna go to facebook and like the "Burn Pakistan" page now to prove my point . 

 Lot of baseless statements in the column. Yes Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism and has completed a genocide agaibst Hindus who are constitutionally reduced to 3rd class citizens and their population decimated.

Thats the 100% truth.

 what an excellent article. It is true Indian media is going voer the board to satisfy what majority wants to hear. They are way to judgmental and decide everything for people. 

 what an excellent article. It is true Indian media is going voer the board to satisfy what majority wants to hear. They are way to judgmental and decide everything for people. 

 Lot of baseless statements in the column. Yes Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism and has completed a genocide agaibst Hindus who are constitutionally reduced to 3rd class citizens and their population decimated.

Thats the 100% truth.

 Arnab goswami and most media is actually in a producer-consumer relation with its , well, "consumers" . Reporting on the delhi rape , for example , was heavily one sided , and any opinion contrary to the host was deemed "patriarchial" , "archiac" etc etc ... Beauty queens , who themselves objectify women in the first place and will emege as one of the greatest obstacle to women empowerment soon , are called to give feminist opinions on how mini-skirts are great (it is sad and funny at the same time , like catch-22 , but nowhere as brilliant) ... Only the media channel and its consumers have freedom of speech , no one else ... The case is the same with war-mongering . Heavy bias , no moderation , relentless opinions ... I am a darn patriot , am I going to believe a lie for being one ?? 

This phenomenon is described , i believe , as "hyper-reality" , well explained as "the authentic fake" . The media creates a whole environment and places various actors as it wishes and labels opinions as it suits them . Love beauty queens , love fashion , love malls , love war , hate police , hate politicians , hate any contrary opinion , hate any tradition whatever it might mean , so and so on ...

The neo-middle class (that class includes me, though i may not be so neo) wants to go to malls , then to protest against the police (yell dilli police haye haye maybe) and then wants a war so they can live in a delusion of being reasonably rich and powerful . Rang de basanti patriotism rules the roost , which means that it is an Impulse and not Dedication to the nation . If the famers protest , however ,they want the delhi police to beat them with sticks . The farmers are fair game , the "urbanites" are not .  

Sigh ... I love this nation . Gonna go to facebook and like the "Burn Pakistan" page now to prove my point . 

Did india ask pakistan to allow indian channels to telecast live from pakistan? its pakistan's unilateral decision. We dont need pakistani media nor do we need interactions with pakistan.

If there is a interaction, then why cant pakistani's answer the question about beheading and missing head? this article completely sidesteps the matter of the beheading and missing head of the indian soldier.

What it effectively wants to say is, regardless of what pakistan does, indian media should not question the pakistani's. The most simple solution is for pakistanis to stay away from appearance on indian media. The problem will be solved for pakistani's.

India doesnt need pakistan and pakistan doesnt need india. If pakistan behaves all the better. else lets forget it.

All this bluster about pakistan having moved on and india not having moved on is funny. Given a chance pakistani media like to pounce on indians. In a episode on pakistani tv, on role of indian and pakistani media, there were both indian and pakistani journalists.

The pakistanis first gave themselves a certificate that they do not follow the government's line and have infact gone a bit too far in condemning the govt and said how come indian media is not so? why doesnt indian media report on kashmir?

They wanted indian media to report on kashmir as per pakistan's preferences. When will pakistanis learn that no one india even bothers to spit on the muslim rule over india or its shining stars like babur or aurangazeb? when will they learn that indian's have a mind of their own. when will they learn that muslim rule over india will never return, they cannot dictate to us to behave as per their wishes.

The so called independant pakistani media men, never asked what was david headley doing in pakistan, what was abu jundal indian muslim director of mumbai attacks doing in pakistan and how did he end up in saudi arabia with a pakistani passport?

pakis are barbarians. Screw them,

 Soumya Saxena >> They are way to judgmental and decide everything for people.

Are you speaking about yourself?

 PAKISTAN IS A THEOCRACY while INDIA Is a SECULAR NATION..

When was last time you heard the voices of Hindoos (and Sikhs) in Pakistan TV, talking about the need for Pakistani army to stop war mongering and stop aiding bombing and terrorising Secular India?

Tell me Ms mariana babbar, if you have guts and if you really prove that you care for secularism .

The problem here is that no one knows whom to deal with and whom to blame in Pakistan. Everyone there is a king in his own sphere. Only one agenda glues them- hurting India. The Jihadis have their own agenda and motivation for destruction of India. So has Pakistani Army. So has the ISI. So have the non resident Pakistani politicians. Al Qaida also has. Also China and also may be also US/Bangladesh/Somalia. Also the geeky hackers of Pakistan and also the hawky diplomats.

The cricketers and English speaking pakistani journalists who grace the Indian TV debates hardly have any power there. I have sometimes felt pity for the hapless Pakistani Journos who are bombarded with allegations and insults by the Indian hawks. The inherent jingoism just makes me laugh at their misery.

India should follow the US policy of engaging Pakistan- Give aid to one king, Bomb another king, Give asylum to one more king, assassinate another king, Talk to one king and Trade with another king. Its so foolish of Indian media and govt to consider Pak as one unified entity and fill up the airspace with needless cacophony and empty patriotism.

I have often wondered why assorted Pakistanis do show up on Arnab Goswami's shows. I imagine even though they complain, they do get something in return - name/fame and/or moolah or .... Otherwise why would someone subject themselves to this.

Anyways, on the larger point what Pakistan (actually Pakistanis who keep coming on various news shows) keeps missing is that they come across to us "as always being in serious denial" (and if that becomes untenable - passing the buck or looking for equivalent Indian sins). Mistakes can be fixed if first there is acknowledgement then acceptance. None of that seems ever visible.

Waise zayada kuch aman kii asha karni nahin chahiye. There is a time and place for everything and all good things come with time .... I seriously doubt much can be accelerated since India neither has carrots or sticks and Pakistan has no carrots and only one stick (non state actors).

BTW, is Times of India (the newspaper) and Times Now (the TV channel) have a relationship - is Times Now from the Times of India stable. Ek tho Aman ki asha mein laga hua hai aur doosre koo tho aman kii paribhasha hee nahin maloom hai. Or else, is it one of those "good cop - bad cop" routines - either way the cop wins!!!

How can India reply in the same kind now that its home minister has virtually given the clean  chit to terroist oufits abt their training camps in PoK, by accusing RSS/BJP of the same, thus undercutting its own army in taking any actions across  the LoC against the Jihadis. What a totally irresponsible and STUPID thing to do.

No wonder people like Dirttricky (Digvijay) singh have come to his defence. If this is some kind of new gimmick  by Congress to kill two birds with one stone with 2014 elections in mind then it can't and doesn't deserve to be the govt of India, no matter how much Don Sonia cries on his prince's shoulders ...

The anger comes largely because Indians don't care about pakistan except in a few areas.
We have several problems & we don't need your problems adding to ours. Deal with your problems and let us deal with ours.
We don't hate or love you

 RAMKI >> Tell me Ms mariana babbar, if you have guts and if you really prove that you care for secularism .

PREDICTABLY , MS MARIANA BABBAR HAS NOT RESPONDED, ONCE AGAIN PROVING THAT THE FEUDAL ELITE PAKISTANIS ARE THE BIGGEST REASON WHY PAKISTAN REMAINS A THEOCRACY AND THESE FEUDAL PROGRESSIVE PAKISTANIS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE ISLAMIC TALIBANI SCHOLARS AND TERRORISTS WHO BOMB SHIAS.

Pakistan cannot be set right unless and untill this feudal corrupt elite is uprooted lock, stock and barrel.

 Just Joe King >> The anger comes largely because Indians don't care about pakistan except in a few areas.

The average Indian has no need of the theocratic pakistan in any way. Pakistan has nothing useful to offer to the Average indian. None of the top ten items (by value)imported by India is manufactured/mined in pakistan..

But  a set of elite businessmen based out of North and Western India do need Pakistan. They need the low cost labour of Pakistan and they drool at the market of Pakistan. It is these elite businessmen who are pushing for the Aman-E-Aasha project for they need new markets to peddle their substandard wares, and they know that a virgin market like Pakistan where awareness is less but purchasing power is fairly okay is the place to make monopoly profits out of their substandard wares.

Beware of the Aman-E-Aasha project and similar such projects, they are all done with some profits in mind. And the average Indian has nothing to gain from these projects.

I am a regular watcher of Times Now. The way Arnab Goswami treats his guest looks pity, specially the experts from Pakistan. Recently I was watching a debate on beheading of Indian soldiers, a panelist and defence analyst Maroof Raza went overboard and started shouting at a Pakistani guest, thus making mockery of himself. All learned people are invited to a debate and have to behave decently irrespective of the issue. Arnab being a moderator should be neutral and give chance to all and justify his action. Always he is the first person to jump in the ring and pass judgements. All this is showing India in poor light. For a lesson, watch BBC or CNN and take a leaf from them.

Razzak (Hyderabad) ...

Given your views on Arnab Goswami, which I agree and more, why do you watch it regularly. Wondering what is the redeeming value that may be I miss because I watch it for a bit while flipping channels - I can't stay with it - which is the only way I watch any of the 24x7 new channels.

You say .... " For a lesson, watch BBC or CNN and take a leaf from them."

BBC I agree. CNN of course has matured or mellowed - at least their international service we get to see (not sure of their US service). I see Indian news channel at the level of evolution which CNN was during the 1st gulf war with Wolf Blitzer, blitzing away to make a name for himself and CNN. Unfortunately, for our TV folks the role model appears to be American TV - more Fox and a bit CNN and not BBC. IMHO, 24x7 NDTV is slightly ahead of the pack in maturity but the newer kids on the block - Time Now, Headline Today, CNN-IBN are a bit too much. The Hindi channels of course are a breed apart (may be true for other regional ones too) - I can't even take them seriously - I find them surreal and humorous.

How I miss NPR on radio and PBS on TV. The concept of public funded rather than state funded or corporate/advertisement funded radio and TV is great ..... hope we also can this someday.

Arun,

>> "How I miss NPR on radio and PBS on TV."

Still the best sources of news and analysis.

 None of them can match Arnab though NDTV, CNN-IBN all started this exercise when BJP was ruling the country, now finding itself at the receiving end when no one is watching other than TimesNow because this is the ONLY channel in the english side showing some consistency in neutrality, rest all like Congress puppies including Outlook.

Indian TV represents the view of average  indians when it comes to Pakistan,they don't sell their soul to cold diplomats and some spin doctors!  I think they do much better job than the govt of the day...

Arnab Goswami's programme, the Newshour, is excellent. Arnab has a lot of spirit, sincerity, passion and earnestness all at once. The other comparable shows, on CNN-IBN et al, are okay, but they go overboard trying to be 'objective' or 'secular', when such an approach is not called for.  The Newshour is more direct and forceful, and thank goodness for that. We don't want everyone to be exactly like Sagarika Ghose and Rajdeep Sardesai. There's room for variety and divergence, and Arnab Goswami certainly provides that.

  Madukar is right, programmes like these reflect the public mood far more than most other programmes. After all Pakistan has done, including hosting Osama Bin Laden and Dawood Ibrahim, it doesn't deserve objectivity and politeness.