The killer nature of the ’so called’ breaking news

Chandran Iyer speaks to some top journos to get their views on the stress factor that prevails amongst TV journalists while covering breaking news

The killer nature of the 'so called' breaking news

Chandran Iyer speaks to some top journos to get their views on the stress factor that prevails amongst TV journalists while covering breaking news

Top news: Chapalgaonkar met with an accident while he was on his way to cover a gathering addressed by NCP chief Sharad Pawar

The frenzy to be the first to break the news, competition to get the best possible visuals and the pressure to increase Television Rating Points (TRP) has a shattering effect on the psyche of a journalist.

Sanjay Bragta, the head of TV channel Samay, candidly admitted that at times stress and work pressure forces journalists to overstep the line of caution. He said, "A classic case of journalists going overboard was the coverage of the 26/11 terror attacks on Mumbai.

The way journalists had covered 'Operation Taj' speaks volumes about it." Bragta added that it's not just the media that is to be blamed, but also the authorities that had asked the journalists to lie down and cover the event. "Just imagine what would have happened if the terrorists had fired in the direction of the journalists?" he questioned.

Likewise, Sameeran Walvekar, director of Educational Multimedia Research Centre, said, "Television is one of the most stressful media to work with. There exists a great disconnect between the expectation of the bosses and the journalists who are actually on field."

Walvekar, who has worked with Doordarshan and NDTV, added that the only way out of this rat race is that the reporters should have the guts to say no when their bosses expect them to do something, which is really impossible.

Meanwhile, Arup Ghosh who heads INX channel, said, "The electronic media is definitely demanding and there is nothing one can do about it. But media houses should create an atmosphere where employees can unwind by indulging in sports or other activities.

However, Vinay Tewari, executive editor of CNN-IBN, said, "I completely disagree that broadcast journalists are overworked and over stressed. What happened with the Star Majha reporter was primarily due to non-adherence of safety standards and not stress."

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