What's new?

 

Nothing new. 

 Newspapers- A culture in India. My story with newspapers started as soon as I was born. The sight of the piling up of these fact-filled pages was a common one. The raddiwala would weigh that junk with an odd apparatus and take it away. A fresh one would arrive every morning. Until one fine day, when it became a memory. The phenomenon of digitization occurred.

Newspapers became available on apps. Suddenly, there wasn’t any time to read the newspapers and phones were the destination to everything.

Years later, my interaction with newspapers took place. I love reading, so I would read it as as mall book. This was at the daycare I stayed at after school when I was twelve. ( Tell me about over-protective parents! )

Fast forward to 9th grade, on the recommendation of my English Teacher, we decided to get back to newspapers. I rediscovered the world. After a few months of reading it, I have fallen in love with the editorial page. I specifically love the bottom-left corners that contain the writings of Jug Suraiya and Bachi Karkaria. Why them? They are the writers that my mum used to read as a youngster. Their experience and writing style always leaves me in awe. The Sunday Times comes with something special every time. It’s like you know what comes on what days, but there is always a little mystery. Reading the Education Times on Saturday has become a responsibility. Newspapers became best friends, but news hasn't.

In the fast world we’re living, we need news at our fingertips. “As soon as schools start in Kuala Lumpur, please let us know. Since we will take immediate action and book a flight right away.”

The celebrity’s wife’s dress and the cost of her necklace as apparently become breaking news. Every moment has become news worthy. At the end of the day, we have to decide what matters.

The news channels, in my opinion, have slightly improved. I no longer hear people shouting from little boxes on the TV screen. But news has become very irrelevant. Being apolitical is the new trend, and rightly so. If this "tamasha" (Hindi- Drama, Havoc) doesn't put when in a miserable state, then they must have a heart of stone. 

The problems in the country, the government's performance and the political drama drives me crazy. Were newspapers meant to be like this. Last time I checked they were supposed to be a new ray of hope. 

The only thing that keep me away from the newspaper is news. Even the most wonderful achievements are subdued by the unending misery. 

I wonder, does it even matter? I don't even know what these people do in the parliament. Is their effort not glorified enough, or is there no work at all. Running a country isn't easy, but not impossible. You can't really make excuses when you're one of the top ten economies in the world.

Forget governments, people have lost common sense. Fights over religions, disparity and discrimination. Can one not realise that all are humans, friends ? It may be difficult to practice, but it's certainly not difficult to realise the consequences of discrimination.   ​

How can news be better? News floating around is drowning us. Unfortunately, we're sinking and not quite swimming through.When each one of us decide what matters. Will India remain the king of history, or take an oath to bring back it's prestige. Is the funny polititian worth my attention, or is the soldier on the border deserving of honour? People have always united in times of need. People truly have the power. We must utilise this power towards the right cause to build a better society and ofcourse, better newspapers.