To begin with, I'd just like to tell everyone that as far as I know, no one coming to FLAME from Hyderabad is injured. We're all okay, perhaps a little shaken, but okay nonetheless.
Now, here's what really annoys me about this whole affair. The very object of terrorism, of any kind, is to incite fear. We didn't have Mass Media and Mass Communications in the days yore. Coincidentally, we never had terrorism then either. A person was taken and made an example of, yes, but acts of massive violence intended only to strike fear, never occurred. Every time anyone questioned the way things were done, someone was made into an object of fear, and that was the end of it. I think some of you have heard of a guy by the name of Jesus.
Today, it doesn't make a difference where a terrorist commits his/her act of terror. Between the Media hyping it up, the very atmosphere of fear we live in, and the politicians who turn death into victory, it gets out. In my very honest opinion, it's not the guy that blows up the bomb, drives a plane into a building, or poisons people that's the terrorist. Sure, he's a murderer, but he isn't the instrument of terror. That is more accomplished by the Media. In a frenzy for viewers, these hungry jackals get everyone from useless experts to old stories and spread panic.
A few months ago, we had a blast in the very center of Hyderabad. It was at a very old and valuable mosque. Did any of you outside Hyderabad even hear about it? Was the terror alert at Bombay pushed up? No, because everyone was afraid of riots breaking out. As soon as the Media was shut up, so did everything else. People went back to their lives within a few days. Nothing was closed, there were no ridiculous college students outside protesting. Everything was normal. You see where this is going?
I think all of us at FLAME, especially those in the School of Communication, should take this into account. You guys will be the ones involved in the business in a few years from now, and who knows, with a little luck and some effort you might be leading it. Do you guys really want to be the ones that enable murderers to make the transition to Terrorists? Do you guys want to be the ones that peddle panic and fear? I think those are questions that all of us should consider, all around the nation.
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9 comments:
You actually think terrorists are responsible?
Does it really matter who is responsible? The fact is that people are dead, people who had nothing to with whatever historic struggle or injustice these people are fighting for.
I think that for their sakes alone, this whole thing shouldn't be hyped.
Oh, and Neaa, thanks for the suggestion. I don't actually write justified though, so I didn't want to have that on my posts on the blog. I don't know why I want it that way, but it seems nicer to me.
It 'does' matter.
"No, humanity as a whole is rather disappointing."
How very true.
'Us' creating a 'hype' affects those affected by the blasts? Really?
The point you made about the media giving the terrorists too much attention ("ones that enable murderers to make the transition to Terrorists") is...well..a point.
But thats it.
Interestingly enough, i had this conversation with one of my friends previously when the Mumbai 7/11 blasts happened.
I became exteremly paranoid and was completely devestated.
I did not see anyone personally from the blasts though... i had seen everything on the television and read about it in the papers. I was scared, and not because of the high alerts that were sounded all across bombay, but because of what i read in the papers...
death polls going everywhere, increasing by the hour... missing people reports, mutated bodies and horrifying pictures being shown on tv.. it was horrible!
Agreed it was a huge and horrible incident, but the media could have dealt with the situation in a much more positive and "hope-giving" manner...
Just as we outside hydrabad were not aware of the blast in the mosque, the media can choose to write about and show articles differently.
But here again my friend argues,
"Humans have a natural tendency to read about and gossip about the worst possible things.. what can i say, its human nature..."...
i completely agree with pranav.. the media definitely blows things out of proportion.. something must be done to stop this..
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