Chances are you may die dozens of deaths at the hands of ever alert 'Breaking News' channels — yes, sure 24x7 — if you are a VIP or VVIP hours or days before doctors certify your death. Former President of India KR Narayanan was not treated any differently by the over-enthusiastic media, which killed him in broad daylight on November 9, 2005 on bulletin after bulletin, scroll after scroll, when he was still battling for his life at the Military Hospital in New Delhi.
Asianet Channel, the most popular of channels in Kerala and the Middle East, followed by People Channel, promoted by Kairali ,the official channel of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 'regretfully broke the news' by 1.45 pm that Narayanan is dead. What followed was a package on Narayanan, condolence messages from political heavyweights like former chief minister K Karaunakaran, PC Alexandar, who served secretary to Indira Gandhi and retired as a governor, KM Mani, finance minister of Kerala, who was in New Delhi. Amrita Channel, the new entrant in the channel rat race, meanwhile scrolled the 'sad' news. Indiavision, the 24 hour news channel was marked out by its devastating coverage of Narayanan's 'death'.
AK Antony, former chief minister of Kerala and now member of parliament, was quick to cut short his condolence given to a channel halfway through having tipped off by his wife in time who chanced to view a national channel denying the news. Other Malayalam channels were scurrying one after copycatting �breaking news’ and gushing his thrilling profile and eulogising his services to the nation. Political and social leaders were waylaid to elicit condolences by scrambling channels to score extra points.
State over siren were sounded by local bodies, who based their information on channels, announcing the 'sad demise' of Narayanan, who belonged to Kerala and rose to hold the highest office in the country. Black flags were seen all over the state, on buildings and on vehicles.
Meanwhile the 'ever alert' newspapers had already had the 'breaking news' on their websites. Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Deepika and a host of newspapers had the news screaming on their websites by the time the Congress Party, which heads UPA government in New Delhi, lowered the National Flag at half mast and hoisted a black flag at their party regional headquarters in state capital, Thiruvananthapuram and all the state sponsored functions throughout the state came to a halt. The entire state and whole of India wore a sad look bereaving the 'death' of a Dalit leader who rose to become Head of State from humble, impoverished beginnings. He was a man of the masses, who had inherited the intellectual traditions of the London School of Economics, where he went to.
It is believed that the news of this 'death' was leaked by some unspecified sources at the Army Headquarters to a couple of channels in New Delhi. Soon other channels got the wind of it and the entire newscape was afire with the 'sad news'. Some of the most enthusiastic went overboard to bring out a full package of Narayanan with visuals of his ancestral home and siblings wailing uncontrollably. All over his home-state, condolence meetings were hastily called or were already on. His village inconsolable.
The chief minister of Kerala, Ommen Chandy, who boarded a Riyadh flight at Thiruvananthapuram to attend a function at northern Kerala, asked the pilot to delay the takeoff on being alerted by party followers to finally deplane in a huff from the aircraft, and sped to the state secretariat.
By the time denial of the news was released officially by Government of India, channels were seen cascading with apologies and explanations by 2.00 pm to paper over their overkill as if it was not of their own making. Newspaper websites also went into immediate action to correct the gaffe. But the harm had already been done. 'Breaking the news' broke many hearts of relatives, friends and his wellishers of Narayanan.
It all started with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was about to catch a flight, rushing back to the Military Hospital, where the sudden low blood pressure of Narayanan who was under treatment this past two seeks for serious cardiac ailments, gave way to anxiety among all in the capital. Some mediapersons accompanying the Prime Minister alerted other fellow journalists and the news spread wildly that the former President had passed away. All channels and websites picked up the thread to serve 'breaking news' with unbound enthusiasm. Of course, not caring a fig to recheck the 'death' of the dignitary.
Star News, Headlines Today, Aj Tak, ZTV and a host of National and almost all of Kerala Channels were hurrying up to dish out full package alongside the 'Breaking News'. Maybe unwittingly, BBC and CNBC too aired it live. But the-always-first NDTV 24x7 showed prudence and was discreet enough to hold it back till confirmation came up.
It was at about 2.00 pm that the official release went on air scotching the rumour voluminously spread by the media. All India Radio and Doordarshan, both State-run, were, however, waiting for confirmation of the news, as usual, before flashing. They, thus, came out unbruised.
Narayanan’s death was confirmed only at 5.45 pm, nearly five hours after the media killed him repeatedly. Crestfallen, the channels had little else to do at that point of time but to profusely apologise and by that time the damage had already been done.
The media, it seems, is taking a cue from politicians who have gone on record bungling deaths before. The death of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, was announced by the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in Parliament, which promptly condoled his death. Later, it turned out that he was still in hospital being treated for his kidney ailments. Former President Shankar Dayal Sharma was also pronounced dead when he was still in his sickbed. Now it is the turn of the media to create its own killing field to become the butt of ridicule and criticism.
As if to make amends, almost all newspapers and channels, those in Kerala in particular, tried to make amends with their coverage subsequently.
But then, "who's next" is now the buzzword among readers/viewers given the rat race of the 'Breaking News' mongers, whose tribe is swelling by the day with nearly half a dozen channels waiting on the wings in Kerala alone. These include MM TV, sponsored by Malayala Manorama, which is expected to be on air in three months.
