Donald Trump not only owned the headlines, he inspired them, too: ‘Donald Ducks Bullet’ wrote Free Press Journal, it was ‘Donald Trumps Death’ in The Times of India. Later, TOI gleefully, claimed that this headline reached over 60 million worldwide in “less than a day”.
As could be expected, Trump took over television news: Indian TV news channels gave the attack on him and the subsequent Republican National Convention prime position Sunday night, all of Monday and for the better part of Tuesday. Why, we haven’t seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on the news since Sunday night.
What none of us expected, however, was that he’d also instil the profound fear of a global plot to eradicate Right-wing leaders, in leading news anchors and news debates, besides the BJP.
But first, spare a thought for the five security men killed by terrorists, Monday evening, in Doda, Jammu—raising the total number of dead personnel to 10 in the last week.
They evoked passing interest on TV news during the daytime. At prime time, channels such as Republic TV, Times Now and India Today did discuss the attacks but why is it that IAS probationer `Power drunk’ Puja Khedkar (Times Now)—and her family — have dominated the news for more than a week, while the rise in terror attacks in Jammu gets short shrift?
The Doda attack was the lead on the front pages of most English newspapers Wednesday, but television news has been very busy elsewhere: Continuous coverage of the clothes worn at the Ambani wedding, the ASI survey findings on a temple at Bhojshala, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s temerity in calling actor Dilip Dosanjh a man from ‘Punjab’ (why didn’t he just say Dosanjh was Indian?), Muharram processions in different parts of the country, another—and how much weight did Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal actually lose in jail.
A plot against the Right
Coverage of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was routine on Sunday and Monday with TV news channels sourcing whatever they could from the foreign media—and journalists in the US—eyewitnesses and former US security officers.
The first hint of a ‘war’ in India (CNN News 18) over the Trump attack, came in a tweet from BJP’s information chief Amit Malviya on 14 July about “demonising” narratives of the Democratic Party and the Congress. On TV, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Right-wing leaders were being targeted (Times Now).
The motive for the attack on Trump is still being investigated by the FBI and as of Wednesday, no reason has been discovered. However, that hasn’t stopped BJP or the news channels. They have merrily jumped into the ring with their version of events—and found a direct link between the Trump episode and threats to the life of PM Modi due to rhetoric by Congress and the Opposition.
What’s interesting and common to all this is that Congress was in the dock—there was no talk of BJP saying or doing anything wrong. President Joe Biden’s comment about putting Trump in the “bull’s eye” was cited by TV anchors but there were no mentions of similar quotes from Trump.
Taking a cue from the BJP, Times Now spoke of Congress leaders’ “incitement” of violence against the PM. Excerpts from speeches by Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi were dredged up.
Also read: Pakistani journalist hints India’s role in Trump shooting. Redirected to FBI, Secret Service
On Monday evening, several channels debated the perceived threat to Modi. CNN News 18 went with ‘Trump Survives, War in India’ and wondered if “political vitriol” was leading to such attempts.
The anchor suggested the Congress’s attacks on Modi were an incitement to violence—and, once again, sound bytes of Congresswalas were broadcast. She then went on to draw a parallel between statements made by President Joe Biden on Trump and the ‘Maga Republicans’ and Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Modi. She said that what’s most “irking” about the “Left-Liberal narrative nonsense” is their sense of “virtue”.
On News 18 India, anchor Amish Devgan allowed BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla, to speak at length about the Congress and ‘Left-liberal’ effort to “delegitimise” the government—he was also allowed to play out Congress sound bytes on his tablet. Arnab Goswami at Republic TV condemned “toxic” liberals and went on at length about how “dangerous” they were.
At Times Now, anchor Navika Kumar spoke of a possible “global…vicious plot to selectively target” Right-wing leaders. She wondered if political rhetoric could be “endangering the life of Narendra Modi…”.
Come to anchor Rahul Kanwal, who said on his show `Newstrack’ (India Today) that there were “lessons” for India in the attempt on Trump. Malviya was then allowed to talk about the “danger” posed by the Congress, which, he said, was a “prop” for foreign powers that wanted to interfere in India. He went on to claim that Congress leaders were “assassinated for political decisions they took…”
Rahul Kanwal did not stop this diatribe; instead, he tweeted Malviya’s comment.
The irony of these debates and all the finger-pointing is that TV news has offered a platform for vicious political rhetoric; it encourages it in binary debates where politicians and experts are pitted against each other. Everything on TV news is a bout to generate and promote conflict as a means to entertain the audience. Perhaps it ought to lower its own pitch.
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)