Recently i had been to a by invitation only event of the IndiCorps Fellowship, a group of young Diaspora Indians working in deprived communities by connecting with them by living in the community and trying to help the community by addressing a central question, whether it is gender equality or sanitation or micro-entrepreneurship in Hyderbad or Girls Education next door to the India Pak Border, these are a bunch of inspiring folks. One of them Neal Somchand who spoke about Palliative care raised this game changing question- What is the North Star in your life? 

This question really spoke to me within. The right questions lead us to the correct answers. What is that we wish to achieve in our lives- power, money, fame or bringing a smile on the less fortunate. 

We cannot have everything. Its either my way or the highway.

I have been an avid news industry watcher since i am six or seven years old and i a’nt kiddin folks.  My childhood idols were Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Sardesai, and i had a crush on Mishal Hussein ; the newscaster on BBC World. I breathe and live news. Over some time now, the fine line between reality tv and genuine news is blurred in the mad rush over trps and in turn ad placements. Sometimes it is very difficult to believe any story on the media. NDTV seems to having a clear Congress orientation while Zee like the Express group has a rightest BJP esque inclination.  The Guhawati incident has left me shell shocked in the understanding to what extent channels can stoop for trp’s like the regional tv reporter did.

It is so important for the viewer to analyse the news for oneself. Be disenchanted and critical.  Arnab of Times Now follows a Fox News type editorial policy, which neither ‘Clear’ nor ‘Balanced’ as the Fox News USA motto goes. Arnab is a Sociologist influenced by the Foucault school, which is post structuralist. He seems to shout down participants instead of engaging them in a discussion.

Alternative media platforms are emerging which are too niche for my liking. I admire Caravan, Open Magazine and Tehelka but they are too elitist in my opinion.  Al Jazeera is cool, but how many Indians watch it?

Its about time that we have our own Al Jazeera