As difficult as it would seem, the world media houses have been facing unnecessary and undue gag order tactics from the powers that be. Such trends have been more so especially against the backdrop of the evolving electronic communication era. The latest war of attrition between the British administration and China over their respective telecast licence issues is so sad and yet could have been avoided. Caught in the middle of the ongoing fight, the BBC World News Channel has been banned from the fulsome airwaves in China. Although there have been differences of opinion between them, both China and BBC should try to understand their respective points of view without fear or favour, meaning an impartial probe into the whole controversy over certain BBC reports. At the world stage, the media outlets have been the pillars of strength, having been fighting for the good causes and justice in society even before most countries had attained their Independence status. Thus, the footprints left behind by the media have always been memorable in terms of their coverage of the past historic and beautiful events. Having been a voracious media backer, I have been maintaining and keeping oodles and oodles of books, newspapers and magazines as memorable pieces – all those Tamil and English newspapers and magazines have been purchased in my native areas like Tiruchendur, Korkai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Marthandam and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and also from my workstations like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thane, Coimbatore and Mumbai. True to form, I have been only waiting to do so more in the days to come through the support of my family and peers. That apart, the big Internet players like Google and computer giants such as Microsoft should come to the rescue and aid of the media houses in need through some quick propaganda and other technological advances available out there on the Internet. Besides this, such players as Google must come forward to think of innovative strategies in support of the print and TV media by means of more epaper options and “Live TV Apps” facilities.
P Senthil Saravana Durai
Mumbai
