While the entire print and electronic media did a fantastic job of live reporting the terror attack in Mumbai and the heroics of India’s NSG ,MARCO and fire service personnel , I must say , we also witnessed the ugly side of the media vying with each other to boost viewership or TRP of their respective channels . Many a times they were saying like this - this is an exclusive coverage from so and so channel or we are the first to report this to you , or we are showing an exclusive interview of so and so who is coming only in our channel and so on . Showing exclusive coverage or attempting to bring celebrity interview in between the programme appeared to have become a major differentiator for the channels . One particular channel was emphasizing not so much on the event but on the fact that they are the first channel to enter the Taj premises after it was cleaned up by the NSG! This was most disgusting when our jawans were fighting inside and the entire country was watching this in bated breath. The way media was covering the event at Nariman house was shocking. That was endangering their own lives apart from blocking a smooth rescue operation.

All media reported that the big B went to bed on the day of the event with his loaded .32 revolver but there was more to it that the big B wrote on the same night in his blog which for obvious reason no media has reported . I reproduce the same below ( bigb.bigadda.com ).

“…I have been at the receiving end of a million calls and an equal number of sms’s the whole day to come live on TV or on the print media to express my views on the current situation and am being lured by words such as  ’we need you to speak to express solidarity and for the people to maintain their calm’.

This is disgusting !! I will NOT do that. TELL ME AND ORDER ME INSTEAD THAT WE REQUIRE FOR EVERY INDIAN TO GET UP AND WALK INTO THE FACILITIES WHERE THE ACTION IS ON AND I WILL BE THE FIRST TO WALK. But, please do not ask me to come and make sloppy statements that will do nothing more than create viewer interest in said particular channel ! I respect what the media is doing in serving the nation with its continuous information bulletins and I admire the brave and diligent manner in which they have devoted themselves to the cause. But what they expect me do I find against my ethics and want to be excused from it.

And for God’s sake, let us stop reiterating that cliched  ”Sprit of Mumbai” retort. Yes Mumbai is strong and resilient and shall not be cowed down by any such occurrence. But let us not conveniently use it as our cover sheet, pull it over our heads and go off to sleep. Because that is what has been happening every time. Incidents of grave disaster have continued to be camouflaged with ‘oh, this is Mumbai, we have a great spirit, we will spring back’. Fine, we will, of course. But who is assuring us that the disaster will not !!”