(Image source from: The ugly claws of yellow journalism)
We are living in a time and age that is addicted to "sensational" news and information. The hunger for such information is driving not just the newspapers, but also many web portals to dangerous lengths.
There have been ample instances when the press, TV channels and portals, in pursuit of scandalous stories, have infringed into others' lives and disclosed their private details to the world at large. Not just that, they even have gone to the extent of fabricating instances, just to create overtly sensationalistic stories just for few extra TRPs and better rankings.
What's more shocking is that “yellow journalism” that was hitherto limited only to press and media, has spread its wings to the world of web portals too. Fake portals without any address or contact page are aggressively reporting trivial stories like sex scandals involving small-time artistes, without even verifying the authenticity of information. Not just that. These so called web news portals, without little thought or consideration, are cut-copy-pasting stories and images from other unverified sources, thereby severely tarnishing the reputation of the subjects they are writing about.
What's worse is that TV channels operating their own web portals are playing the double game of publishing demeaning articles on their web portals and condemning the same on the television news channels.
Now the big question is when will the press and media learn to behave responsibly? When will they stop targeting the lives of innocent people just to gain extra mileage out of it?
In a recent incident, an innocent small-time actress was caught in the web-scandal, as many portals irresponsibly splashed her pictures on their sites in connection with a sex story, instead of another girl with same name. This classic act of yellow journalism not only caused the actress (unnamed) grave mental agony, but also jeopardized her peaceful married-life.
Blame it on the the growing abundance of digital cameras, “the ease at which images and videos are uploaded and distributed over the Internet, and the mass audiences such images and video uploads can reach, personal privacy is under assault as never before in the history of humanity. The problem of intrusive photography once was a problem relatively unique to famous persons. Now, in the Internet Age, it can affect anyone who is unfortunate enough to be the subject of a photograph that is posted on a hobbyist’s blog,” a paparazzi blog states.
With this, let's vow to end Yellow journalism, or the yellow press, for good. This type of journalism presents little or no legitimate well-researched news but bets on eye-catching headlines to sell more news, which is wrong.
Condemning such practices might help web portals to become more responsible. As one of the Cyber
Crime officer said " Feel how painful if some one write this kind of article on your sister/mother how do you feel?"
Cyber Crime Police are giving their arm and leg to bring an end to this Yellow Journalism by aggressively tracking the malpractice by hunting down the portals, doling out timely notices and bringing those irresponsible writers and reporters to task. So beware!
AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury
