ROLE OF CENSOR ON TELEVISION

Our so very venerable ‘Idiot Box’ sometimes turns really idiot! Today the question is not what the television is showing us but what is it that remains pristine and untouched by the tentacles of media. Virtually, nothing.

With the masala on the television increasing day by day, the number of hours spent watching television by children as well as adults is also rising at an alarming rate. The ill-effects of watching TV have been reiterated over and over again but what we are talking about here is the ill-effects of watching ‘uncensored’ TV. Talking from the side of the TV fraternity, it is a business like any other profit making venture. So it would obviously showcase what the audience wishes to see and what fills their pockets. So far so good. But the problem arises when we start talking about something called ‘corporate social responsibility’ that compels these people to think about the society and brings down their profits. So to find a narrow escape, it engages some charity work through reality shows showering undue care and affection (the hidden agenda is TRPs, mind you!) to some talent picked up from slums.

Talking about censorship on television, we need to bring in the point what good has the censorship done to Indian cinema? Are only the people who are 18+ really watching the ‘A’ rated movies? And what is the aim behind setting up the censorship board? And how far has it succeeded in achieving it? The children are clever enough to find ways to see something they are not meant to and to do something they are expected not to do. So instead of shying away from the truth and setting up bodies like censorship boards which in my opinion, only arouse their curiosity even more, the youth today requires proper education about various things that are shown on TV through proper channels like proper sex education in schools.

Yet the role of media in shaping the society cannot be denied. However, as history is evident, it is indeed difficult to come out with a foolproof method of eliminating the worthless stuff from our televisions. So here too, the very old and wise rule applies – caveat emptor. ( By- Kriti Agarwal)