ABOUT 500 WORDS
My parents’ generation believed in the sanctity of the printed word. If they heard something new, they checked with the newspapers. Television news didn’t carry the same authority. Often Doordarshan news had to be double-checked with the newspapers.
When private channels arrived, we had to work out the percentage of exaggeration or understatement to arrive at the truth. That skill came with experience and the knowledge of who was pumping in the money. Television did stories that made governments uncomfortable – remember those days? – and some channels protected their most cherished asset: credibility.
