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If you think you are the only person who knows more about Ramalinga Raju and Satyam or the feud between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan or the innumerable protests over SEZs or the Gaza strip and Jews, wait! Look to your sides and you will find that the person sitting next to you in the overpacked compartment is reading the same news albeit in a different language. These and lots others are the news that are being packed with sensationalism and presented to us as though those are our survival kit.

Let’s have a quick peek at some of the news that has, off late, dominated the space in all newspapers and prime time news channels.

1.       Topping all are the post effects of the unforgettable attacks on our city. 26/11 as this is now christened has utilized most of the realms after the dreaded day.

GOOD – The media is keeping this issue alive and by which the authorities are tugging on to the accountability through retaliation measures.

BAD – Overdose of reading about the bloodshed is making people nauseated. Well literally!

2.       When Harshad Mehta accepted his marvelous dupe, only a small sliver of our population understood what happened. But do not be surprised if Mr. Ramalinga Raju & Satyam feature in the Kaun Banega Croprepati questions for 1000 rs.

GOOD- The blow up has highlighted the questionable credibility of corporate governance.

BAD – The media needs to protect the Indian success story and blow up of such a magnitude has dented the image of India Inc.

3.       So we all now know how many staff work for Lehmann brothers, where is the headquarters of AIG, who is Mr Alan Greenspan or to touch the basic, what SENSEX is and how it is indicative of the macro economy. Recession related articles were found in abundance throughout 2008 until it was succeeded by 26/11.

GOOD – The world was educated of the complex financial world that is the primary factor for any country’s survival.

BAD – The panic caused by everyday news caused the common man to dump his stocks in the market for lower prices and thus the saga of BSE SENSEX came into effect.

4.       Media turned into sleuths and deftly investigated the gruesome murder of an executive by a small time actress and her obsessive boyfriend. To add to it’s Sherlock Holmes like credibility, the media created a family sorrow – wherein a teenage girl was murdered – into a soap opera.

GOOD – Nothing good about it.

BAD – Everything about it.

5.       And thus the world witnessed an overwhelming change when an afro-american assumed the role of the most powerful man on earth. The swear in of Barrack Obama was by the entire world and his words were to be found in every possible newspaper and the internet.

GOOD – The world has all the reason to up the hope meter.

BAD – The margin for error will be minute considering that he will be watched by one and all.

6.       If the political genre had a new leader at the helm, it was time to have a new name in the top slot of Cricket rankings. South Africa did the honors of dethroning the long time leaders Australia by beating them in their own backyard. India too had a whiff of the meat when we defeated the Aussies on their visit.

GOOD – South Africa showed to the world that there is no such thing called ‘Invincible’.

BAD – NOTHING!!