WHAT'S news? The classic definition I heard as a kid still resonates in my mind: "When a dog bites a man, that's not news. But if a man bites a dog, it is." This sure is a loaded definition. But whoever said it, said it right.
News is that which is different from the normal. The rarer or less predictable the event, the bigger the news. But does that mean the media are there to just present the bizarre or the unreal? Not really, right? The new society we live in loves it all the way it is. Today, the modern influences on our lives are focusing on normalising the abnormal. Even glorifying it. In many ways, the modern man, woman and child are brought up on a diet of the abnormal.
The new normal is normalising the abnormal. Gourmandising it. Living in it vicariously.
Let me take you through a path of this thinking we find in abundance in our midst, starting with the most modern of mediums: social media. Take Instagram. I have just emerged from an exploration of a swathe of rural and deep-rural markets in India. The study is still on, but let me throw up some early numbers. The biggest single medium in our rural markets today is Instagram. (It used to be TikTok, till it was told to walk.)
The Insta posts that attract traction in our rural markets are the totally bizarre ones. Posts and Reels in particular that showcase the modern urban Indian are loved the most. Rural and deep-rural folks love to look at the urban Indian as if they are peering into an aquarium. They love to see gym videos. They are aspirational. Many actually use them along with YouTube videos to fashion their own regimen of workout.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 03, 2024-Ausgabe von The New Indian Express.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 03, 2024-Ausgabe von The New Indian Express.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Sidharth Malhotra to star in a folk thriller
ON Thursday night, actor Sidharth Malhotra announced that he is starring in a folk thriller titled Vvan - Force of the Forrest.
DHANUSH joins hands with Rajkumar Periasamy
FOLLOWING the success of Amaran, director Rajkumar Periasamy is teaming up with Dhanush for the latter's 55th film.
Thug Life, Idli Kadai and Miss You get release dates
OVER the last three days, Tamil cinema has made a flurry of announcements for major theatrical releases, including the following.
A SPY THRILLER
WITH SLICK ACTION, SCHTICK STORYTELLING
THE O-FACTOR
GETTING 'in shape' has been a long cherished dream of many across the world.
Madras Eye on the rise
Conjunctivitis, popularly known as 'Madras Eye', is rising rapidly, especially among children, in Chennai.
Correcting Keratoconus
Ahead of World Keratoconus Day on November 10, experts share their insights on the importance of early diagnosis and effective management to preserve vision
SNUFF THE PUFF
On his 59th birthday, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan announced that he had quit smoking, a long-standing habit, often smoking up to 100 cigarettes a day.
From the desk to the depths
A dive into deep underwater, just you and the ocean, and imagine there is no breathing support.
Life amid litter
“Nadhu kuppai, enadhu porupu, ena urudhi alaipomae.” Most of us wake up to these lyrics played on the garbage pickup vehicles. This song is the citizens’ alarm to create a society with proper waste management system and educates them to segregate waste.
