Chai Chalk Chatter

Images in history can definitely be used as a primary source of information but in my opinion, the absence of content can render them open to all kinds of interpretation and this is dangerous. The probability of this misinterpretation increases drastically with the passage of time. Such happens because, unlike a timely photograph where people normally understand the context – with time, this understanding diminishes. Unless there is text associated with a photograph to explain it, it becomes very difficult, even in the first instance to understand a photograph. Let’s take the example of the photograph below: Unless someone actually mentions that the respective photograph is from Auschwitz and the pattern on the wall are from the scratches of victims, who were gassed by the Nazis, it is extremely difficult to understand what the photograph is all about and this is my point.  Such is not always the case though, if we take the example of another famous photograph – Kevin...

With the liberalization of the Indian economy, a number of new players have entered the media sector. Although the intervention of the machineries of the state apparatus, has relatively reduced yet the interests of the Corporate houses have managed to replace it. In a world where TRP's are more important as compared to journalistic ethics, the media houses are bound to fall prey to the factors that influence the media, most importantly the political economy of the respective media houses. The flow of money and political will influences, to a great extent, the discourse generated in the media. It is obvious that, owing to these factors, a particular media organization is bound to have political affiliations. It is a very well known fact that western media organizations such as CNN and BBC work towards promoting the ideologies of the West - be it western cultural intricacies or the free-market agenda of the Bretten wood institutions. For instance the coverage of the U...