DD is attempting to regain its past glory. Though it is the mouthpiece of the government, of late it has shed some of the inhibitions which prohibit it from openly decrying government. In fact it has slowly slid into a of non confrontation where the ethos of journalism are not compromised. Although it has miles to go before it catches up with giants of news reporting such as New York Times, yet a comparison in terms of quality of reporting between the two will not be completely out of place.
What distinguishes DD from other run on the mill type of channels is its earthy attachment to roots , a massive funding by the government and some smart people behind the scenes who are still not solely guided by TRP ratings. One such person happens to be Rajiv Mehrotra , whose bouquet of programs include his series of conversations with men and women who define our contemporary world , a PSBT sponsored 'Open Frame' series . It is an epitome of news reporting where the issues of grave concern are not myopically pushed under the carpet but discussed , debated and above all allowed to come the way they naturally exist. It envisages a belief that putting everything in order is not the motive but letting out inchorence is not bad reporting either. It is a jewel in the crown of the public broadcaster.
Besides social programs such as 'Ehsaas' , which portray the belittling of values in a highly materialistic society ,which affluence has decimated . One more thing that makes DD very enabling is its abhorance for Bollywood and its protagonists. When the world is debating over Saif and Kareena standoff at IIFA , DD is the only one seeming and lending sanity to its viewers by clearly black outing the news story.
However this is just one half of the story. The other side presents a picture of dismal performance despite its brand, its unmatchable reach and its clout. One such instance is the IPL , which had pervaded the minds of puerile Indians, where DD had gone overboard in its news coverage. At prime time , when the news reader has just cricket to discuss with his set of as good as anyone on the street panelist , you feel the abysmal depth to which issues of concern have plummeted. The basic premises is "How the hell am i bothered with it? ..Why should a public broadcaster waste resources over a show that is for commercial purposes of the few and the inconsequential. Will it be not better to devote the same resources for spreading the wings of education?' A daily one hour show , handled by the subject expert teachers will do much good in spreading education to people in the hinterlands for whom private tuition is not a possibility despite the crumbling public schooling system. With government promising and advertising its Bharat Nirman , this show will gel very well in the scheme of things.
Another place where it has a lot of ground to cover is the way it conveys information. Though the
public news is for good , concreting the information , making it self explanatory will do the ultimate goal of the government intent
