Poll coverage: Triteness rules the waves

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Except for NDTV, all other channels, in a bid to maximise their share of the
market, cater to the lowest common denominator. They dumb down -- sometimes,
as a well-known journalist said, to the level of the station bosses. NDTV
caters to the premium market and can afford to be a bit lofty. But its
anchors need to review their performance this summer. An opinion poll will
show them why and how. In the print media, there is a gatekeeping function
performed by the editors, who at least try to keep rubbish out, not always
successfully but by and large. On live television, that is obviously not
possible. This requires the anchor to exercise Herculean self-restraint. The
owners and managers could sensibly ask how many actually do that. In India,
election coverage is very hard to plan and manage. It requires a lot of
money, manpower, management time, intense scheduling, and above all, a sense
for telling when the correspondent is talking through his hat. On
television, which has to keep track of other news as well, the problems are
obviously hugely greater. This, one would think, would result in more
discriminating choices being made. But the opposite seems to be the case.

Source:
http://inhome.rediff.com/money/2004/may/08guest1.htm