Noisy Media in US, India etc. Hurting the Covid Fight

 Noisy Media in US, India, etc. not helping Covid -19 fight 

In the US it is distinctly visible that network like CNN that they have less focus on fighting the virus, instead a huge effort is centered on being critical of Trump and Trump Admistration. The New York governor on CNN is paying less attention on closing down everything which is the principal cause of the spread of the virus, instead he focusses on grabbing all resources earmarked for others. He quotes hurricane devastation on the East Coast. Immediately after the hurricane, everybody runs to help. His explanation is terribly simplistic. Hurricanes come, destroy and pass on. This virus is not going away. It picks a spot and builds a home there and then migrates to another spot and so on. It is transmitted by humans. The New York governor’s main aim is to grab all resources unmindful of other ‘s needs.

For CNN and other leftist media this is an opportunity to fail Trump’s re-election effort with criticism of inaction. Nowadays they are critical of a highly successful diplomatic trip to India or signed a partial trade deal with China unmindful of trouble ahead. The media blames signing of the partial trade deal with China for the delayed response. Altogether this is nonsense, but the media love everything to be critical of Trump. The media outlets in Washington and New York have done huge, so called investigative reporting by a few leftist reporters to catch attention. Where as these outlets should be focussed on tracking, testing and treating the victims, they are focussed on the propaganda value of the failures....... Sad situation.

If you think situation in India is any different, consider again. Prime Minister Modi has forced 1.3 billion people into lockdown to prevent the spread. He did shut down factories, closed offices, stopped religious services in Temples & Mosques and shutdown shopping, there are no travel avenues open to take the virus to other towns and villages, school/colleges and other institution are closed etc. I am in India these days and there are no huge inconveniences with few exceptions, which are always there. Somehow the 1.3 billion people are collecting essential items to survive, migratory workers are receiving supplies and social distancing has become a norm. Testing and tracking are being done aggressively, although a large group of highly un-cooperative religious group ran away and made tracking and testing very difficult. Much of the group has now been tracked and tested, but a few have gone into hiding. This has presented a huge opening to the critics to offer criticism. In Indian circumstances are a bit different. A few provincial chiefs have their own ideas on lockdown and have nothing more beneficial to offer. Media thrives on these differences. 

The Covid pandemic is not over yet in the US and elsewhere, we are yet in the grip of it, but US is talking about reviving the economy. One has to ask, what is important - survival or revival. The economic system cannot get started without this pandemic under control. If you reopen businesses and factories too early, then another round of Corona will begin. The Chinese were too eager to start. They reported full control too early. Nowadays more and more reports of reinfection are being reported. Hence a few more weeks of lockdown are essential. That is exactly what is being done now. 

Left wing media with right wing media ownership is having a field day in being critical of the political leaders. The left-wing, US media have already begun the 2020 presidential game plan. Coronavirus provided them the opportunity to begin the election plan now. Before that there was not a hell a lot of chances, although they could manufacture an incident and review it critically. In case of Modi, he has already won an election a year back. New elections are not due for four years. The opposition political strength has been weakened with a less than smart person and his mother leading a major political party. That party is deeply split and may split. Other minor political parties have insignificant influence. Hence the big burden of opposition has fallen on the media to keep inventing something to keep politicians guessing. The media instead of reporting is the new opposition.

In a way we do not know how US and Indian national politics will operate post Coronavirus. It is the noisy media with newer and newer angle of attack trying to become a new opposition party.