SIBLAC thumbs down ‘aerial’ coverage by national news channels

GANGTOK, 25 Sept: The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), in a press release issued today, has alleged that “national news channels have failed in their duty by doing disproportionate coverage of the tragedy”.
Citing “defense sensitivity” as one of the causes of their “failure”, the organization complains that TV crews took only an “aerial overview” of the Indo-China border, but no coverage was devoted to the severely affected areas like Lachung, Lachen and Dzongu, suggesting “that members of national news channels did not visit these areas which they could have easily accessed by helicopters that were placed in their service”, the release contends.

Damages to old monasteries like Tashiding, Pemayangtse, Dubdi, Enchey, Ringhim and many others have also been overlooked as well, SIBLAC complains.
“The debate on the Hydro Electric Projects, particularly the Teesta III HEP being undertaken by Teesta Urja at Chungthang, as the potential cause of the earthquake, has also been ignored by the national news channels,” the release adds.
Another failure on the part of national news channels, the release points out is the failure to clear doubts and fear from the minds of the people from circulation of rumours.
“At times of crisis, news channels are charged with the vast responsibility of bringing objective information by means of research, analysis and debate to the public,” none of which, SIBLAC contends, were taken up by the news channels.