The press: admire it, read it but don't trust it

One only has to tune in to NDTV or IBN or read the Mumbai Mirror or Rediff.com to realize that the Indian press is more aggressive, more in your face and less interested in following the rules than the American press. The CNN reporter from the US covering the Taj ducked each time there was a gunshot and was advised by the anchor to clear out even though she was the furthest away from the hotel. The Mumbai Mirror photographers instead ran into VT station and tracked the killers for 25 mins taking photos even as the killers went about their savagery! However, for the victim's family, this aggressiveness means that while you should carefully follow what the press is saying, you shouldn't expect them to be particularly sympathetic to your needs as a person. They are looking for the next scoop or story. They will write false things sometimes. They will invade your privacy. They will say whatever it takes to make you talk to them.

I had the unfortunate experience of trusting some members of the press during the early days after the 1993 bombings and found that they basically went out and completely violated every promise they had made after earning my confidence when I was particularly vulnerable. There was not even a semblance of an apology for having broken their promises. This was a major news outlet in Mumbai at that time and today. So, if you don't have experience dealing with the press and if you don't really need to deal with them, just ignore them until they go away. If you do need to deal with them, don't depend on any expert to help you. Just trust them about as much as you would trust any stranger who is trying to sell you something in Dadar station.

The title says it all: read them but be wary.