Rini Simon Khanna is a name to reckon with in the media industry. She started producing, hosting programmes and interviews on All India Radio at 13 and went onto become a household name after being selected to anchor the national news on Doordarshan.She is a news presenter, voice over professional, commentator, anchor and a multi-faceted talent. And, many from the ’80s and ’90s, who regularly watched news on Doordarshan, still remember her due to her iconic voice and hair style. “I started with Yuvavani on radio and went onto working for different stations before being selected for radio news during the 1982 Asian Games. I remember I had to cover many sports results and read the winners names in five minutes,” she recalls with a smile.
Comparing the times, she says, it is a whole new world now and there is a clear demarcation. “Unfortunately, there is less of news and more of drama. As a result, communication suffers,” says Khanna.It was a time when there were no satellites or advanced tools, but the coverage of news incidence, the variety and terrestrial coverage was far more superior. There were no sensationalised stories. In the last two decades, things have gone down in terms of coverage, content, quality and even stylisation, she points out.
“Everything is TRP-based now and human value of the news is lost,” says Khanna, adding that though Doordarshan is a public broadcaster, news was never dictated. Today, one cannot differentiate between news and propaganda. She also admits, that the style of reporting is not the same as before and is perturbed by the current crop of anchors and the presentation of news debates. “Anchors need to talk less. There is too much of noise. Discussions need to be heard, and in most shows, participants shout at each other. What is the point? If there is no communication happening,” she stresses. Recalling the dress codes earlier, she says, “Aping western concepts and wearing jackets is not fine. Wearing a sari is great. Clothes should not distract from the news.”
During her association with DD over 25 years, she was never an employee and did different types of news programmes, including those for the hearing impaired. She stresses on the fact that in the race for TRPs and being first to break news, channels have forgotten about the visually and hearing impaired. “These days, news channels are busy in making news than trying to change the society. Just tickers will not suffice. Many channels open today and shut down soon, due to lack of proper training to the staff,” says the Kerala-born anchor who was did the voiceover for Hyderabad Metro Rail as well.
Contributed By : Shri.
Jhavendra Kumar Dhruw , jhavendra.dhruw@gmail.com
