India ..a land of a thousand 'breaking' stories, often at least 10 a day. Sometimes being part of a 24/7 news channel is similar to the job profile of a hapless Mumbai air traffic controller...as planes land within minutes of each other, one person has the responsibility of keeping everything up in the air...one mid air collision is literally a death sentence. Yet, it's an adrenalin rush which is addictive.

Journalists who have visited NDTV from other countries often find the sheer variety of news content, amazing. Each state ..often a city...has a different story, different complexities and a different reaction to news. How then do 'national' news channels manage to identify news which is truly of interest to viewers in Chennai, Mangalore and Jammu? 

Well, one way is to dumb down, Bollywood stars are a favourite as are superstitions and blood and gore, universal appeal to the lowest common denominator  is the popular wisdom among many of our newer regional and Hindi channels. The myth, this is what viewers want to see. Hearteningly, that's not entirely true. Time after time, our programmes like India Matters, Documentary 24/7 and Witness, have often got TRPs ( Television Rating Points ) higher than our entertainment shows. The answer I think , is to have a healthy mix of both, television after all is about telling compelling stories , news as a genre cannot be restricted to conservative stereotypes ( if it's not politics, it shouldn't be on the front page ) or at the other extreme, news as tamasha. It's a fine balancing act and how well its done is really what distinguishes one channel from the other.

My take on the big stories this week. Are we finally on the brink of a possible breakthrough in the Indo Pak impasse after 26/11. The mistrust still runs too deep, as we can see with an aggressive statement from Pakistan accusing India's foreign minister of catering to Indian domestic politics and not answering 'honest' questions on the possible role of Indians in the Mumbai conspiracy. Action against groups like the LET still a long way away and the cynics claim that the Pak admission is tailored to an international audience. The other worry this week, the homegrown 'terrorism' in Mangalore, now taking on not just an anti-woman agenda but a dangerous communal one as well. The casualty, a young schoolgirl ...the blood on everyone's hands who have allowed the beautiful coastal city of Mangalore to become a divided city.

And finally, humour perhaps the best answer to hate. The brilliant  'Pink Chaddi' campaign, has literally got Muthalik's knickers in a twist.