Over a quarter of the deaths due to natural disasters in the world occur in Southasia. If one takes into account man-made disasters and conflicts, the toll is even higher. Despite this, attention on disasters is usually fleeting, with the media descending on the unfolding tragedy in a sudden rush and departing just as rapidly. Sustained coverage of disasters and their aftermath is rarely visible, with reporting shaped by the news cycle. Disasters tend to be treated as spectacles with little analysis of the political, economic and ecological contexts. The short attention span leaves no room for a long-term perspective which might take into account post-disaster recovery and the politics of aid. In his lecture, senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan will address this enormous challenge faced by Southasia’s governments, civil society and media in doing justice in their response to mass tragedies.
In this lecture at the India International Centre in Delhi on 19 August 2015, founding editor of The Wire Siddharth Varadarajan discusses as wide range of issues on the role of media in reporting disasters (both natural and man-made), including media’s complicity and the challenges it faces. The talk was moderated by Himal’s founding editor Kanak Mani Dixit.