Making of a Great Leader.

I am not sure when the media age started, because I was born and brought up in media age. But for this column’s sake I am considering that real media age started with the ascent of Hitler to the power. The years leading to WWII were growing years for Media. And though Nazi’s were defeated in 1945, the age of media was here to stay.

The important work of media is to influence people’s mind. I mean, theoretically they (Media) is supposed to put the truth in front of people and allowing people to decide what is correct and what is wrong. But that rarely happens.

One of the ways to influence people is to portray certain people’s life prominently. One such effort can be witnessed with the life of George W. Bush.

The recent front article of Time, where George W. Bush was awarded as a Man of the Year and eulogized by essays and photo essays is classic example of making dumb people great. There are scores of examples of such efforts. JFK, Ronald Regan in American politics. Rajiv Gandhi and I. K.Gujral in Indian politics. And even Mahatma Gandhi up to certain extent.

Look at the making of ‘Great’ George W. Busch. The procedure seems to be standard. Classic black and white photographs that supposedly depicts his life ‘behind’ the stage. And glossy diagrams of his family tree makes everyone great in his lineage and kind of shows us that he born great in great family. Good quotes which are usually written by speechwriters. Great world visions of him which are as stark to real policies of as Israel is to the Palestine. But all these things create a thick aura around the personal and it becomes increasingly hard to see that person through it. Such eulogy not only conceal leaders draw backs but at the same time gives him cover to carry out his own agenda, which, more often than not is centered around personal greed.

Such efforts hurt society to a great deal. That “Great” person may die, but his image remains solid in peoples mind and continues to hurt the nation in one way or another.

John Stewart once asked that why can not we have a media that portrays the reality and discerns truth from sham. And at the end allow the viewers to decide. I can’t agree more.