The New Future
J.K. Jain on Terror

A former member of the Indian Parliament, Jain now runs a news and current affairs satellite TV channel that reaches 26 million homes in India, as well as 36 other Asian countries.

By J.K. Jain
Founder and Chairman, Jain TV Group

What did viewers of Indian television see on their screens at the time of the WTC attacks?
Evening had set in, and viewers tuning in for prime-time news watched the horrifying pictures almost at the same time as these were seen by the Americans. My daughter studies at NYU. Shortly after the first plane hit the first tower, she was informed by her brother from Luxembourg, who told her to put on her TV. We live in an information age.

What about the global reach of American media?
I hope America realizes the inadequacies of networks like CNN, CNBC, and BBC. Their reach is limited to global elites; they don't reach the masses in South Asia and the Arabic world, and don't communicate in the languages and accents of the eastern part of the hemisphere, where Arabic audiences tune in to Al-Jazeera.

How have Indians responded to what they saw on television?
They were shocked and aghast, sympathetic to the victims but angry at the aggressors. Everyone felt that the severest possible action must be taken against those who were responsible for such attacks. But now our audiences have started asking questions about the logic of choices being made by American diplomacy. In general, Indians believe that Americans are very learned and intelligent people--but they are at a total loss when they learn that average Americans do not understand the difference between Sikhs and Arabs, even though their turbans, beards, and identities are so different. The relatively uneducated Indians never mistook Americans for the British, despite the fact that both have a similar appearance.

How is your network covering the war on terrorism?
We are engaged in an information war against terrorism. Besides reporting the news, we've featured talks, panel discussions, and live-audience-participation shows that discuss policy issues, weaponry, modes of terrorist aggression, and so on. We want to help people effectively deal with the fear. When people are afraid, terrorists thrive. So we must inform our audience but not spread panic. The real challenge is dealing with the mind of an average Muslim citizen, who is faithful to Islam, a good law-abiding citizen of India who does not support killing of innocents. It may be true that Muslims believe in an international Islamic brotherhood, but they are not supporters of terrorism.

Next: Kavita Ramdas

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