The Indian Express put out an editorial criticising the television medium in India and Pakistan for their hasty, impatient, and rhetorical coverage of the other country in recent times. The newspaper argues that journalists of the two countries are acutely aware of the context and history of the sub-continent politics but this seems to have eluded television anchors and presenters who seem to be bent on provoking and trying to instigate controversy:

…the clash that’s broken out between sections of the Indian and Pakistani media, especially on television discussion shows, charging the airwaves each night with anchors and journalists meeting by satellite and giving the appearance that all outstanding issues between the two countries would be settled there and then, with not a quarter yielded.

…how swiftly journalists have assumed the burden of defending their countries rhetorically — sometimes even making arguments their foreign office spokespersons may not venture into. (“Media vs Media”, Indian Express, Del, 16 Dec, p10. Read online here)

During the course of the Mumbai attacks Rajdeep Sardesai of CNN-IBN had the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari live on air over phone and asked him if it would be alright for India to undertake hot-pursuit of terrorist training camps in his country. What response was Rajdeep Sardesai expecting. Or was he demonstrating to his audience that he was “man” and “patriotic” enough to dare ask the impossible.