NO JOKE

Media Watch could not believe it...the lead in sounded bizarre but Media Watch thought okay, let it slide, it's probably a case of a reporter trying way too hard to grab the viewers' attention. But then up came Melissa Wong's voice and a package that went on way too long confirming that it was not just an attention grabber, but IETV making a joke out of the serious business of news.

What is Media Watch talking about? A Melissa Wong piece about villagers hearing voices in their heads and seeing a goat wearing a gold chain. According to Melissa, this superstitious figure was causing villagers to commit suicide and she even had an interview with a pandit to back up her claim.

Well, well, let's try to entertain this foolishness for a while. Let's say the people do believe they saw this goat; Melissa where was the expert's opinion to give the story the serious tone it deserves if it's indeed causing deaths? By the way, Melissa only pointed to one woman who reportedly killed herself because of this goat...but she had the pandit tell us that he knows of others who've died. Names, dates anyone?

To Melissa and the weekend producer at IETV, please, it's not Comedy Central. Think through your pieces seriously, and even if you thought it was a valid story idea that's not the way to approach it. You need statistics, a psychologist and/or a sociologist to tell us what might be causing these villagers to think this way. What about police reports?

If those villagers are indeed suffering, your piece evoked no sympathy for them and your anchor trivialised their plight even more by adding "we couldn't make it up even if we tried."

News is serious business IETV.