Every now and then, I try to have a look at the local TV news on MBC just to have a rough idea of what our national emblematic TV station is capable of. This is what I chose to do yesterday evening. So here are my thoughts on our flagship TV news bulletin.
There have been some improvements in terms of the image quality it would seem. Of course, the bulletin was greatly pre-empted by news related to the visit of our PM to Hull in the UK and it would seem that his communication experts have realised that they need to send a cameraman that can hold the camera correctly, provide nice framing and clear image with proper lighting. They have also sent a good journalist. In the past, it always used to be the outright pro-Labour who would benefit from the priviledge of accompanyng the PM on his trips and this has proved disastrous because coincidentally those people were also outright incompetent. I don’t know whether the journalist + cameraman/technician(s) that were sent to Hull this time are pro-Labour but at least they can deliver the goods (technically).
However, of course, propaganda-wise, it still is the same old song: PM is a wonderful person who meets important people in the UK who are all praise for the great guy. Seems that he worked (or completed internship?) for 2 years in a private hospital and he was a great doctor, a wonderful man specially in view of the fact that he was the son of a PM. Lots of people were interviewed from the handyman to the doctors to emphasise his greatness. Of course, mean people will probably say that those interviewed must have felt compelled to say positive things about our PM, that’s the effect of a camera…
But, what made me really smile was how the PM seized the opportunity to sing his own praises. He told a very lengthy story about how he saved a guy’s life and also emphasised how he would have earned 60,000 pounds today if he had stayed at the clinic as a doctor. This great sacrifice is justified by the fact that, as PM, he can transform a whole country. Lucky he didn’t say that he is actually putting Mauritius on the world map…
Hello christina,
I read your article on our PM in Hull.You are very right.In fact what people don’t know is that even as a student in medicine at that time…the university was influenced by the fact that his father was the Prime minister.He was not the only one ..other students and his friends who were also the sons of labour party ministers at that time had some kind of priviledges and backings..and did not struggle as other students.
The MBC of today….I think people are fed up with the political play of information and media ..which is so obvious.Less and less people are watching the MBC news nowadays,too much ‘palabre’.
Unfortunately the mauritian will vote again and again the same system.
Mauritian people do not vote on what vision a political party have for the nation….mauritian people vote on the basis of communalism.., caste.., political family culture..,and political gifts and promises.
Believe me most of the politicians in all political parties have the same ambition and play the same game.. they know how easy it is to play with us using the media and gain our vote.
We are responsible for our fate too.We gave them the power to play their game .
60,000 pounds..
he “might” be making less here but money isn’t everything.. here he has power
Why not privatize MBC, freedom of the press. Why should the people have to bankroll junk. Why doesn’t the government invest in doing something more productive, like giving people free high speed wifi, as many other cities are starting to do, then people can start using ‘the medium for all communication in the future’ (the internet: I mean that literally, phone (cellular and landlines), TV, internet, etc) to watch TV for free. Empower people to find find the news, not feed it to them. Soon someone is going to come up with a Web 2.0 system where a news channel is run by just feeds from numerous sources (talking about something akin to joost but more advanced).
hi mam ,
I like your website very much and whenever i have some time i visit it …really informative .bye
It is so shameful that so much criticisms have been levelled against our PM, who was honoured by the Wilberforce Trust, whose aim is to continue to fight for the abolition of all forms of slavery. Slavery is still prevalent in many parts of the world, more particularly in South Asia and the Middle East. Migrant workers are exploited via physical, mental and psychological abuses.
There is nothing wrong for Mauritius to be put in the spotlight, albeit at a local level in Hull. The latter is the hub for the seafood industry, which Mauritius is trying to emulate.
Let me clarify two issues of substantial value. Primo, the average pay of a medical consultant or a General Practioner exceeds £100,000. What the PM articulated is factually correct. Secondly, the PM was accompanied by Lord Rana, a very wealthy businessman, born in Punjab, India. His interests span form hotel and leisure development, education (he is settting up a private technological University in Punjab), ICT, propery development, etc. The possibility of Lord Rana or his close acquainctances and business friends investing in Mauritius is real. The PM, whilst visiting Hull had taken the opportunity to market Mauritius as an ideal location for FDI foreign direct investment). Give credit where credit is due. Can people cease to take this infantile approach to the realpolitics!
It is clear that the current focus of the PM and Neeta Deerpalsingh is to emphasize the importance of the democratisation of the economy, when 90% of the land is under the ownership of a handful of plantocrat families. More opportunities should be given to the lower socioeconomic groups, especially the underclass. There is no need to prvatise the MBC as the market forces will decide. It is simple: if you loathe the MBC so much, just switch off, or you can watch the phletora of digital satellite TV channels
I’m of the firm opinion that Mrs Meetoo is being unfair and disproportionate in her criticisms, by attempting to attack the technical ends of the media presentation. The filming could have been outsourced to a local company, without the need to bring a sound technician and cameraman from Mauritius. MBC simply needed a presenter. Within the Hull area, there are so many media and film companies.
Mrs Meetoo and al should not being so cynical and negative in their commentary. Do you understand rhe concept of fainess and justice? Give the government a chance to prove itself as the previous regime under Popol Berenger was probably worst than the current one. When Popol was so nepotistic in his dealing with the economy and the media, there was not one iota of complaint.
Just to let you know that the next speaker for the Wilberforce Trust Lecture will be the eminent, Dr Setambu, who is the leading black clergy in the Church of England. It was a honour and a global recognition for Dr Ramgoolam to have been chosen as a speaker. This is not propanganda, but the reality of life in an age of globalisation!
First things first, when you say “Can people cease to take this infantile approach to the realpolitics!”,
are you implying that I am infantile? I don’t quite much like personal attacks you know…
If you read my post well, you will see that my criticism was against the content of the TV report, not even from the journalist’s perspective (I did in fact say the technical performance was good contrary to what you suggest) but against the way our politicians (of all sides, including Popol who is even worse) are taking us ALL for a ride with their infantile approach to public communication.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with our PM going to Hull, being honoured and lobbying for FDI at the same time. In fact, that’s part of his job, isn’t it? That’s what he was elected for…
“if you loathe the MBC so much, just switch off, or you can watch the phletora of digital satellite TV channels”
Looks like you have read the quote of Bijaye Madhou…
I do not agree at all. MBC is a public institution paid for by everybody’s contributions to taxes and also the monthly fee of Rs 100. It should at least stop being the ridiculous mouthpiece of whatever party is in power.
And whatever party is in power, I will carry on with voicing out my points of view, whether they like it or not.
And you have the right to have your points of view on the matter as I have the right to have mine. That’s what we call democracy!
@Philippe Wing
“if you loathe the MBC so much, just switch off, or you can watch the phletora of digital satellite TV channels”
I completely agree with Mrs Chan-Meetoo.Why should we still pay Rs 100 for such a poor service these days? Maybe u see the “defilé” of Ministers as news everyday and u like the content of the news bulletin…but just a little survey will show u how many persons really watch the 19.30 news nowadys…well if thats still called news 🙂
U talk about democratisation of the economy and opportunities that should be given to the underclass..but what about the underclass who cannot afford to switch to digital satellite channels? Do they really have an oportunity here? They in fact become choiceless people!!
@Ishtiba
Wonderful peace of writing but if I were to tell you that even the underprivileged are themselves responsible for their own plight, esp that in many destitute parts of the island, one would still see lots of ‘Parabole Maurice’ and far fewer ‘DSTV’ (obvious since who really speaks and understands International English these days here) satellite dishes! That costs how much per month? No a meagre Rs 100 I hope.
I do not side with the government on all issues but if it was bold enough to provide free bus transport to all students(when all major opposition parties prayed that such a measure would fail) and subsidize high school exam fees.
Why do many of our citizens aim at luxury when they cannot afford it? Is the government still to blame?