Apropos of the news story “Media should focus on quality content: PM” (THT, February 14, Page 2), how should media focus on quality content? Isn’t media supposed to dish out whatever as it happens? Can media twist and turn facts, figures and actual happenings to sugarcoat them? For example, if someone is wearing a garland of withered common local flowers weighing 250kg, can media for the sake of quality content describe it as 2,500 kg garland of Dutch tulips? Or in this day and age of environmental renaissance can wasting of 250 kg of flowers on a garland be taken as quality media content? For the media content to be qualitative, the news and newsmakers need to be of quality. We can learn of quality content in media from the recent Grammy Award reporting. Adele presented herself as not only a great singer, songwriter but also a humane person who broke her award into two to give one to Beyonce who she thought was more worthy.

Quality person and quality behavior are equal to quality media content. Same with Justine Trudeau who instantly displayed his quality by announcing that Canada will warmly welcome refugees and asylum seekers, refused entry elsewhere. Justine and his offer will naturally make for quality media content. Try as hard as we may, it is difficult for the media to come up with quality content of dust in the air and in politics, or the  local banks’ proclivity for illegal profiteering by ganging up with land and two and four-wheeler dalals.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Child abuse

This refers to your news story “Sexual abuse of kids needs to be tackled” (THT, February 10, Page 2). It is not that there is a sudden increase in crime against children but the reality is that such cases are being reported more now as people are coming out and speaking about it.

It clearly shows that crimes against children tend to be local crimes with the vast majority taking place within the home or family circle. Trafficking of minor boys and girls has also increased; these children are trafficked for labour, begging as well as sexual abuse.

One can observe that social values have degraded over the years. When children fail to live up to the high expectations of their parents, they might take the wrong path because of which other youths of their age fall victim to their wrongdoings. Children have always been a soft target because at times they are not much aware of the fact that what is happening to them is wrong. If at all they are aware of it, then they are scared to speak about it.

What we need right from early childhood is that kids should be taught about the sensitive issues like sexual abuse and sexual harassment. And, the lawmakers too should enact and follow strict laws to curb this menace and keep the kids safe. Weak legal system is yet another lacuna which adds to the menace.

Vinod C. Dixit, Ahmedabad