Sometimes, affairs of the state are so delicately balanced, so fraught with pitfalls that the media does not need to push the government over the edge. The media need not support a government decision (even if it passes parliamentary approval), but when an international agreement is being negotiated, there’s an undeclared convention, that the national media caps its weapons of mass criticism until later. That means, say whatever you will, criticise at will, but with some understanding of what is at stake and in a manner that doesn’t sound like a nuclear blast.

Two examples: on Friday night, the Chinese delegation at the NSG left the negotiations late at night. On Saturday, Sanjay Suri (CNN-IBN) in Vienna, recounted how some Indian media reported that the Chinese had staged a ‘walk-out’ at this most critical juncture. Suri explained that the Chinese had indeed been seen walking out — as they must if they want to leave the room on two feet — but this was not the same as a ‘walk out’. That indicates the fine line that has to be, dare we say it, walked in order to maintain a balance.

On Sunday evening, Times Now announced that China was pursuing a similar nuclear deal for Pakistan even as “India reels from shock” at China’s unhelpful attitude in Vienna. ‘Reels from shock’ sounds like what a paper kite would do during an earthquake. Pompous as it sounds, words have lost meaning on news TV, an exaggeration has become an understatement as everything is magnified larger than life.

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