As the Delhi High Court handed down its Section 377 verdict I knew three things were important. 1. Watch talk TV on the verdict by executing a swift mental gear change to gay rights from GDCF (that’s gross domestic capital formation, the kind of stuff the Economic Survey gets charged up about; the Survey of course was also news on Thursday) 2. Keep an open mind while listening to those arguing against what’s a no-brainer position to me (is homosexuality ok? Of course, it is). 3. Keep an even more open mind as news TV went on overdrive with an issue that, for no fault of its own, is TV hype-ready.

I have two primary observations, both surprising, though in different ways. First, Times Now hosted a discussion that was uniformly interesting and substantive and one that sometimes provoked thought. Disclaimer: I am not saying talk TV on other channels is always interesting and substantive. Such discussions are a minority on all channels. But, usually, they tend to be more of a minority on Times Now.

Thursday’s chat on Times Now, where two liberals squared off against two religious conservatives and in which the anchor did a good coordination job, was the best exemplar that evening of why some religious conservatives just don’t get it (of which more later). News TV doesn’t get it either — being sensible and paying some attention to content isn’t that difficult, in part because no one expects much really. But there you have the same Times Now insisting that it was only its “relentless campaign” and nothing else that forced an apology out of the misbehaving Congress MP who hopefully has had his first and last 15 minutes of fame.

... contd.