Scoop on Netflix goes beyond telling us Jagruti Pathak's story by also providing a deep insight into journalism and its impact on society

Scoop on Netflix by Hansal Mehta tells so many things between the lines about the state of journalism in present times even if it's based in 2011!

In Scoop, Imran says "If journalism is good by default it will be controversial. Now it's the opposite if it is controversial, by default it's good journalism" and this is what even the show talks about. Inspired by Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison by Jigna Vora, Scoop on Netflix is the story of Jagruti Pathak, a female investigative crime journalist who rose to fame in seven years by digging out exclusive scoops until she became one. But more than that, it's also a lesson in understanding the true essence of journalism and society. Because "If a doctor becomes unethical, we lose lives but if news becomes unethical, we lose an entire populace."

Apart from the complete shock that Harman Baweja gave us all, it was Zeeshan Ayyub (with the words of Karan Vyas) who ended up teaching us one or two things about the fourth pillar of democracy and what it actually stands for. And in today's time where we have people screaming and shouting on the small screen, the line between what is the truth and what is being presented to us has blurred so much that it's not even visible, a TV series like Scoop was crucial. It's a bitter pill to swallow but the unfortunate truth that we all have to accept is that "who reads newspapers to become responsible citizens? Kids make airplanes and adults eat vada pav in it, it's entertainment, and television gets that!" There was a "time when people would watch movies for entertainment and read newspapers for topics of national interests". Now, it's pretty much the opposite!

Also Read: According to the Janta, Scoop on Netflix will take you a bit closer to the real world of journalism!

Perhaps the best way to educate people is by engaging them otherwise the truth of the matter and what you want to say will be lost on them. Hence Hansal Mehta makes his commentary in a smart way as he weaves Jagruti Pathak's deeply emotional and personal story where she was wronged by an entire system to tell you about how viably important it is for journalism to survive ethically. Because half-baked, cooked stories and malicious media trials can end up making a mockery out of an innocent's life. And since "when did we start laughing at honest people who can hustle, and who says who hustle can never be honest?"

Being a journalist, your job is pretty simple. "If someone says it raining and another person says it's dry it's not the job to quote them both. The job is to look out your window f*ing window and find out which is true. Because no one gives a story without an agenda but it's the instincts that tell you whether that agenda is a bigger story". And even if Scoop is based in 2011 with its vested interest in the arcs of its characters, it feels highly apt for today as well. Because a "strong woman is always considered a threat to society" and we love watching "outspoken women burn at the stake". The world built inside the show with the police, media and all is a reflection of the systemic society we live in. Where people are involved in a domino effect and they face the repercussions of their personal and professional decisions. Like Jagruti's insatiability for always getting the biggest exclusive scoop made her a scoop one day. Makes you think how each and every action and choice you make has a consequence.

Scoop makes you concerned about how information is circulated and what impact it could have on our society given the state of our journalism where there is not much of a difference between WhatsApp forwards and news. It becomes more than necessary to understand that "with ethics, objectivity is also important, we should always see a story objectively without any personal bias or emotions attached to it. But in doing so we must allow our knowledge to guide us, and not the business value of a story. Irrespective of news being a business which is the truth that we have to accept for the sustenance of journalism yet the problem comes when business becomes the main objective. Then we need to focus on responsible journalism keeping in mind the engagement of the audience while educating them otherwise what we want to tell them wouldn't be reachable."

It is not a hidden fact that India is ranked 161 out of 180 countries on the world freedom index this year, and neither are the murders of journalists or them behind bars. Yet the fourth pillar of democracy, journalism is still a noble profession. And Scoop on Netflix if anything is a celebration of that, whether you are a crime reporter or anything else. Jagruti Pathak (Karishma Tanna) aka Jigna Vora and so many more journalists out there who are struggling in spite of living in constant fear of being arrested, killed, kidnapped, or annihilated to bring out that one piece, we salute your bravery!

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