With the proliferation of journalistic mediums: the abundance of newspapers, the explosion of TV/news channels and the seemingly ever-increasing online publications, it is more important now than ever that the quality of journalism in this country is questioned. We have a dearth of information available from everywhere and thus with this information overload, seeing is believing cannot be employed.
To a layperson like me, an average-Joe, who likes to tune in to the news for a little while each day and keep abreast of the latest happenings in the country, watching TV news channels, reading the papers or following a media outlet’s social media page has become laden with needless misery and wretchedness. The very people who are supposed to be informing and educating the masses seem to be ill-equipped, unprepared, unapprised for the responsibility that they have taken on.
Case in point: the misinformation instigated by some online platforms around tea-whiteners in Pakistan recently which was then irresponsibly reported by the local media. I am not saying that all journalists or entire media is a party to this. But media does sensationalize news, as it comes, without bothering to research even a little. Further to our dismay, the so-called arm-chair activists, the over-enthusiastic social media trolls add to this madness by jumping on the band-wagon of sensational but false information.
I have been using Tarang tea-whitener for the past many years. And being such an avid user, it is quite natural that I became quite concerned when I heard the allegations against the brand. I didn’t want to consume a product that could be harmful to me or my family. So I took to the internet and started reading up on tea-whiteners in general and on Tarang.
Check out this video!
I don’t know how many people who came across the over-sensationalized rumors against tea-whiteners did the same. But a simple search will tell you how prevalent the use of these tea-whiteners is across the globe. There is a variety of tea-whiteners available but generally, a tea-whitener is a specialized product prepared from milk solids-not-fat, in combination with plant-based vegetable fat. Their main purpose is to whiten our tea or coffee along with adding flavor and taste.
Given the fact that tea-whiteners are processed and heat treated products, Tarang’s or any other good quality tea-whitener’s shelf-life is ensured by the UHT process in which it is heated to high temperatures to guarantee that it is free of all harmful bacteria and its special 6 layered air-tight Tetra packaging protects its quality. The tea-whitener is actually safer to consume for a longer period of time in comparison to loose milk which is a perishable commodity.
If I can uncover this information in less than half an hour on the internet, can’t our media do the same and provide us with much more detailed information than just some claims? I fervently wish that our journalists would make that extra effort of critically analyzing malign claims and responsibly inform and educate the masses.
