When you have Zero stories about a particular topic, then you can still manufacture 4 stories out of that 0.

Mathematical principle…
1 + 1 – 1 – 1 = 0.

News manufacturing principle…
1. Modi to visit Ayodhya, angers minorities.
+1. Modi not to visit Ayodhya, angers Hindus.
-1. Why did Modi skip his Ayodhya visit?
-1. Was Modi not to have visited Ayodhya in the first place?
= 0
Bonus: Special panel discussion on the whole Modi-Ayodhya fiasco.

Interestingly, this formula was soon repeated again…
1. Modi flies out 15,000 from Uttarakhand.
+1. Modi’s 15,000 claim total rubbish.
-1. Actually, Modi did some good work in Uttarakhand.
-1. What was the 15,000 source in the first place?
= 0
Bonus: All-out war on Twitter.

(Original blog: June 19)

© Sunil Rajguru