The great debater

Author, talk-show host, moderator, journalist par excellence, he wears many crowns, but he will always be remembered for the unique style he uses to martial his argument, Tim Sebastian made his maiden visit to Chennai recently, where he moderated a debate and must we say, gave the debaters a really hard time.
Talking to us after the debate, Tim said he had the most fun.“Several serious issues were dealt with, but it was so much fun. What I enjoyed the most was the energy of people here,” he says.
Having spent a few days in the city, he says that he feels compelled to understand the people of the city better. “I’m not much into sight seeing. So, I’ve been talking to people. And, what I really like is the buzz in the city, it’s so vibrant. There’s so much getting done. There’s more happening on one street here than you have in the Middle East.”
Known for having asked some of the toughest questions to those in power, Tim says, that was what he always believed was his job. “I always take the opposite point of view of the person I’m interviewing. I see my role as of the prosecution - to cross-examine on the basis of facts. As an interview on TV, I see my position as a privileged one, where it is my duty to pose questions on behalf of millions of people.” And, with all the hard talk happening, he’s asked his fare share of stupid questions, got some stupid answers and some harsh reactions too. “I had a British minister, Mo Mowlam, kick me under the table when things got heated. I asked her why she did that and she said, ‘because you’re a bastard.’ I laughed, she laughed, it wasn’t that serious. Most people know it’s just business and nothing personal; they come on the show knowing they are going to be given a tough time.”
With the dictates of 24-hour news changing the face of media, Tim is a little distressed. “Judgment has gone out the window. No more is a story judged on whether it is new, important, compelling or if it will change people’s lives. The priority of editors is to fill 24-hours that stretches into all the 24-hour cycles after that. So, any old nonsense gets onto the air. During my days, we had to fight for our stories to get out. What we see on TV are pictures of people going in and out of doors and getting in and out of cars. We are more caught up with ‘notice board journalism’,” he laments.
Then, there is cheap journalism. “Many sections of the media are taking the easy way out - too much of the common man’s opinions are aired. Opinions are two a penny; there’s too much of opinion out there and very little fact. We need more stories that make a lasting impact,” he says.
Having kicked off the debating process in the Middle East, he says he’s happy that young people there have embraced the concept. “People in this region haven’t done much debating in the last 1400 years. But, they have taken to it like ducks to water. At debates, when I see a light bulb go on in the heads of many, I know that they see things in a new light. That’s what I find most gratifying.”
Having spent much of his time in this region where freedom of speech is stifled, he says he’s always treasured the freedom he’s enjoyed. “For 35 years that I have been in journalism, no one has ever told me what I could and couldn’t say. That freedom has been worth having. My job has been very exciting, I would have done the same job whether I was being paid for it or not,” he signs off.
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