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The other day I watched a panel discussion with veteran journalist P Sainath, rural affairs editor with the Hindu, and Arun Shourie, former Indian Express editor and much else, on the path journalism is on. Sainath has received the Ramon Magsaysay award for his tireless coverage of rural problems. I was impressed to learn that he spends almost 300 days a year in rural India, writing about food, power and water problems. A far cry from the air-conditioned comforts of modern newsrooms.
Journalism in India, as is the case globally, has been reduced to a commercial venture. Make money or perish. It's no joke, a number of newspapers have actually fallen by the wayside. TRPs and advertisers decide what makes news and what does not. I am not qualified to talk about television, but I have a fair understanding of the print media.
A small example of the ridiculous extent some newspapers can sink to. A full page advert about an under-construction commercial tower being built by a big developer stares at you on Page 38. A flip later, you have a three column story with a two col picture of the same tower on page 40. Yeah, we give you an advert and you give us some favourable coverage. Who are we fooling?
And what's newsworthy about an under-construction building?
Junkets. Something we all love. Eat, drink and make merry at some exotic locale, all at some company's expense. Depending upon your seniority, write a few lines trashing or praising the product or event you were called to cover. That done, impress your less fortunate colleagues in the newsroom with stories of your escapades. Then throw your weight around till the next junket.
I've been told editing is a thankless job. Reporting is what gets you the fame and big bucks. This amuses me now. Being a sub-editor in the newsroom and dealing with star reporters and editors teaches you a lot. After all, putting together all the 'wonderful' stories written by these people, in a manner that catches the attention of the diverse readership, takes some doing. Especially when stiff deadlines scream at you. And systems keep going down.
This profession allows you to grow or just stagnate. The good thing is that the choice is entirely yours. As a reporter you can file rubbish and let the editors fill in the blanks or you can research the issue well. As a subeditor, you can churn out cliched or run-of-the-mill headlines or read up on issues you need to know about. The mantra is 'Keep learning'.
I don't feel depressed or angry anymore when I see ill-informed colleagues talking out of their hats. It's plain amusing. In this profession, if you don't completely love what you do, you might as well not do it. But the money on offer today, makes everything else totally irrelevant.
Who wants to be P Sainath in a shabby village when one can cover page 3 parties in hip pubs?
Journalism in India, as is the case globally, has been reduced to a commercial venture. Make money or perish. It's no joke, a number of newspapers have actually fallen by the wayside. TRPs and advertisers decide what makes news and what does not. I am not qualified to talk about television, but I have a fair understanding of the print media.
A small example of the ridiculous extent some newspapers can sink to. A full page advert about an under-construction commercial tower being built by a big developer stares at you on Page 38. A flip later, you have a three column story with a two col picture of the same tower on page 40. Yeah, we give you an advert and you give us some favourable coverage. Who are we fooling?
And what's newsworthy about an under-construction building?
Junkets. Something we all love. Eat, drink and make merry at some exotic locale, all at some company's expense. Depending upon your seniority, write a few lines trashing or praising the product or event you were called to cover. That done, impress your less fortunate colleagues in the newsroom with stories of your escapades. Then throw your weight around till the next junket.
I've been told editing is a thankless job. Reporting is what gets you the fame and big bucks. This amuses me now. Being a sub-editor in the newsroom and dealing with star reporters and editors teaches you a lot. After all, putting together all the 'wonderful' stories written by these people, in a manner that catches the attention of the diverse readership, takes some doing. Especially when stiff deadlines scream at you. And systems keep going down.
This profession allows you to grow or just stagnate. The good thing is that the choice is entirely yours. As a reporter you can file rubbish and let the editors fill in the blanks or you can research the issue well. As a subeditor, you can churn out cliched or run-of-the-mill headlines or read up on issues you need to know about. The mantra is 'Keep learning'.
I don't feel depressed or angry anymore when I see ill-informed colleagues talking out of their hats. It's plain amusing. In this profession, if you don't completely love what you do, you might as well not do it. But the money on offer today, makes everything else totally irrelevant.
Who wants to be P Sainath in a shabby village when one can cover page 3 parties in hip pubs?
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