A voice in the darkness

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 develope...

Listen, priest, I am a journalist. When I need information I know where to look for it! Never did I think that a simple thing such as marriage could be such a complicated affair. Yeah, we all know about traditional Hindu weddings in India, but things can be equally elaborate, and nerve-wracking, for a Roman Catholic Goan . From what I hear, the Church, and the village priest in particular, seem to have a final say in whether two people can get married. If they wish to have a church service, there are a whole lot of procedures to be followed. Leading the way, of course, is the grandiose marriage course. What amazes me is the sincerity with which newly married friends talk about some priest or nun, or OK , an expert, wax eloquent about stuff like family planning, love, relationships and so on. Why don't they just make the one or two day torture selective. Do they seriously believe a stupid course will check the divorce rate or reduce marital problems? This is just another example of...