Editors are supposed to be like Caesar’s wife, above suspicion. Or that is how it was meant to be. In reality, over the years, the person who presides over the words and deeds of a newspaper has become something of a manipulator.
In some cases the owners of the newspaper use their editors for their personal agendas, while in others the editors become a law unto themselves. It is the transgression of the fine line that makes the editor no less than the exalted position of a blackmailer.
Indian newspaper history has been replete with many instances where the editor had become a law unto himself (or herself). The situation in the twin cities is no radically different, with each newspaper owner having his own axe to grind. Which is fine, one would infer considering that newspapers have their own agendas. Some good, others bad.
The late Ramnath Goenka was one newspaper owner who doubled in as an editor. Fighting the establishment had become a habit for the redoubtable man, who had in a way become a colossus in the publishing industry. But others have not had such a chequered track record.
Some editors spend more time pursuing other hobbies other than what they are supposed to be doing best – staying put in the office. A few months ago the editor of one of Hyderabad’s leading (no, make that fastest growing) English newspaper was appointed as the head of a souvenir committee for a community get together.
Not strictly his job, one would say. But then, no one would notice thought the old man. The organisers who were looking for funds to bankroll the community’s festival celebrations, knew that if someone could pull in the advertisements for the souvenir, it had to be the editorji. Smart move.
But in his eagerness to attain immortality among the community members and brand himself as a superstar, our old man went overboard. The editorji called up all the leading corporates of the city and demanded that they part with advertisements for the souvenir. The big bosses of the companies had no choice, for they knew the price for non-compliance.
A no would have meant that the company misdeeds would get front-page coverage. A load of advertisements would have the opposite effect. Press notes claiming anything and everything about the company would get a pride of place. No wonder many big names of the industry in the twin cities followed suit by releasing advertisements in the souvenir.
One such company, which followed the editor’s directive and released an advertisement was founded by a man who is now a MP from Vijayawada. The PR guys from the company nowadays walk into the editor’s cabin with unfailing regularity. Sometimes it’s to present the editor with toys from Kondapalli (did you get the company’s name by now) or a big box of dry fruits and sweets from Vijayawada (where else?). But more often than not the PR guys walk in (without even tapping the door) and hand in press notes to the editorji on how well the original promoter, their MD and everyone else in the company is doing.
And the dictum from the editor to the desk guys is simple – take the press release as top priority. What’s next, wonder the correspondents at the business desk of this newspaper?
Take Tuesday’s business page of this newspaper and there is a glorified repot on how this Hyderabad-based group has won the bid for a power project in Madhya Pradesh. Even a back of the envelope calculation will show that this project is doomed to fail at the high cost that was quoted just to win a bid. But nowhere in the article is that matter spoken about. Industry experts say that the group’s absurdly high bid was just meant to prop up its shares that were recently listed after an IPO. Bad luck, they did not factor Tuesday’s 340-point crash that followed.
The old man in the meanwhile is in a glum mood, with news dribbling in that someone has sent in a dossier of his misdeeds to the bosses at Bahadurshah ZafarMarg. Poor guy, what else can he do but stare in lost thoughts, counting his last days in office. Not that the cremation ground, which can be seen from his cabin, gives any confidence.
Sometimes too much of a thing can be bad for health. It’s better to be honest than a crook. Poor old man, we wish some one could tell him this.
PS : Want to know who all advertised in the souvenir? Check with the Samiti members Opp Indira Park and the school in Secunderabad Aaj ki taaza khabar. Bechne gaya tha par bechara bik gaya.
In some cases the owners of the newspaper use their editors for their personal agendas, while in others the editors become a law unto themselves. It is the transgression of the fine line that makes the editor no less than the exalted position of a blackmailer.
Indian newspaper history has been replete with many instances where the editor had become a law unto himself (or herself). The situation in the twin cities is no radically different, with each newspaper owner having his own axe to grind. Which is fine, one would infer considering that newspapers have their own agendas. Some good, others bad.
The late Ramnath Goenka was one newspaper owner who doubled in as an editor. Fighting the establishment had become a habit for the redoubtable man, who had in a way become a colossus in the publishing industry. But others have not had such a chequered track record.
Some editors spend more time pursuing other hobbies other than what they are supposed to be doing best – staying put in the office. A few months ago the editor of one of Hyderabad’s leading (no, make that fastest growing) English newspaper was appointed as the head of a souvenir committee for a community get together.
Not strictly his job, one would say. But then, no one would notice thought the old man. The organisers who were looking for funds to bankroll the community’s festival celebrations, knew that if someone could pull in the advertisements for the souvenir, it had to be the editorji. Smart move.
But in his eagerness to attain immortality among the community members and brand himself as a superstar, our old man went overboard. The editorji called up all the leading corporates of the city and demanded that they part with advertisements for the souvenir. The big bosses of the companies had no choice, for they knew the price for non-compliance.
A no would have meant that the company misdeeds would get front-page coverage. A load of advertisements would have the opposite effect. Press notes claiming anything and everything about the company would get a pride of place. No wonder many big names of the industry in the twin cities followed suit by releasing advertisements in the souvenir.
One such company, which followed the editor’s directive and released an advertisement was founded by a man who is now a MP from Vijayawada. The PR guys from the company nowadays walk into the editor’s cabin with unfailing regularity. Sometimes it’s to present the editor with toys from Kondapalli (did you get the company’s name by now) or a big box of dry fruits and sweets from Vijayawada (where else?). But more often than not the PR guys walk in (without even tapping the door) and hand in press notes to the editorji on how well the original promoter, their MD and everyone else in the company is doing.
And the dictum from the editor to the desk guys is simple – take the press release as top priority. What’s next, wonder the correspondents at the business desk of this newspaper?
Take Tuesday’s business page of this newspaper and there is a glorified repot on how this Hyderabad-based group has won the bid for a power project in Madhya Pradesh. Even a back of the envelope calculation will show that this project is doomed to fail at the high cost that was quoted just to win a bid. But nowhere in the article is that matter spoken about. Industry experts say that the group’s absurdly high bid was just meant to prop up its shares that were recently listed after an IPO. Bad luck, they did not factor Tuesday’s 340-point crash that followed.
The old man in the meanwhile is in a glum mood, with news dribbling in that someone has sent in a dossier of his misdeeds to the bosses at Bahadurshah ZafarMarg. Poor guy, what else can he do but stare in lost thoughts, counting his last days in office. Not that the cremation ground, which can be seen from his cabin, gives any confidence.
Sometimes too much of a thing can be bad for health. It’s better to be honest than a crook. Poor old man, we wish some one could tell him this.
PS : Want to know who all advertised in the souvenir? Check with the Samiti members Opp Indira Park and the school in Secunderabad Aaj ki taaza khabar. Bechne gaya tha par bechara bik gaya.
7 comments:
Hey,who ever u r. U r doing a great work. Keep it up... ur work is being appreciated by many...
I donno who this Ram Karan is. All that I heard and saw through this blog is that he is a top guy with top calibers. But, it seems even top guys sometimes does mistakes! Perhaps, they do so, by looking everything from the top. Let me, put the record straight:
First, this Ram Karan claimed someone (perhaps working for TOI) described it as a ‘randhikhana’ and took objection to it. Surely, I do unconditionally agree with him, as such a usage is not acceptable. But, permit me to ask him, the response: Randikhana. I guess you have said it. That's what Mr Nag is running at Times. A Randikhana. I didn't say it. You said it. (With apologies to RK Laxman) is only a follow up to what some one said: stop imagining that TOI has become a ‘randhikhana’ after RK quit. So, better one should be mindful of using a word on a public forum like this. For every provocation and action, there will be a reaction. Let this man know that there can’t be claps with a single hand.
Second, what added spice to the comments section (as I see it on the blog) is only a reaction, to a remark that was made by someone, berating some others as ‘weeded out’…. ‘redundants’. So, be kind and rational while fixing responsibility, and calling people as ‘snitches and weasels’ carping ‘from the safety of their dank cloisters’. Can we expect in a public forum like this that some should be Jesus Christ like and others are free to talk and speak the way they like, and make a mockery of others?
Third, if ‘dissent from the safety of anonymity is no dissent’ than let us banish the words like ‘according sources’, ‘on condition of anonymity’ from the field of journalism. Or, pack our bags, leaving the field of journalism to dogs and vultures. So that top guys and their affectionate ones alone live happily and forever. Is it Okay for you Sir?
hey vikram,
come on man. editors doing other roles is nothing new. take a look at atj. she had once asked her reporters to work on circulation. in fact, she had fixed targets for them and increased salaries for them accordingly. not to talk about toi, let me say a word about others. look at vaartha, jyothi and bhoomi. the reporters are responsible for the ads, circulation. they have monthly targets of both circulation and ads collection. after all, the reporters live on the commissions that they earn from the number of copies they book and the number of advts they bring. u know, i was told that once, sanghi had told his reporters not to ask him for pay. and today, his reporters are most corrupt. they take rs. 100, pay rs 25 to the company and live on rs. 75. i'm not blaming the reporters. corruption starts with the management. look at dc. they don't go for commercial meets, thanks to nair, who denounced such meets in his columns. even today, i know, several of the dc scribes don't attend such meets. 75 per cent of corruption is mostly because of the management. i want everyone to remember this.
Vikram be careful about your identity. eenadu guys are searching for you.
Hey Vikram,
That's a bit more, man! Forgot Pradyuman Maheshwai and his Media Weblog? It's not a tough job to track you down... Be very carefyl, we want you to take the blog forward... Intersting to read those untold stories...
My dear fellow, donot worry. Vikram is not the name of one guy.
The first letters of the names of a group of individuals have been jumbled to arrive at the name-VIKRAM.
So, rest assured. Sorry Eenadu guys, no use sweating, where and whom will you search for?
Vikram be careful about your identity. eenadu guys are searching for you.
what else disgruntled ramoji can do? there is a saying, you can't cover sunlight with hands.
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