But the fact of the matter is that it is people who run the media circus. Normal people who are susceptible to emotions, day-to-day problems, people who get to spend very little time outside the sphere of normal operations, be it with their families or with loved ones. But none of this count as the news cycle is merciless. Yesterday's glory is already history as today begins on a brand new and thankless note. The constant need to innovate and stay on the ball means that this is not a place for the faint of heart or for those who lack the grit and determination keep innovating constantly.
Everything you do is dissected, criticized and analysed in full public view. It is a rarity to have everyone applauding a good story; someone somewhere out there is always mad at what you did and the misplaced concept of objectivity is flagged in your face almost all the time. It is a different matter that the written or spoken word is never objective. Even in the incomprehensibly miniscule distance that your thoughts travel from the mind to the paper or the keyboard, they are given your own personal touch and flavoured by your viewpoint and experiences. The same is the case with news, even when supported by an army of editors, you cannot ever keep it completely objective.
All of this takes quite a toll on the inhabitants of the circus. There are some people in the office who always seem to be there, even when you come in the morning or leave late at night. There are no holidays to speak of and once you are done with your work you settle down to see what the competition is up to. It is a vicious and maddening cycle. Everything you see is a story idea. You end up looking for the 'right angles' even for the wrong stories and constantly seek out what will 'impact' the viewers 'differently'.
Eventually, detachment rings in and most of the brave few who stick it out in the long run end up spending more time with their computers cameras and cigarettes than families, friends and loved ones. None of this, of course, is seen on-screen. We shove all the jaded thoughts out of reach of the camera or the written word, put on our best smiles and the most earnest of expressions and we trot out the familiar lines.
In a way it is a tragedy, for what is lacking in passion is often made up by faux intensity, but it is also a tribute to the storyteller's spirit, which still carries on even in these troubled and confusing times. On most days the end result is nothing compared to the effort and the intent that went into it. But even with all of its imperfections, someone from the circus is always there, holding the flag up and bringing the news to you. And I guess that is our one and only consolation.
Update: Reply to comments
Prashant, can't agree more with the point about the image. Sometimes I can't understand what the fuss is all about. As long as your reporting is kept clean from then analysis, it should not be a problem that you, like anyone else, has an opinion.
Bhavya, suspicion is dying art form these days and the baton being passed to slightly more naive and indifferent younger generation only makes things more difficult. We are trying, mostly in bits and pieces. Television as medium is very inflexible in its workflows and processes. Let us keep our fingers crossed.
Shankari, Yes, I do really love my job, despite the constant contrarian spiel.
Mahesh, yes, there are a lot of issues that need to be tackled by the media, but we have our own compulsions too and it is a difficult balancing act. Like I wrote, someone is always going to be unhappy about what you do, it is a choice you have to make between many bad options.
From the little that I know, nobody is hired into a media organisation because of their political leanings. You have to be able to do your work well in the first place (mostly edit copy, basic reporting etc) to be hired. The political leaning is a byproduct of people who are generally better read and opinionated. So you can't quite hire with an agenda that aims at balancing viewpoints.
Divya, I am actually embarrassed that you think so highly of a pithy blog entry. Have never read Rand, but I am quite sure the blog is not worthy of the comparison.first published:February 16, 2006, 10:35 ISTlast updated:February 16, 2006, 10:35 IST
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The news machinery is a well-oiled beast - an assembly line of reporters, editors, producers and technicians that rolls along at a maddening pace. A trip down to the first floor of our office, where most of the show is run out of, sometimes resembles the Orc assembly line in Isengard. Though I would have to clarify that we look and smell considerably better and there are no plans of dominating the Earth, Middle or otherwise, and our motives are considerably nobler, though a lot of the readers would beg to differ.
But the fact of the matter is that it is people who run the media circus. Normal people who are susceptible to emotions, day-to-day problems, people who get to spend very little time outside the sphere of normal operations, be it with their families or with loved ones. But none of this count as the news cycle is merciless. Yesterday's glory is already history as today begins on a brand new and thankless note. The constant need to innovate and stay on the ball means that this is not a place for the faint of heart or for those who lack the grit and determination keep innovating constantly.
Everything you do is dissected, criticized and analysed in full public view. It is a rarity to have everyone applauding a good story; someone somewhere out there is always mad at what you did and the misplaced concept of objectivity is flagged in your face almost all the time. It is a different matter that the written or spoken word is never objective. Even in the incomprehensibly miniscule distance that your thoughts travel from the mind to the paper or the keyboard, they are given your own personal touch and flavoured by your viewpoint and experiences. The same is the case with news, even when supported by an army of editors, you cannot ever keep it completely objective.
All of this takes quite a toll on the inhabitants of the circus. There are some people in the office who always seem to be there, even when you come in the morning or leave late at night. There are no holidays to speak of and once you are done with your work you settle down to see what the competition is up to. It is a vicious and maddening cycle. Everything you see is a story idea. You end up looking for the 'right angles' even for the wrong stories and constantly seek out what will 'impact' the viewers 'differently'.
Eventually, detachment rings in and most of the brave few who stick it out in the long run end up spending more time with their computers cameras and cigarettes than families, friends and loved ones. None of this, of course, is seen on-screen. We shove all the jaded thoughts out of reach of the camera or the written word, put on our best smiles and the most earnest of expressions and we trot out the familiar lines.
In a way it is a tragedy, for what is lacking in passion is often made up by faux intensity, but it is also a tribute to the storyteller's spirit, which still carries on even in these troubled and confusing times. On most days the end result is nothing compared to the effort and the intent that went into it. But even with all of its imperfections, someone from the circus is always there, holding the flag up and bringing the news to you. And I guess that is our one and only consolation.
Update: Reply to comments
Prashant, can't agree more with the point about the image. Sometimes I can't understand what the fuss is all about. As long as your reporting is kept clean from then analysis, it should not be a problem that you, like anyone else, has an opinion.
Bhavya, suspicion is dying art form these days and the baton being passed to slightly more naive and indifferent younger generation only makes things more difficult. We are trying, mostly in bits and pieces. Television as medium is very inflexible in its workflows and processes. Let us keep our fingers crossed.
Shankari, Yes, I do really love my job, despite the constant contrarian spiel.
Mahesh, yes, there are a lot of issues that need to be tackled by the media, but we have our own compulsions too and it is a difficult balancing act. Like I wrote, someone is always going to be unhappy about what you do, it is a choice you have to make between many bad options.
From the little that I know, nobody is hired into a media organisation because of their political leanings. You have to be able to do your work well in the first place (mostly edit copy, basic reporting etc) to be hired. The political leaning is a byproduct of people who are generally better read and opinionated. So you can't quite hire with an agenda that aims at balancing viewpoints.
Divya, I am actually embarrassed that you think so highly of a pithy blog entry. Have never read Rand, but I am quite sure the blog is not worthy of the comparison.
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