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Greetings!
This News Letter from the GujaratGlobal brings to you the latest happening in the media particularly in Gujarat, whats hot and whats not , who's in and who's out , you want it and you get it here !This newsletter is about people who craft voice and image of others. It is about the real newsmakers.
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Editor Says .....
There are certain things one loves to repeat
even at the cost of being dubbed as maha bore. Self praise is one of such
universal human trait. I am also human. So friends let me tell you once more
that the weekly newsletter is getting fantastic response ! Any doubt ? Your visit here
is ample proof of this !!!!
Lets talk about the present issue. Budget
session in the Parliament and State Assemblies is getting over. This issue of
the Media Newsletter is about different aspects of the reporting of
Parliamentary Affairs. We have instances from Gujarat Assembly,but the situation
is more or less same elsewhere.
We often find behaviour of our
representatives in Parliament and Assemblies stooping new low. Many sociologists
love to call it a reflection of the level of society. This fall of standards in
public life is visible in media also. In the Privileged among privileged, I have
tried to focus on what happens in the press gallery, sanctum sanctorium in the
precincts of the building that runs the democratic system of framing laws and
presenting the views of people through elected representative system.
Present Speaker of Gujarat Assembly Ashok
Bhatt is a man with a deep insight into the working of the media. With his this
knowledge, he creates headlines with the ease of an experienced journalist. He
dictates his agenda by giving a straight copy to newsmen.
Friends, I once again draw your attention
to the blog http://www.medianewsletter.blogspot.com where you
can interact with like minded friends and can also present your voice of dissent
or the other side of story. I request you all to share your views and
experiences on the blog.
Have A Happy Reading.
With love Yogesh Sharma
Gujarat Global. | |
Archive...
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Media Masalaa Headless News Agencies UNI and PTI both are now headless in
Gujarat. Prakash Bhargav of UNI who was on long leave has sent in his
resignation from his Delhi residence. He has served UNI for more than 29 years.
He says that he is considering various options available to him. This includes
freelancing from Delhi. Though he did not stay much in Gujarat during his two
year tenure, he likes Gujarat as a place and would love to stay connected with
Gujarat. He would be visiting Gujarat for personal reasons.
V N Balakrishna has also quit UNI and
joined Indo Asian News Service.With this ,Mahendra Parmar is once again holding
the fort of the UNI. He has two others in his team.
PTI is virtual staff less. Anand its
Chief of Bureau here recently joined Times Group while two others have also
joined the Times Group.The sole survivor Parag Dave has been promoted as
principal Correspondent and made in-charge of Ahmedabad office. He is likely to
get one junior from April 1. Press -Police confrontation: Kutch journalists up in arms This week when BJP Leader L K Advani
visited Kutch, journalists covering him had a tough time. Police Superintendent
started asking journalists of print media to go away when Advani was talking to
electronic media. When some journalists questioned the action of the DSP Hari
Krishna Patel, he asked his men to remove journalists from the platform. A lady
journalist, accredited correspondent of Jansataa, Jayshri Mehta became target of
the ire of Patel. He asked a constable to push her out of the platform.
This enraged journalists. They boycotted
the event and later presented a memorandum to the DIG Border Range G S Malik and
District Collector R R Varsani against Patel. It was rare event in this border
district.
Mehta, who has complained against DSP to
the DIG in writing said that she was not only an accredited correspondent, but
she had even special security pass from the police department for covering
Advani's visit. She said when the journalists were waiting at the spot
pre-decided by the police department to interview Advani after the function,
Patel asked print media persons to leave the place.
"When I asked Patel why he was
discriminating journalists this way, he abused me and asked a lady constable to
shove me away. He (Patel) had himself raised his hand, but withdrew it when I
and other journalists strongly protested. I have complained to the chief
minister as well as Kutch minister Vasan Ahir who happened to be on there on the
spot," Mehta said.
Confrontation between police and media is
now a routine affairs. Organisers invite media to cover VVIPs and celebrities.
However, police find movement of journalists at the venue a hindrance. It is a
different thing that the same policeman allows Khadi clad neta looking person to
roam around with dance attendance. All security norms are flouted even for small
time netas. Organisers need media for the publicity and later use such incidence
to show how popular their main guest is !!!! |
Mediamen on the move Alok Sharma Takes VRS
Alok Sharma, Chief Inspector Public
Relations , Western Railway posted at Ahmedabad has taken voluntary retirement
after 31 years of service. Before coming to Ahmedabad in 1990 , Sharma was in
Aburoad looking after catering. Earlier he was in Ajmer and was also Chief
Vigilance Inspector, a coveted post in those days. March 31 is his last working
day.
B R Malaviya has joined the PR department
here as PR inspector. He has come to PR wing from the Railway Protection Force | |
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Privileged among privileged
When I visited the Gujarat State Assembly
for the first time as a student of Journalism, it was an enviable awe inspiring
experience. Assembly sergeants in impeccable white uniform directing strangers
and visitors with a command of authority.And when I visited the Assembly to
cover proceedings as a reporter of Indian Express, I had another experience of
the Assembly.Even the elite, the media- not a popular term in those days, had to
stick to rules. I distinctly remember my first day. While
leaving the gallery, I had left my papers on the writing desk. A senior next to
me drew my attention to the papers. He asked me to put all my papers in the desk
so that nothing flew away from the desk. He explained to me that if papers flew
and got into the House, I would be punished. It amounted to throwing papers into
the gallery, common form of protest in the Assembly by outsiders.Such was the
sense of decorum of the House and spirit of help of fellow journalists. Now, the atmosphere in the corridors of
the Assembly is more or less same. Strict discipline for outsiders and
strangers. MLAs, officers in the officers gallery and visitors in the visitors
gallery have to follow the strict discipline. Speaker is the ultimate
unchallenged undisputed authority for all. Everyone is conscious of the the
omnipresent authority of the Speaker. There is an unwritten dress code. Sober
colours and formal clothes are still a tradition followed by all.
Last week, Jagdish Thakore of Congress
drew the attention of the Speaker to two senior officers of the Information
Department sitting in the visitor gallery.There was nothing wrong in the sense
that anyone can be in visitors gallery. But the officers slipped out of the
gallery the moment the issue was raised.
But the scenario in the press gallery has
undergone a sea change. Journalists talk freely at a decibel that is audible
even to some members in House. Frequent movement in the gallery attracts
attention of everyone in the House. There is a good number of women journalists.
In the last session, Sergeant had found a lady journalist giving a note to a
sewak in the House from the press gallery. Proceedings were on. He called the
lady and warned her . This was one of the several such incidents which showed
changing times in the gallery. This week again a lady journalist was seen
sending a note through sewak.
Assembly has audio-visual recording of the
proceedings. At certain places like office of the Leader of Opposition, Canteen
and press room one can see these proceedings live. Earlier this month, newly
elected Speaker Ashok Bhatt found a channel showing the scenes which were
removed from the record of the proceedings of the House. He sought explanation
from the channel. Top brass of the channel was in the Assembly. They tendered an
apology. The issue was settled. However, after two days the Speaker issued a
circular which pointed out that recording of the proceedings of the House
through the network of Close Circuit TV was not allowed and asserted that there
should not be any recording.
The problem is that there is a very wide
gap between seniors and juniors. It is quite difficult to meet the challenging
attitude of juniors who can question anyone about anything. Who can dare tell
them about the decorum of the press gallery ! People in the press gallery are
privileged among privileged!! For your comments
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Ashok Bhatt, Master of the Art of hitting headlines The new Gujarat Assembly has Ashok Bhatt
as its Speaker. Bhatt has many distinctions to his credit. He is the MLA
representing Khadia constituency in Ahmedabad since 1975, longest surviving MLA
in the country. During this period he has witnessed turbulent periods of Gujarat
as a society and its politics.
Today when incumbency is a catch phrase in
Indian politics, Bhatt's survival as MLA from Khadia is a classic example of his
ability to hit right note with his electorate. His personality has another
fascinating aspect. However, media and his contemporaries have not been able to
do justice to this aspect of his personality. This is his ability to hit
headlines at his will and in his way.
It may sound strange when one learns that
he his just SSC. He has no qualification in Journalism nor has he undertaken any
course in media. He is great in throwing up ideas that catch the attention of
the media instantly. PR skills are natural gift to him. He is always willing to
help people particularly people from press. But his mastery is much beyond
simple PR tricks of exchanging pleasantries and offering help.
It is a know fact that Health, Law and
Justice are among those departments which are not sought after by politicians.
These are not newsy departments. Nor they are considered important. But Ashok
Bhatt has shown that even these dull departments can be turned into happening
departments from media point of view.
Malaria is a common health problem. No one
thinks beyond quinine tablets. But our Bhattji had processions of monstrous
models of mosquitoes to tell people about the villan that caused malaria! This
was a good picture event for media. Then there were all kind of information
tableau. Once the issue of problem of malaria in the Banaskantha district was
raised in the House. He had a very creative explanation. He said flooding of
water from the neighbouring Pakistan was the main cause of Malaria in the border
district. No one could miss the story, whatsoever may be the fact of the
flooding water.
He would have plenty of such occasions. He
was probably the first Health Minister who involved UNICEF and had frequent
joint media interactions. Promotion of Ayurveda and projects of development of
herbal plants brought him fruits in the form of wide media coverage. His tenure
as Law and Justice Minister saw news stories of Lok Adalats, evening courts and
National Law University in Gujarat!
It is a known fact that Chief Minister
Narendra Modi's decision to have him as speaker did not bring cheers to him. But
he had to accept the job. Once he accepted it, he started showing his best. He
visited the vast library of the Assembly. It had no readers. He sent letters to
all MLAs asking them to use the Library. It was a good news copy that MLAs did
not use the library. All had this news as prominent one. Next day he wrote a
letter to former MLAs asking them to keep relations with the Assembly as the
creator of present Gujarat. A creative newsworthy idea! Then he arranged a three
day workshop for MLAs. Lok Sabha Speaker was among the important speakers.
Certainly a national event.
Even during the budget session, he showed
his creative newsiness. What use speakers make of the CCTV. Hardly any. But
Ashok Bhatt started viewing tapes of all cameras after Assembly hours. He found
some MLAs sharing chocolate , ministers sending notes to MLAs to ask questions.
He used this information in the House to act as a good successful monitor!!
At a time, when people curse media for its
reporting and charge it with writing all kind of things, here is Ashok Bhatt who
sets agenda for media and succeeds in it!!!
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Learning Zone
Words are sacred, use them with
respect
For any two persons, words are powerful
packages of communications. But most of us use words most carelessly. In the
case of journalists such a disregard for words has serious consequences. It is
just because many people still hold journalists in high regard and use
newspapers and magazines to sharpen their communication skills.
On Wednesday, ten undertrials escaped from
police custody. All newspapers in Gujarat reported the incident in great
detail. Many used the word prisoner for the undertrials. Some used the
expression convict. It was a shocking case of utter disregard to the words and
their meanings. It was a case of some persons who were arrested for some loot
cases. They were being tried for those cases. So the fact is that they were not
proved guilty and they were in jail just because case against them was still
on.
They were undertrial because the case was
going on. They were not prisoners in the sense they were not convicted. With the
use of words prisoners and convicts complexion of the new changes.
So when you use a word, be sure that you
use right word. Audience may have people with right sense of meanings of words.
In this case, what would be the reaction of police personnel and lawyers and
judges who use these terms daily. |
Media fraternity
Annual Dinner of GMC Gujarat Media Club is going to have its annual dinner on Saturday March 29. This
time the club has fixed a party plot as its venue. Certainly better place than
last year's disquoth. This is the second event of the Club during this month.
Lets hope the Dinner will have more members and more fun. Hope that the new team
taking over from April 1 will increase the number of activities from the two
events-Cricket carnival and annual dinner. Rennovation of Mumbai Press Club
Rennovation of the Mumbai Press club is almost in final stage. The rennovated
club is likely to start full fledged activities around middle of April. However,
date of relaunch of the Club is yet to be announced. | |
Our
lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to
what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we
bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive
thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates
extraordinary results.
''Anon''
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With Love,
Yogesh Sharma GujaratGobal.com
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