Media Newsletter
GujaratGlobal
Issue 4
March 27, 2008
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.
 
 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.

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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

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!!!

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''


With Love,
 
Yogesh Sharma
GujaratGobal.com