Media Newsletter

Issue 41

February 09, 2009

Greetings!

This Newsletter 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..... Brutal retrenchments

Friends for about ten days I was in Delhi. This is not to explain delay in this issue of the newsletter. Delhi media is agog with large scale retrenchment in newspapers and channels. Particular is the case of Hindustan group.
Vinod Varshney who is known for his writings in Science was asked to submit resignation or receive termination letter. Varshney in the fag end of his career opted for the first one as a fait accompli. He was to retire within six months. He was paid advance salary of two months.
Rathindas Gujarat Correspondent of Hindustan Times was called to Delhi. He was asked to hand over resignation. Same story. He is now jobless after serving HT for more than three decades.
These two are among number of senior level journalists who are given this brutal treatment. To name few, Harish Mishra and Brajesh Shukla in Lucknow and Vivek Shukla With stories of meltdown doing rounds, many see these as some kind of retrenchments. Is it true? Are these senior journalists incompetent? If this is the case then what about their long innings with such prestigious newspapers like Hindustan and Hindustan Times.
In the case of HT group, interesting fact is that its staff dominates Press Association with 28 per cent of its members from this group of newspaper. Its general secretary is among those who have been kicked out. The President of the Association is still staff of the group. No need to tell the rest of the story.
This is not the story of HT group alone. Many big newspapers are indulging in this practice. It is high time that those who are in the job should think that saving one's job is not a solution to escape brutal retrenchments.
The issue has an article based on a talk with veteran journalist Arvind Singh about the retrenchment scenario and other interesting media masaala.

With love

Yogesh Sharma

Gujarat Global

Archive...

Did u miss out on any of the action which has taken place or want to sneak a peek again?? Here is our Archive.
Now you can find all our earlier issues here.

Archive Gallery..

Media Masalaa

Creative city fathers and unwanted jurnos

January- February is the budget season. Different bodies of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation have different media briefings for their budget proposals. To meet the challenge of unwanted journalists at these briefings, city fathers had quite innovative ideas.

Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service had names of the publications pasted on chairs. Obviously, only those who had chairs for them had share of gift and lunch of the AMTS.

Standing Committee, the apex body of the Corporation, was one step ahead. Its invitation was sent to journalists at their residence. There was a small slip attached to the invitation- collect your gift from the Secretary's office on the basis of this slip!

Still they had problem, but its was marginal said a senior officer.

Filmy coverage of Aamir Khan

This Saturday Aamir Khan was at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to teach revenue model of film making. IIM calls journalists at the drop of hat. But in this case, there was not even a word from IIM.

However, our friends swarmed the place for the news. After much halla Gullah at the office and residence of the Director, photographers could get entry in Aamir's class for a snap only. No journalists were allowed. Journalists were told that Aamir did not want media.

Next day newspapers were full of colourful reports of Aamir's class. Reading most of the reports gave the impression of eye witness account! What will you call it? Reel filmy reporting!!!

Storm in Himmatsinh's tea cup

Former Ahmedabad Mayor and Congress leader Himmatsinh Patel had no idea what he was inviting when he went to BJP state president Purshottam Rupala for a cup of tea. Next day English daily had a scoop that Himmatsinh who was denied ticket in the Assembly was planning to switch over to BJP. It further pointed out that he had half an hour long closed door meeting with Rupala and Himmatsinh's move had caused anger in the rank and file of Congress. All this in four to five hours of the meeting!

Next day a Gujarati daily had elaborate story which said that Himmatsinh went to meet Rupala on the pretext of giving invitation of marriage in the family of a friend. Certainly, this piece was after talking to Himmatsinh.

The fact was something like this. His friend had gone to BJP office to give invitation to Rupala. When Rupala asked him for a cup of tea, he refused saying that Himmatsinh was waiting in his car. Rupala rang up Himmatsinh and asked him to join them for tea. Himmatsinh known for his wide network of contacts across party affiliations did not see any problem and had a cup of tea with Rupala over some jokes.

Next day his phone kept on ringing as he had a storm in a cup of tea.

R Day media parade by IFFCO MD

Managing Director of IFFCO Udai Shankar Awasthi was here on January 26. He made his PR department bring journalists for his media interaction. After much persuasion, only four journalists could be brought to the venue as it was closed holiday in Gujarat.

Poor journalists had to wait fretting and fuming for Udai Shankar for one and half hours as Udai Shankar realised that there was solar eclipse and he had to appease evil forces first and media later.

You can subscribe yourself

Friends daily I am receiving requests from many friends for the newsletter. There must be many who might not have contacted me. For all here is a simple way to get this newsletter. Every newsletter has a sign up box. Just fill it and you will get the newsletter. The sign up box is also on the top of the right side of the website www.gujaratglobal.com.www.gujaratglobal.com. Still if you wish me to register your subscription write to me!!

Electronic media ambush Rahul Gandhi's programme
By Yogesh Sharma

* NSUI president Hibi Eden files police complaint of theft and tress passing against four journalists

Correspondents of electronic media covering Congress beat in Delhi had a taste of anger of Rahul Gandhi last fortnight. The correspondents had a field day during the lunch break of a programme organised by Rahul Gandhi for the leaders of NSUI and youth Congress.
Angry over this, Rahul Gandhi gave a good dressing down to the journalists who were present at the venue. He did not stop here. He made NSUI president Hibi Eden file a police complaint against journalists of three channels charging them with theft and trespassing. Even after a fortnight, the complaint is very much there.
It is an incident that took place at the venue of a programme Rahul Gandhi had organised for NSUI and Youth Congress to develop leadership qualities in the youth leaders of Congress. Media was not allowed to enter. However, some waited outside for a story.
All participants came out around 1 pm. Many journalists barged into the place. They found blackboard full of instructional notes like difference between crowd and voters and how to tap youth. There was a laptop on the dais and there were personal notes of Rahul Gandhi about Obama and Satyam scandal.
It was a great scoop for journalists. They had piece to Camera (PTC) for their channel news sitting in the chair of Rahul Gandhi. It is said that some even pocketed some hand written literature from the table of Rahul Gandhi. None had the idea that it was lunch break.
On return, Rahul Gandhi was shocked to see the media ambush. SPG came in action. Journalists were driven away. It was found that some notes were missing. Rahul Gandhi showed his ruffled tempers to police and press both. He asked police to find out the culprit and register case. Some SPG fellows were suspended.

Next day Rahul Gandhi personally inquired about the case. This pressed panic button and police registered cases of theft and trespassing against three journalists. NSUI president Hibi Eden became complainant. By this time all agencies from police to RAW and SPG had contacted the top brass of the channels in Delhi for the missing papers and obviously to make sure that none aired the programme.
In his complaint, Eden named Mithilesh Kumar of India TV, Raman Kumar of News 24 and Sandeep Sonwalkar of Aaj Tak. Channels had their crime correspondents keeping a tab on police action. The reporters were asked not to come to office. They changed their mobile phones to prevent surveillance by police.
Next day, the three reporters appeared before police and they were questioned by police. However, complaints of theft and trespass is very much against them as it has neither been withdrawn nor any action taken on it.

   Government should issue white paper on the income of big newspapers

Large scale retrenchment by the newspapers has brought an atmosphere of depressing gloom in media. However, many in the field feel that managements are using the situation of global meltdown to throw the staff out without paying any compensation.
Arvind Singh, a senior journalist and Resident Editor of Delhi edition of Haribhoomi, feels that the government should step in to check this trend. He says that if the trend continued journalists will have to face worst conditions.
Referring to two major Delhi newspapers, Hindustan group and Times of India group, he says that they have good earning and profits. Recent elections and coming Lok Sabha elections will prove bonanza for advertisement revenue. In such a situation there is no logic in retrenchment.
He says that on the hand newsprint prices have a downward trend. This is a major factor in the cost of production. He sees no reason for retrenchments. Big newspapers are setting a very bad trend. This gives a cue to other smaller newspapers to follow the trend without any fear, Arvind says.
Referring to removal of very senior journalists from Hindustan group, he says that the way it is being done is very insulting and brutal. People with several years of service are removed without any kind of formal intimation.
Even if the point of recession is true, he says, the managements should try with the idea of reduction in salaries before going for such avoidable drastic action, according to Arvind. He agrees that the prevalent contract system is the biggest culprit and blames editors for it.
Many have become editor suddenly overnight and this fall in editorial quality is taking media

Defaulters to lose PCI membership

* PCI deposits Rs 1.44 crore for land

The notice board at the entrance of the Press Club of India has a long list of members who have not paid their membership fee for long. The total outstanding of 321 members is Rs 8.44 lakh. They have been asked to pay the pending amount or face the cancellation of the membership of the Club. Till now only about a score have paid the pending fee.
This is one of the measures Club has initiated to make it more efficient and service oriented while plugging the leaks says its Secretary General Pushpendra Kulshrestha. One of the biggest achievements of the Club is, he says, it has deposited Rs 1.42 crore with the government for the land for new building of the Club at the Rajendra Prasad Road.
The land was cleared for the Press Club ten years back, but the Club could raise only Rs 30 lakh in the first seven years. In the last three years the Club has raised Rs. 1.12 Crore, he points out. Pushpendra is Secretary General for the last three years and emerged as the most powerful personality in the bitterly fought elections last year.
Talking about his plans, he says the kitchen of the Club known for its good food is undergoing heavy losses and it will be outsourced. Against an expenditure of Rs 27 lakh, the income is around seven lakh. The rest is met through donations from corporate members.
The club has 4500 members of which 2640 are journalists while the rest fall in the category of corporate members.

Quote

The media tends to report rumors, speculations and projections as facts...How does media do this? By quoting some "expert"...you can always find some expert who will say something hopelessly hopeless about anything
Peter Mcwilliams

With Love,

Yogesh Sharma
GujaratGlobal.com