MxMIndia

Category: HARD KNOCKS

Anil Thakraney’s view on adland, medialand and more

  • You have to make your mind steely hard, and the heart shatter-proof. You have to be emotionally tough. So that when things go all wrong, you can simply shrug, down a few tequila shots with your gal pals, and move on. No man is worth dying for.

    Anil Thakraney: Lessons from Jiah’s tragedy

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    It’s a gloomy, rainy Friday in Mumbai, and for a change, I want to take a break from the usual work talk, and instead deal with a human issue. And this is triggered by starlet Jiah Khan’s suicide and the subsequent arrest of her boyfriend, who’s been charged with abetment. That case will collapse in court on the very first day of the hearing, but that’s not what I wish to discuss here.

     

    Thing is, just like the showbiz, the world of media, advertising and marketing is bustling with single women. Naturally, they date, they have intimate relationships, they live-in or they marry. While our industry doesn’t put as much strain on the girls as it happens in Bollywood, the pressures of career success, the longing for a better life, the dynamics of human relationships, etc, are pretty much the same. Being single and often without family support means that the young women have to find a way to deal with stressful situations on their own. I personally know of at least two women from the ad world whose life went downhill because they fell for the wrong guy. One landed in a hospital, another one had a nervous breakdown, she left the country to live with her NRI parents. Thankfully, no one committed suicide, not that I know of.

     

    But it can happen, and therefore this post. Now, I am no agony aunt, in fact, I usually like to spread agony all around. J However, this much I have learnt in life: Relationships will get forged, some will be great, some will be disastrous. You will meet nice guys and you will meet creeps. Creeps most likely, and I say this as a man: Many of us guys are jerks, we will eventually disappoint you. Therefore you have to make your mind steely hard, and the heart shatter-proof. You have to be emotionally tough. So that when things go all wrong, you can simply shrug, down a few tequila shots with your gal pals, and move on. No man is worth dying for, period. Don’t want to hear of a Jiah Khan or Nafisa Joseph tragedy in our world.

     

    I’ll leave you with this quote from Marilyn Monroe, it worked then and it works now: “This life is what you make it. No matter what, you’re going to mess up sometimes, it’s a universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you’re going to mess it up. Girls will be your friends – they’ll act like it anyway. But just remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything – they’re your true best friends. Don’t let go of them. Also remember, sisters make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they’ll come and go too. And baby, I hate to say it, most of them – actually pretty much all of them are going to break your heart, but you can’t give up because if you give up, you’ll never find your soul mate. You’ll never find that half who makes you whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn’t mean you’re gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always, always believe in yourself, because if you don’t, then who will, sweetie? So keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling, because life’s a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”

     

    Good luck to all of you. And keep smiling.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • As the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Unsubscribing from TV audience measurement might help improve television programming in India.

    Anil Thakraney: Divorcing TAM could be a blessing

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Okay, so a whole lot of broadcasters are busy unsubscribing from TAM’s data. If you ask me, I would say that’s not such a bad thing. TAM’s methodologies have been questioned and debated for years and years, and yet the issues haven’t been resolved, there is discontent in the world of media, nobody seems to be happy. TV audience measurement has been a monopolistic situation, and therefore broadcasters had to simply bite the bullet. So far.

     

    I had met Shashi Sinha for an interview last year (for mxmindia), and we brought up the subject of lack of credibility in audience measurement. Sinha feels this is a problem that can be fixed with moolah. This is what he said: “Someone has to put money on the table, it’s as simple as that. The solutions are all known, I know very bright and talented people in research, what needs to be fixed is known. The problem is: No one is willing to invest. Today, if television measurement costs Rs 20 crores, what if Rs 100 crores was spent on it?” Although I am not an expert on this subject, have to say I am not sure if the problems have to do only with lack of adequate funding. Perhaps BARC will set it right next year, though I wonder if they have such deep pockets.

     

    Anyway, from the looks of it, crores of rupees worth advertising spend will now be decided, at least for the next one year, by many advertisers without using TAM’s data. And speaking for myself, this situation excites me. Because this means that advertisers and media planners will start using common sense and intuitive thinking. Instead of blindly putting massive amounts of money based on questionable data. As far as the Hindi GECs go, perhaps all the money won’t be spent on saas bahu shows, other formats/ideas could find much-needed support. This would put pressure on producers/channels to experiment more. Even on the news channels, advertisers would use gut feel, and perhaps shows whose anchors holler and shriek less will find some ad revenue. And if the decisions are proved wrong, planners and brand managers will be forced to take responsibility for their choices, rather than pass the buck onto TAM. In short, this would result in risky but innovative decisions.

     

    As the cliche goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Unsubscribing from TV audience measurement might help improve television programming in India. And cheers to that.

     

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    PS: A photographer managed to get these expressions from bachchas. By giving them an ice-cream cone, and then abruptly taking it away from them. I know that’s mean. But it’s cute too. 🙂

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Such an award will help shift the focus back to real journalism. The reason why many of us opted for this profession in the first place. But got disillusioned along the way when we discovered that a healthy financial bottom-line seems to matter more than a healthy nation in the corporatized Indian media.

    Anil Thakraney: Tehelka’s award for courage is a good idea

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Tehelka has announced the ‘Tarun Sehrawat Award For Journalism Of Courage And Conscience’. The award is named in the memory a young journo who died on duty last year, at the age of 23, in the Naxal heartland. I think such an award is needed, and it’s a timely idea.

     

    Because, with the massive media explosion in India and the resultant cut-throat competition, real journalism seems to have been relegated to the back seat. Proprietors and marketing directors are calling the shots in most organizations; the editor’s role has become secondary. Profitability is now the name of the game, and this is what leads to ugly, completely unethical practices like paid news. Naturally, this is terrible news for India. For the nation’s good health, we have to encourage journalists to push the boundaries, and within the restrictions they find themselves in today, find a way to unearth the hard truths. There are plenty of awards given away to the members of the media each year, but I find them meaningless. Because they appear to reward style more than substance. Tehelka’s effort therefore is very welcome.

     

    And what I find most interesting is that the award is meant only for young journos, those under the age of 30 years. Terrific. We need to motivate the youngsters, we need to remind them why are journalists, we need to make sure they don’t get lost in the world of materialism and puffery. And if these dudes taste blood at a young age, chances are high they will retain the same passion for journalism throughout their careers.

     

    Of course, Tehelka is trying to build its own brand, and that’s fine. The important thing is this: Such an award will help shift the focus back to real journalism. The reason why many of us opted for this profession in the first place. But got disillusioned along the way when we discovered that a healthy financial bottom-line seems to matter more than a healthy nation in the corporatized Indian media.

     

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    PS: Crazy. A totally harmless commercial has invited a dirty backlash on the YouTube video. All because it features a mixed-race family. As a matter of fact, I think such ads should be encouraged, they are important for the plural societies we live in. And a pat on the back to the advertiser for refusing to pull the commercial. Cheers to Cheerios!

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • As the disaster strikes and the aftermath plays out, television journos must do one and only one thing: Focus on the 3Rs… rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. And only discuss the whodunit and the whydunit after some amount of normalcy has been restored.

    Anil Thakraney: Uttarakhand disaster: TV anchors screw-up yet again

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    You know who’s the biggest moron in this world? The man who reaches a building on fire, stands outside and wants to discuss in detail with those trying to douse the flames exactly what was the cause of the inferno, and who screwed up.

     

    Don’t know if this occurs to them, but some of the news channel wallahs have been doing exactly this on the Uttarakhand calamity. My friends in television must understand that their job differs from the newspaper editors when it comes to covering natural disasters or terror attacks. As the disaster strikes and the aftermath plays out, television journos must do one and only one thing: Focus on the 3Rs… rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. And only discuss the whodunit and the whydunit after some amount of normalcy has been restored, after the victims have limped back to safety. This is because television is a live medium, it carries immediacy of news. But instead of doing this, on prime time, some news channels got those usual crappy, noisy debates going, to pin responsibility on who was behind this ‘man-made’ disaster.

     

    Just think about this: What if one of my friends or relatives is marooned in Kedarnath right now? Frantic, I would be madly surfing the news channels to see how folks are being rescued, and would hope get some details of the persons stuck out there. Or, god forbid, discover if the individual dear to me is gone. In fact, this is how a BBC would go about things. Instead, I see star anchors in a free-for-all with netas and the usual studio guests. Can you blame me then if my blood goes on the boil?

     

    While newspapers and magazines can and must cover a natural disaster with a 360-degree view, television has to cover the story step by step, and only shift gears at the right time. The question is: Why aren’t the idiot box runners doing the obvious thing? I can think of two reasons. One, perhaps because they are idiots. Or two, the anchors are convinced that shouting and screaming inside studios is the only way to gain ratings, whatever be the subject. You are free to pick the right reason.

     

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    PS: An eerie anti drink driving campaign from the UK, one that might give you a heart attack in the pub itself. If they try this out in the Indian pubs, I suggest using only male mannequins. Else the BMC lady will object.

     

    Link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338000/Shocking-anti-drink-driving-campaign-scares-pub-goers-simulating-car-crash-complete-fake-blood-toilet-mirror.html

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Gossip suggests that some of the winners at Cannes are 'scam' ads, because 'nobody' has seen the winning entries in the media. It's very likely that none of them are scams. But to know that, we need access to the media plans of the winning entries.

    Anil Thakraney: Cannes winners, release your media plan

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Congratulations to the Indian ad world, it was a very satisfying show at Cannes; 33 trophies is really wow when you consider that till only a decade back we used to win zilch.

     

    However, the rumour mill is buzzing. Again. Gossip suggests that some of the winners at Cannes are ‘scam’ ads, because ‘nobody’ has seen the winning entries in the media. The PR winnings sound dodgier, the work appears to have been designed to please an international jury. For example, that bit about adopting a pothole. Wouldn’t firangi judges just lurve stuff like this from Incredible India? Everyone out here is wondering exactly how may potholes got sorted.

     

    Now, it’s quite possible that the gossip is unfair to the winners, it’s very likely that none of them are scams. But to know that, we need access to the media plans of the winning entries, and that’s impossible. One could have filed an RTI application, but sadly, the ad world doesn’t come under its purview, not yet at least. So then what’s the way out? I would urge the winners to publish their media plans in the trade media. With details of the number of insertions for press ads, number of hoardings used, etc. And the PR winners should publish full details of the operations and the effectiveness of their campaigns. I think this is important for it shall help kill the gossip. In any case, if you have done genuine work, why not proudly publish the facts?

     

    On another note, must say our continuing disappointing run in the digital category is a cause for concern. I can only think of one reason why we aren’t winning anything: Our old world creative directors who are obsessed with the traditional media, and have failed to evolve. Well, they better change this fast. By finding people who can help them understand the digital space. (By the way, many of these giants haven’t even tried out social media, I kid you not.)

     

    Lastly, a pat on the back to the TOI group. Despite being a huge, huge organization, they consistently find a way to inspire their ad agencies into doing scintillating work. Marketing directors and brand managers of other large companies should borrow a leaf from them. On why bigness should never come in the way of good creative work.

     

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    PS: Cool idea from the makers of Homeland, the hugely popular US TV serial. They are looking for ‘extras’ for the next season, and are inviting members of the janata to come forward and apply. Great way to promote a soap, Indian TV serial makers should try it too.

     

    Link: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/homeland-casting-call/

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • To all those speculative TV anchors now singing hosannas in the captain's honour, here's what I have to say: I may write a Booker winner, but if I have been accused of evading income tax, that victory doesn't absolve me of the charges.

    Anil Thakraney: ICC Champions Trophy Diary

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Nope, I did not follow the just concluded championship trophy, though I made it a point to watch the final match, as am sure most Indians did (aside from those in Uttarakhand, sadly). Droopy eyes at work on Monday was a clear tell-tale sign. The reason I did not care much for the ICC Champions Trophy is cricket fatigue, post the IPL. Even though I like the game, there’s only that much of it I can take. Anyway, here are some notes.

     

    Totally enjoyed the final between England and India, not just because it was a tight game but because it was good to see Kohli, Raina, Rohit, Dhawan, etc, play alongside each other, and not against each other. Every year I yearn to see this soon after the IPL ends. Don’t like the image of our cricketers snarling at one other, that should be left to our esteemed netas.

     

    I had written in a previous post that we in the media need to go easy on Maahi over the ‘conflict of interest’ allegations. And I still maintain that. However, I suspect our fickle-minded media, now soaking in the victory, will completely forget all about it. That too is not correct. If the man has done wrong, he should be investigated; the idea is to be fair to him. To all those speculative TV anchors now singing hosannas in the captain’s honour, here’s what I have to say: I may write a Booker winner, but if I have been accused of evading income tax, that victory doesn’t absolve me of the charges.

     

    It was great to see our young cricketers perform courageously. They appeared neither intimidated by the opponents nor by the bigness of the event. I like this spirit of Young India. Despite Sachin, Saurav and Rahul’s greatness, this is one quality I seldom noticed in them. The oldies would get nervous while reaching a milestone, and their faces showed tension during crunch moments. But these young chaps seem to give two hoots for pressure. I think the retirement of the old stars has done a lot to improve the can-do-will-do spirit in the team. I see brilliant times for Indian cricket in the coming years. Provided, of course, the boys manage to keep the bookies at bay. The problem with today’s kids is while courage is on the rise, so is greed.

     

    Lastly, Sunil Gavaskar’s contradictory comments left me a bit befuddled. During the tournament, when asked if the team is out to prove a point following the recent scandals, Sunnybhai denied any such thing. He said the boys had left all that behind in India, and were focused on the match at hand. However, after the final win, he seemed to have changed his mind. He said Dhoni was hurt by all the scandals, and that’s why the animated reactions after the England match. Hmm. Guess the cricket legend got over-awed by the victory. Hota hai, cricket does this to many in India.

     

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    PS: Nothing brilliant about this ad, but it’s a cool idea. What I like most are the breathtaking car shots. They make you want to own this machine.

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Take the spotlight away from politicians and they won't disturb rescue & relief ops: Anil Thakraney

    Comment: News media must black out netas at Uttarakhand

    Representative picture courtesy PIB of the IAF rescue helicopters at Gauchar airport, in flood-hit Uttarakhand on Wednesday, June 26

     

    It is indeed sad to see several dead and many injured as rescue operations are still on in Uttarakhand. What rages us is the game of one-upmanship between political leaders in grabbing camera time and the importance our news vehicles give to these visits. We present the comment by our Editor-at-Large and senior journalist Anil Thakraney on the issue which would normally appear as Hard Knocks on a Friday. – Editor

     

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    In the entire television din over the role of politicians on the Uttarakhand disaster, Prasoon Joshi made the most valid point. (Prasoon, if you are reading this post, I would urge you to take part in the tube debates regularly, we need a few sensible voices out there.) While the others were heatedly accusing the netas of seeking photo-ops during the tragedy, Joshi said the media must consider WHO is providing them with these photo-ops. Very true. If the media stopped covering these opportunistic politicians, they will immediately vanish from the scene.

     

    The defining neta moment so far was the two Andhra politicians exchanging fisticuffs at the Dehra Dun airport, as they fought over who would fly with the ‘cargo’. And no, the cargo in this case wasn’t medical supplies for the victims, but those people who had been rescued, and were anxiously waiting to be flown back home. Absolutely pathetic. And then there is Pheku and Pappu busy scoring brownie points over each other, and the many chamchas defending their actions. At least half of the media time and space gets spent on these jokers. What a bloody waste!

     

    My humble request to colleagues in the media is this: For the Uttarakhand news, take a firm decision not to provide any coverage whatsoever to the visiting politicians. Not only are they unable to help in any way, with their shenanigans, they come in the way of rescue and relief operations. And there’s no keeping these hyenas away, they will come to feed on the dead, it’s in their nature. Emotional situations like these give politicians a cool opportunity to win more fans, or so they believe. Let’s deprive them of it. And let the entire media effort be focused on the victims, the rescue and rehab. And on the jawans who are doing all the hard work, these brave souls who are putting their own lives on the line so that maximum number of people can be saved. I want to see their faces, I want to hear their voices, I want to know their stories. And this is what the media must provide us.

     

    Net net: Let’s make Uttarakhand a template for future disasters. No spotlight on any neta. Let it only be about those who matter, and those who do the real work. That done, no politician will ever arrive to disturb rescue operations. Once the oxygen supply (cameras) is cut off, they won’t see any point of jet-setting in. Good riddance.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

     

  • Corruption in telecom spectrum allocation, coal mining allocation etc doesn't kill anyone, not directly at least. But corrupt RTOs literally gift people the licence to kill, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Media must go after the RTOs

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    And, yet again, over the weekend, two licensed drivers, in panic, ‘forgot’ the difference between the brake and the accelerator. And two more innocent lives abruptly ended on the streets of Mumbai. This has been happening in the past, and will continue to happen again and again. Why so? Because the RTOs give away driving licences as if they were distributing Cadbury Éclairs to children inside a mall. In exchange for some ‘goodwill’, of course.

     

    Now, we all know that almost all the public sector organizations in India run on corruption money. The regular scams that get reported will tell you that. So there’s no reason why the driving licence issuing authorities would want to be left behind. The problem is this: Corruption in telecom spectrum allocation, in coal mining allocation, in arms purchase, in the Commonwealth Games, etc, doesn’t kill anyone, not directly at least. But corrupt RTOs literally gift people the licence to kill, this is akin to culpable homicide. This does not happen in any civilized nation in the world, it’s easy to get laid on the first date in London and New York, but you have to work really hard to get hold of the driving licence.

     

    Which is why I have always wondered why the Indian media hasn’t taken this up in a big way. I have personally alerted a couple of newspaper editors in the last few years, but they seem to have ignored this problem. What is urgently needed is a 360-degree journalistic campaign on the (mal)functioning of the RTOs in India. Starting with massive, nationwide sting operations to expose these buggers. And then going after the big fish with hammers and shovels. Followed by continuous checks, right till the time these guys get their act together, till the processes are cleaned up. And till the time obtaining a driving licence becomes as tough in India as it is in the US and the European nations.

     

    I must also add that I find it odd when the first thing the traffic cops check is if the killer driver was drunk. That should be the second step. They should instead first check if the person is capable of driving at all. And they’ll discover the real culprits are chilling in their own backyard.

     

    PS: Absolutely brilliant car ad. It’s not a new commercial, but it’s worth watching again and again. Not a single shot of the car, and the point of cars being made for human beings beautifully made. It’s another matter, of course, that in India cars often kill human beings.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Media companies must never forget one hard truth: If your staffer behaves shoddily, it directly damages your brand's name, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Are reporters adequately trained?

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    If you happen to know this dude called Narayan Pargaien, please tell him never to come face to face with me. If he does, I am going to sit on top of his shoulders and make him give me a ‘lift’ when Mumbai’s streets get flooded with gutter water. In case you haven’t heard, not only did this News Express reporter do something totally disgusting in flood ravaged Uttarakhand, he has brought global disrepute to the entire Indian media, the world press is busy sniggering at us. (The firangs love, love, love stories like this from Incredible India.) Here’s the link to his shameful deed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMq7KPgynU0

     

    This incident reminds me of another equally sickening one I personally witnessed in Nagapattinam, in the after-math of the tsunami. A TV reporter found a very old woman wailing by the beach, she had lost her entire family. Our chap started filming her, and began demanding she wail harder so that it looks ‘good’ on television. He even encouraged the unfortunate lady to beat her own chest. Even better television!

     

    I hope the rest of the Indian television reporters conduct themselves better on the field, but such incidents are a reminder of the woefully poor quality of training that happens in the media companies. We like to call ourselves ‘The Vibrant Indian Media’, but do all these channels/portals/newspapers bother to educate their reporters before letting them loose? I seriously doubt it. Pargaien has been sacked, but is that the solution? This is like punishing the traffic havaldar who got caught for accepting a fifty buck bribe, and hoping that the problem is solved.

     

    Most Indian media barons are reeling because of cash crunch, we are all aware of that, but they simply have to find a way to invest in training so that their reporters and cameramen conduct themselves with dignity while covering a story. Despite the mad rush for ratings and scoops, there have to be specific dos and don’ts outlined with a clear warning: Follow them or get out. Each media company must never forget one hard truth: If your staffer behaves shoddily, it directly damages your brand’s name, since he/she is representing you to the public. Therefore ignore training at your own peril.

     

    PS: This outdoor campaign from IBM scored big at Cannes this year. Richly deserved, I say. Such a simple but powerful idea. While Balki envies work done for Gujarat Tourism, this is the sort of work that makes me feel jealous.

     

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Tata Steel's former Head of Communications killed himself without leaving a suicide note, therefore no one can be certain of the real reason behind his death, notes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Deshpande: The truth died with him

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Let me state upfront that whatever we journalists/columnists write on Charudatta Deshpande’s suicide is speculative in nature, and I don’t do speculation, not even in the stockmarket, leave alone journalism. This is because Tata Steel’s former Head of Communications killed himself without leaving a suicide note, therefore no one can be certain of the real reason behind his death.

     

    What is instead being bandied around is, yes, speculation. There are theories floating about the alleged leak of confidential information about the company to a trade press journal, and the subsequent persecution of Deshpande by his colleagues at Tata. There are allegations of phone tapping, the executive being ‘bullied’ into signing bonds/ documents, etc. All hearsay stuff. The Tata group has launched an internal enquiry, so we’ll have to wait for the findings. Though if the enquiry is being conducted by the group itself, one has to wonder how objective it shall be. An independent enquiry would have been befitting.

     

    That said, let’s assume for a moment that Deshpande was indeed being harassed, and that indeed was the reason behind the suicide. One thing bothers me about this situation: Deshpande was a tough journalist before he shifted to corporate communications. His former colleague at The Indian Post, Salil Tripathi, has this to say about the man (courtesy: Mint): “We knew Charu was a tough man, a reporter who had covered crime, politics, and business, and was not one to get intimidated easily. Those of us who knew him-for years or months-knew that beneath his calmness, there was a cool mind which figured out what was going on.” For someone of such a background and temperament to wilt under organizational pressure does sound a bit strange to me. And for a person who’s been a professional journalist to not leave behind a revealing note? Had age and PR mellowed the man? Like I said, we don’t know and we’ll never know.

     

    I have only one clear opinion in this matter: Politics and power play happens in the corporate world all the time, and it can sometimes get very dirty. If you are at the receiving end of it, you have just two choices: Deal with it. Or hand in your resignation letter. And if the organization has crossed the line of politics and has begun illegally tormenting you, then blow the whistle. File a police complaint. Or call a press conference. But self-murder? Ermm, that doesn’t make any sense to me in this case. And the sad truth is, Deshpande’s death will always remain a mystery. Alas.

     

    PS: Speaking of suicide at workplace, Misery Bear’s predicament reminds me of my own terrible days in the ad agency client servicing department. No, my phone wasn’t tapped nor was I being forced to sign dodgy documents. I was simply unable to suck up to the clients. And yes, the nearest watering hole proved to be a life saver. 🙂

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • The moment a journalist becomes a PR professional, he/she turns into a pariah in the media world, notes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: PR kiya toh bhi darne ka!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    So I was dining with a few senior journalists on the weekend. The issue of Charudatta Deshpande came up, and somebody mentioned how stressful PR has become due to the intense pressure these professionals face from both, the clients and/or their own bosses. Since I have never worked in PR (in fact, my key result area is to undo all the good work they do, hehe), so I have no first-hand experience of this function. But yes, one can easily imagine life must be very difficult for these guys in the world of cut-throat media, I don’t envy them at all.

     

    Some journalists prefer to move to corporate communications after they’ve done their bit in the media. This could be either because they couldn’t cut it in journalism, or they desire a cool, well paying job before they walk into the sunset. The corporates like to hire journalists because of their ‘expertise’ in communications, and because of the belief that having been a part of the media, they will bring with them powerful ‘connections’. This is where the trouble lies. The moment a journalist becomes a PR professional, he/she turns into a pariah in the media world. (Unless that person is a foxy operator like Ms Niira Radia, but that’s another story.) Therefore these so-called connections are of little or no use. A good editor will characteristically keep PR professionals miles away. And when the corporate communications head isn’t able to bring in ‘favourable’ press, it gets the senior executives very disappointed, even angry.

     

    Then there’s a flip side to it. When the PR person promises interesting, inside information to journalists, in order to get them interested in the organization, he/she ends up playing with fire. Because one can never be sure which information is kosher to share and which needs to be concealed. This tight rope walk can be very stressful, one can never be sure where this very thin line lies.

     

    In short, PR nahin kiya toh trouble. And PR kiya toh bhi trouble. No wonder there’s so much anxiety. I think I’ll stick to journalism even though it doesn’t pay as much as corporate communications. I don’t get invited to glitzy parties, I don’t get the perks, I don’t get to hobnob with the rich and the powerful. Chalta hai. At least I get to sleep like a baby.

     

    PS: The TOI has introduced an app called ‘ALIVE’, which helps you download photos and share them with your pals. All very nice. But when they used ‘ALIVE’ on this particular image, it gave me the shivers. The positioning of ‘ALIVE’ makes you think poor Ishrat Jahan is still around. Gasp!

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney

     

  • Why and when did news television become so moronically formulaic, and why are they all doing the same thing, asks Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Need fresh gas on TV

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    All the Indian news channels have turned into clones of each other. It’s a pat formula on primetime: Run a quick snippet on a story with a reporter, this lasts for only a few minutes. Cut to the anchor who takes a clear, biased position on the subject. This follows a marathon session involving a ‘debate’ with many faces (always the same set), and the anchor’s key result area is to create friction and sit back and enjoy the gas blast. And hope for a pay rise.

     

    Why and when did news television become so moronically formulaic? And why are they all doing the same thing? Lack of imagination? Competitive pressures? I suspect it’s both, and also lack of respect for good journalism. I was talking to BBC’s Nick Gowing (for GQ), this is what he said: “Whenever I am invited to participate in a discussion on an Indian news channel, I make it clear that I will not shout at anybody. I think there’s a tendency to jump to a polarized view on air, as opposed to finding a more nuanced middle ground. And I find it interesting how opinionated the presenters can be. I wonder how long that may last. They do certain things which I wouldn’t and can’t do.”

     

    Mind you, Gowing, being a pucca gentleman that he is, presented a nuanced opinion. Am sure secretly he must be appalled at the way we are going about things. So is there any chance that sanity will happen on our news programmes any time soon? I seriously doubt it. This is because the ‘star’ anchors have grabbed the slots, and they will be reluctant to make way for new blood. There’s too much power and pelf being a TV anchor in India, not easy to delegate. So then what is the least they should do within the existing system? The answer is: Always invite fresh faces in the debates. We must get to hear new voices, and this should be easy, India is a vast country bustling with argumentative people. News production teams have to cut their sloth and find ways to inject new energies into the studios. And I use the word sloth because this is what typically happens: ‘Guys, we need to discuss the depreciating rupee, who can we quickly get as an expert?’ ‘Prahlad Kakar is available, should I call him? Also, Shobhaa De is free.’

     

    Point being, if we have to be stuck in a gas chamber each evening, can we at least be subjected to fresh gas?

     

    PS: Haha. So much for all those comments by ‘judges’ on reality shows. I can imagine Lata auditioning for ‘Aye mere watan ke logon’ and receiving this sort of feedback: ‘Energy level thoda kam tha.’ ‘Jyada mushy ho gaya, you need to tone down the emotion’. ‘Rocking performance! Lekin beech mein sur miss ho gaya, aap nervous ho gayeein.’

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views expressed here are his own. He can be reached via Twitter at @anilthakraney