MxMIndia

Category: BLOGS

  • This was war at its best. Both sides aimed at each other and fired without fear of retribution or of spilling blood. It was truly a great spectacle to watch, says Peter Mukerjea of the US Presidential debate

    The media event of the week for me. What was yours?

    By Peter Mukerjea

     

    When you have probably the most powerful man in the world, along with someone who is looking to topple him from that perch and take his place – you can safely say that you almost have probably the two most seriously powerful men in the world, together in an arena. They are then slugging it out for almost two hours nonstop and are no doubt being watched by a global audience of billions, in goodness knows how many languages; it turns into a most enthralling media opportunity.

     

    For both these two alpha males it was an opportunity to present themselves to their supporters, their opponents supporters and those voters who are fence-sitting and undecided. But also, to the people of the world at large, to other political leaders, students of politics and so on and so forth.

     

    The issues they talked about, their presentation styles, techniques, body language, facial expressions, timekeeping, dress sense, quality of their content were all being minutely analyzed by this vast audience in offices, bedrooms and living rooms around the world – depending on the time zone in which they were watching. It was just great TV viewing. I’m sure this is exactly what was in his mind when one media mogul once said: “Give me a war and I’ll give you the pictures.”

     

    I guess it’s a little easier, not much though, if you’re the challenger and not yet in office but are looking to knock down the incumbent and can therefore be a little more relaxed than if you’re in the hot seat as the President and having to defend your actions of the past four or so years and where the result of some of those actions are still not yet visible.

     

    This was war at its best. Both sides aimed at each other and fired without fear of retribution or of spilling blood. It was truly a great spectacle to watch. I have to say that even though I’m an Obama supporter and a follower of the Democrats’ philosophy, I thought Romney came off marginally better in the debate overall. He was a better speaker and I was a little disappointed by Obama’s slightly lacklustre performance overall. They were both wonderful to watch but neither was as slick or well groomed or more articulate than Bill Clinton – who takes the cake, surely, for public speaking. Clinton is a charmer all round.

     

    They were both terrific though and each had their own moments of glory and moments when they were a little pensive.

     

    But, they attacked, they argued, they growled but with a smile and they defended. They took potshots at each other and did not relent one bit. They were both as slick as it gets on TV, without it being a drama or a soap opera or a late night chat show or a reality show. Well, it was a kind of reality show, with a prize at the end of it and what a prize that is – to be the next President of the United States.

     

    The host of the debate deserves a mention too. She was equally good and remarkable how she managed to keep these two – equivalent of male tigers ie candidates, to their specified times and subjects throughout the duration. It was a boxing match in many ways but without the physical bashing or ringing of a bell signifying the end of every round and a getting final winner at the end of the match.

     

    I was wondering if we will ever be able to see such a debate in India on TV between our esteemed political party leaders and when that might be. And equally important – who would be a capable host for such a debate?

     

    Never mind that. I guess we will when we’re nice and ready to do so.

     

    In the meantime let us sit back and enjoy good TV viewing from the other side of the world and I for one look forward to the next such debate in a couple of days’ time.

     

  • A number of people have been proudly putting out ‘I am at Starbucks!’ tweets. And to think it's just a bloody coffee joint, writes Anil Thakraney

    Anil Thakraney: Starbucks: Power of a brand

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    The night before Starbucks opened its gates to India, I was dining with some friends at Trishna (Kala Ghoda). After we finished with our prawns and fish, we decided to drive by Horniman Circle to check if Starbucks was already in operation, and whether it looked as fancy as some media reports had suggested. The outlet was still to be born, but I was stunned to see all the crowds that had collected there, the heavy action that was underway to give the coffee shop the finishing touches. With major light and sound rehearsals, stuff that even Shah Jahan would not have conceived of when the Taj was first thrown open to the public.

     

    And of course, the social media has been going crazy over the event. A number of people have been proudly putting out ‘I am at Starbucks!’ tweets. The maha excited reviews in the media have only just begun. And to think Starbucks is just a bloody coffee joint! Although I am not a coffee drinker, I did try out their stuff once on a visit to New York City. And must say I found the potion to be utterly expensive and totally distasteful. Though the loo was quite clean, so I didn’t really leave the place in a huff.

     

    This tells me two things about us desis: One, that we are still a wannabe nation, nothing much has changed in the last two decades. Then, I spotted a long queue at Linking Road in Bandra, when McDonald’s opened shop in India. And it’s ditto at Horniman Circle today. Two, that we are a brand-starved nation. Clearly, India’s teeming masses want the best of the world, there is heavy demand but poor supply. This is great news for all those multi-brand retail outlets who want to come here. I can already see huge crowds inside and outside Wal-Mart and Tesco. Not to speak of IKEA. Now if only our short-sighted, small-minded politicians would let it all happen.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Very interesting article on whether media companies must list down social media usage guidelines for journalists, even if they happen to be freelancers. My belief is that they should. Because whether we like it or not, tweets and Facebook updates posted by journalists do get associated with their employers by most readers. Even if the journos choose to be in denial of it.

     

    Link: http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/after-an-outburst-on-twitter-the-times-reinforces-its-social-media-guidelines/

     

     

  • Coke's new positioning for the Diwali season is: 'Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao'. Good stuff, and there are many reasons why I like this approach

    Debrief: Coca-Cola: Tremendous insight

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Coke’s new positioning for the Diwali season is: ‘Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao’. I like the consumer insight, it originates from the ancient proverb: The family that eats together stays together. And it’s most valid in the Indian context because we folks believe in the idea of the family as a single unit. Look around you at restaurants… the number of tables occupied by hanste khelte parivaars is likely to be far higher than those occupied by couples and singles.

     

    The TVC features a large family at the dining table. As they bond over food and Coke. It’s a very simple treatment, there are no dialogues, and typical family interactions are captured through expressions. A strict dad who won’t relent to his son’s demands. A granny with an emotional tale to tell. A disinterested kid who later begins to enjoy the family time. And so on. All the things that usually happen at a family table.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP6sPhwmDag[/youtube]

    Good stuff, and there are many reasons why I like this approach. There are no celebrities in the ad, only regular people. The music track is very cool, it adds to the liveliness of a happy family gathering. ‘Saath khao, khushiyaan badhao’ further strengthens Coke’s ‘Open Happiness’ idea, so they haven’t gone away from that. And despite the lack of a storyline, the TVC entertains. I particularly like the last touch. A mobile phone buzzing away in a corner and no one bothers to answer it. This is family time you see, the ‘Airtel zaroori friend’ can wait! Brilliant!

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 4. Cool insight backed by endearing creative

  • Not only the viewership pool but rating methods too are significantly different for Indian TV channels abroad, says Jenish Shah

    The Anchor: 5 reasons media reach & measurability in India are different internationally

    By Jenish Shah

     

    #1 South Asian channels are a niche segment. Regardless of the size of channels like Sony, Zee, Star, etc in the Indian markets, one has to remember that these channels cater to a very small base but extremely targeted audience of the South Asian diaspora worldwide.

     

    #2 Niche channels do not rate accurately. In the same vein that Indian niche channels are currently hotly debating the rating mechanism in India (such as the NDTV vs TAM debate), ratings of South Asian channels on mainstream rating systems (Nielsen, Rentrack etc) do not throw accurate light on channel performance. For example, a channel like Fox News caters to almost the entire universe of 311 million people in the US. While a Hindi GEC like SET, Zee, STAR caters to the relatively small 2.83 million NRIs. It’s unfair to compare apples with oranges!

     

    #3 Distribution is the accepted currency. In the absence of any industry accepted rating mechanism for South Asian channels, distribution of the channels (ie the number of DTH, cable, IPTV platforms they are present in) is the currently accepted method of gauging the strength of South Asian TV channels in the international markets.

     

    #4 Subscription revenues. While in India, the revenue split for media houses of ad sales versus subscription revenues is typically 70:30 in favour of ad-sales, the reverse is true for the international markets. While we are still struggling to implement the digitization bill here, almost the entire TV universe in the international markets is digitized. Which makes distribution (and hence subscription) an important part of the equation in the international business.

     

    #5 Moving beyond TV. International markets are more evolved in terms of internet penetration and hence avenues like Roku TV and Google TV have become an increasingly important part of content distribution. Just being present on TV is not enough – being present on any screen that the audience interacts with becomes a must!

     

    Jenish Shah is VP International Sales, Prime Time India

     

  • In today's India, the fervour, zeal, naivete and hysteria of the TV media is sooner or later going to come crashing down, writes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Time to reinvent TV news

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    Having spent four days away from frenetic TV news watching, I can safely declare that it’s nothing but an addiction. Contrary to current opinion, you do not need to know a minute-by-minute commentary on the latest thoughts and ideas of Arvind Kejriwal to get through your daily life. Nor indeed do you have to know how Arnab Goswami is saving the nation night after night in order to wake up the next morning.

     

    Many years ago (before TV and the internet were invented) I tried an experiment with myself. Living in Bombay, I subscribed to the Calcutta edition of The Statesman. I didn’t read any other newspaper. All went well for about six months. No one around me seemed to have twigged on to the fact that I was at least a day late with the news, give or take the vagaries of the Indian postal system. But a fall was inevitable. Pakistan president Zia-ul-Haq died in a plane crash and I had absolutely no idea. The embarrassment of being a journalist who was caught unawares quickly ended this attempt to buck the system.

     

    However, both then and now I learnt a very simple lesson: A viewer or reader’s love affair with the news is fickle and unstable. Taking it for granted is easy and disastrous. In today’s India, the fervour, zeal, naivete and hysteria of the TV media is sooner or later going to come crashing down and one suspects it will be sooner. A reinvention is required because for the younger person, primetime news watching is already a geriatric activity.

     

    The competition comes from the internet of course and except for a few old fogeys, it is apparent to everyone else that the transition from print journalist to internet journalist is relatively easy.

     

    Meanwhile, it is safe to say that I still don’t know what Kejriwal has been up to for ever second of every day except for what I’ve read on Twitter or in the newspapers.

     

    **

     

    The outpouring of love and affection for director Yash Chopra has been quite remarkable and indeed heart-warming. His vision of love and romance has thrilled and moved Indians over several generations and this was evident in the various articles, tweets, comments and TV coverage.

     

    One might hazard a guess that Chopra’s death affected people far more than Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor’s endless marriage ceremonies and celebrations.

     

    **

     

    CNN continued with its well-formulated and rounded coverage of the last presidential debate on Tuesday morning. My biggest relief is that Piers Morgan has not been part of it, as he had inveigled his way into the coverage of the Republican nomination race. His insights are trite and ill-informed. CNN would be smart to restrict them to his daily programme.

     

  • Wednesday's announcements should silence all those naysayers who believed Apple would lose its edge post-Steve Jobs, writes A N Chorrea

    The Anchor: 6 reasons why Apple is the hottest personal tech company even a year after Steve Jobs

    By A N Chorrea

     

    Yes, if you thought that the iPhone 5 was good, but no great shakes, the announcements on Wednesday (Oct 23) should silence all those naysayers who believe the computing giant will lose its edge post Steve Jobs. Far from it.

     

    1. Apple is more than a company that produces devices, it innovates. Look at the ultra-thin iMac. Amazing to trim the darn desktop so very much. Can you beat it, Dell?

     

    2. The iPhone’s a bestseller. There are many who thought the iPhone 5 was not very dramatic… no game-changing features. They expected a lot, lot more. But it’s a bestseller with record sales of five million units already. Right, Samsung?

     

    3. The iPad is better. Okay, if you are peeved about the new iPad being retired too soon after being launched, the newer one is smarter, and comes at the old price. It’s decidedly more powerful than others. What say, Nexus?

     

    4. Android is a good platform and some of the devices running it are cool, but the security can be a scare as it’s the preferred system for hackers to intrude. Apple machines are a fortress. Any thoughts, Google?

     

    5. Remember this is personal technology and not high-end corporate servers or even stockmarket terminals. Apple products are designed for you to fall in love with them. Okay Samsung’s S3 is sexy too. The Nexus appeared that when it was launched. But an Apple is an Apple is an Apple. Any one with any objections?

     

    6. If you haven’t watched Tim Cook’s keynote, we suggest you go to the Apple site and watch it. Obviously it was rehearsed. But the one thing that came out loud and clear was the Passion. Not some corporate captain making a matter-of-fact speech. Cook could well have been selling you luxury jewels or an exotic holiday. Do you have it in you, competition?

     

    A N Chorrea is a senior mediaperson writing under a pseudonym

  • Noting the transformation in the way youngsters look at life, Samyak Chakrabarty highlights some examples of mindset shifts shaping youth behaviour since 2011

    Young Track by Samyak Chakrabarty | Mindset shifts impact youth behaviour

    What’s a 23-year-old writing a column on a site where the average age of columnists is… ? Ok, ok, we won’t reveal that number, but like it or not the youth constitute a majority of India’s population. Since the last few years, young Samyak Chakrabarty has been in and around media events and offices with his vision of how the youth can be targeted.

     

    In this period, he has organized a few conferences, participated in several of them in India and abroad, and works as Chief Youth Marketer with the DDB Mudra group. He’s organized a TedX youth conference in Mumbai, was invited to meet Hillary Clinton when she visited India and has co-authored a book ‘Generation Einstein 3.0 – India version’.

     

    Samyak’s column appears on Wednesdays and as the title suggests, it tracks the young – specifically keeping in mind the advertising, media and marketing fraternity – Ed

     

    I have been noticing a slow but sustained transformation in the way youngsters are looking at life, career, decision-making etc. There is a huge difference in the perspective between those born before and after 1990. I am highlighting some interesting examples of mindset shifts which have been shaping youth behaviour since 2011.

     

    1 Entrepreneurship: The thirst for quick success and an unconventional lifestyle has encouraged college students to explore the possibilities of starting something of their own immediately after passing out. Around 67 percent of students from urban campuses want to be entrepreneurial while setting out on their career paths rather than lead a typical 9-to-5 life.

     

    Insight

    “We’ve seen our parents slog day and night to profit for another company in return for a meagre salary. I think if we put the same effort into building something of our own, it would reap more gains!” – Tahir Shaikh, 21, Mumbai

     

    2 Ethical Citizenship: With an increase in natural calamities and fears of climate disasters, young people have been seen to work diligently towards conserving natural resources while also protecting civic amenities. The ‘brash’ and ‘carefree’ youth species will soon be extinct.

     

    Insight

    “We don’t want our work to end anytime soon. There is so much to see, lots to achieve and experience. This creates the need for us to conserve whatever is left and oppose any lobby which is working against the interests of our society.” – Sneha Kapoor, 17, New Delhi

     

    3 Offline Networking: Students have begun to realize the importance of being physically connected to their peers rather than using the web as a medium alone since it lacks that personal touch. This feeling has created a rise in social events, gatherings, visit to hang outs. Social networks will soon just become a medium for dissemination rather than a meeting place for this segment.

     

    Insight

    “There was a time when we looked forward to meeting up with friends but now Facebook has transformed our relationships in a manner where have begun to take it for granted that post 9pm everyone will be online anyway so there’s no point in initiating a ‘meet up’. But then slowly we’ve started to miss the ‘real’ conversations.” – Arun Kuwalekar, 27, Pune

     

    4 Individuality: 8/10 students from campuses want to build their own independent image and make purchases based on their own individual judgement rather than follow trendsetters. Each wants to have his/her own unique style and be known by the choices they make. So this could mean the end of using ‘herd mentality’ as a basis for formulating a brand’s communication strategy.

     

    Insight

    “I want to build my real self and make that as my identity rather than camouflaging myself into becoming someone else just to be in the crowd. This reflects in my clothes, habits and way of life in general” – Tanya Singh, 23, Chandigarh

     

    5 Rebirth of Indian Values: 6/10 students from urban campuses have slowly started discovering the immense wealth of knowledge/experience which our culture has to provide and have began to rely on it more than ever before. A significant streak of patriotism and secularism is also evident because of this mindset shirt. What will be interesting to see is how they imbibe lessons from the past and embed them into their way of life and decision making.

     

    Insight

    “After seeing a lot of our seniors go on to the wrong path because of peer pressure. I think a lot of us want to lead more secure and stable lives.” – Sanskriti Chatterjee, 18, Kolkata

     

    The most interesting one to watch out for is in fact the last one. While there is so much of westernization on the one hand, youngsters are also wanting to do things “the Indian way” which could potentially affect a number of purchase decisions and factors that influence consumer behaviour.

     

  • in the absence of public sympathy, whatever little hope Mallya has of a government-led bailout begins to fade. What is truly incredible is that in the face of such a mega challenge, he continues to be bombastic!

    Anil Thakraney: Mallya’s image is working against him

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    All that’s gone wrong with Kingfisher Airlines has been discussed enough in the media (I too have posted on this in the past), so there’s nothing more to add. One can only grab a Kingfisher beer, sit back, and quietly watch the airline go down the tube. Clearly, there’s no scope for a turnaround, so utterly horrid is Dr Mallya’s business model.

     

    However, I think the reason why there is so much public anger against Kingfisher is not just because the innocent employees remain unpaid, not just because the wife of an unpaid staffer killed herself, it’s because of Vijay Mallya’s own flamboyant image. All those yachts, the lavish parties, the wild IPL celebrations, the frantic air kissing… it’s all come back to haunt the man. And these images are being beamed right next to the images of protesting employees on the news channels. That his equally high-life living son has been posting floozy tweets is adding to Mallya’s already overflowing mug of woes.

     

    The colourful imagery is projecting the man to be deeply insensitive to his starving employees (even if that’s not the case), and that, for any organisation chief’s image, is akin to corporate hara-kiri. The Indian junta will never accept the idea of a man having a good time while his ‘family’ suffers. This goes against the grain of Indian culture. And in the absence of public sympathy, whatever little hope Mallya has of a government-led bailout begins to fade. What is truly incredible is that in the face of such a mega challenge, he continues to be bombastic!

     

    The least Vijay Mallya must do now is to come down to earth (like his aircraft), roll up his sleeves, meet up with his angry employees and personally clean up the mess. If that means filing for bankruptcy, then so be it. Time for arrogance and ego is up. It’s time to do some dirty work and take hard decisions. And if he does this even now, some of Mallya’s dying reputation may yet get salvaged.

     

    And oh, while the booze tycoon is at it, he must ensure his air-head son stays off Twitter for a few decades.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Wonderful interactive video from Old Spice. You can use the keyboard to decide which instrument you want the musician to play, and how he must play it. It’s gone totally viral, 18 lakh hits at last count. And do note that the brand isn’t directly selling anything. This clearly is the future of viral marketing.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ15vCGuvH0[/youtube]
  • Jaspal Bhatti’s ‘Flop Show’ was a national show-stealer on Doordarshan in the early nineties. He was like a breath of fresh air in DD’s mostly dreary programming

    Anil Thakraney: Bhatti was a comic genius

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Long before Indian TV audiences got saddled with the motormouth Navjot Singh Sidhu, another truly funny Sardar had the nation enthralled. Long before the likes of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal began protesting against corruption, that hilarious man, with his wicked satire, was busy giving netas and babus a great deal of tension on his popular television show.

     

    Jaspal Bhatti’s ‘Flop Show’ was a national show-stealer on Doordarshan in the early nineties. He was like a breath of fresh air in DD’s mostly dreary programming. What is amazing about the serial is that it enjoyed a relatively short run, but many people still remember it quite vividly. Such was the comedy magic Bhatti possessed. We loved the mad Sardar not just because he dealt with incidents of corruption we encounter in our daily lives, but also because his style was never over the top (unlike Sidhu). Bhatti, even while being totally funny, performed like a common man, his troubles felt like our troubles, we could easily relate to him. I must add here that Priya Tendulkar’s Rajani enjoyed the same fan following for pretty much the same reasons, but Bhatti’s unique comedy style enhanced the overall entertainment value, the entire family would eagerly look forward to his Flop Show.

     

    The funny man went on to do more TV shows later in his life, he even acted in and produced feature films. But sadly, as times changed, Bhatti evaporated from public memory. As private entertainment channels took control, and the focus shifted to loud, slapstick comedy. And Bhatti got left behind in the new scenario, which is a pity, really. His ideas, his stories and his acting could have got a huge play if the channels and the producers were alive to the man’s powerful, understated comic timing.

     

    Rest in peace, Mr Bhatti. We are still busy fighting against corruption (that will never change!), but the laughter is gone. It’s time for the heavens to guffaw a bit.

     

    ***

     

    PS: Remember Conrad Black? The disgraced media baron who was sent to jail after being convicted on charges of financial fraud? Well, he’s out from jail, and is now getting ready to promote his book. Here’s his recent interview with the BBC. Don’t miss the arrogance, the bluster and the I-can-do-no-wrong attitude. Black even calls the interviewer a fool. Guess if you’ve once lived the life of power, fame and riches, it becomes very, very difficult to descend to earth.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBI35DMHjy4[/youtube]
  • Too many online shopping sites? On the contrary, says Satish Mani

    The Anchor: 5 reasons India can accommodate more e-commerce sites

    By Satish Mani

     

    #1 Increased Digital Connectivity:

    With the explosive growth in broadband penetration and mobile phone usage across population strata and town classes, the online population in India is expected to double by 2015. This will fuel the demand for products and services available online.

     

    #2 Enhancement of service levels by e-commerce firms:

    E-commerce companies are constantly enhancing their service levels through better delivery, more realistic shopping experience, customer-centric purchase and return policies. This will lead to an increase in customer confidence for shopping online and they will migrate a higher proportion of their discretionary spends online.

     

    #3 Increasing need for convenience:

    Traffic congestion and crowded retail infrastructure in smaller towns and cities increase the demand for home delivery. We will soon see major retailers adopting the e-commerce route to keep up with consumer demand.

     

    #4 Increasing adoption of online shopping by the younger population:

    The younger population, with an early exposure to the internet has been quick to adopt online shopping. This increasing adoption opens more growth opportunity for the e-commerce industry.

     

    #5 High infrastructural costs for brick and mortar outlets:

    As the cost of establishing and maintaining an offline retail presence becomes increasingly expensive, big brands will be prompted to invest in increasing their online presence.

     

    Satish Mani is Chief Technical Officer of Zovi.com

     

  • The Zee News-Jindal controversy raises uncomfortable questions that the media has to deal with, notes Ranjona Banerji

    Ranjona Banerji: Efficacy of stings, ethics of channel put to question

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    The media increasingly finds itself at the receiving end as anti-corruption anger rises in India. After the India Today group faces legal action from Union law minister Salman Khurshid, it’s now the turn of Zee News and Congress MP and industrialist Naveen Jindal. The media either plays an independent role or is seen as a handmaiden of anti-corruption activists.

     

    The Zee News-Jindal story is however extremely strange. About week ago, the Broadcast Editors’ Association removed Sudhir Chaudhary from both the post of treasurer as well as from primary membership of the organisation after complaints of extortion during a “sting operation” against Jindal. The sting was supposed to prove that Jindal had offered to bribe Zee News and Zee Business so that they wouldn’t carry news about Jindal’s involvement in the coal allocation scam. Jindal however claimed that Chaudhary (editor and business head of Zee News) and Samir Ahluwalia (editor of Zee Business) attempted to blackmail him, asking for Rs 100 crore in order to kill the story.

     

    Yesterday saw Zee going on an offensive in its own defence with the rest of the media playing up the story or ignoring it.
    Apart from the fact that this may or may not be the best publicity Zee was looking for as it celebrates its 20th anniversary, there are a couple of questions it has to answer. Chaudhary has the slightly unfortunate reputation of being CEO of Live India TV when it ran a fake sting against school teacher Uma Khurana. And, as The Hoot has pointed out, Chaudhary is both editor and business head of Zee News, never a happy or ethically stable job combination.

     

    Once again however the efficacy and use of stings are called into question. Many tactics involved in a sting go against both journalistic ethics and procedures as well legal provisions. They also are, unfortunately, great blackmail tools. The history of stings in India has not really been one of great successes. Tehelka in its earlier avatar tried out several and certainly its most effective was the Westland defence deals sting which led to BJP president Bangaru Laxman going to jail eventually but only after a lot of hardship suffered by Tehelka. Most other stings – including by Tehelka – have destroyed reputations and added to salacious discourse but achieved little else. And all of them have raised questions about the fairness of stings.

     

    Most news organisations steer away from stings for these very reasons. In the zeal to expose someone or something, very often it becomes like a witch hunt without giving the accused the opportunity for a defence. The news organisation has the option of turning its back on the story if it doesn’t pan out the way it was supposed to, leaving the accused at the mercy of India’s weak defamation laws.

     

    Any journalistic expose, sting or otherwise, has to be backed by enough hard work and material to make it as solid as a case in court as possible to make it both effective and fair. If the motives are either born of self-righteous zeal or are more nefarious, journalism has flown out of the window. Objectivity has to be the keystone.

     

    Unfortunately, many language news channels in India are known to use “stings” as a form of blackmail – whether for themselves or for their employers. It is difficult to decide from the evidence so far whether Jindal is indeed guilty of attempting to bribe or if the news channels are guilty of extortion.

     

    What is clear though is that one more extremely uncomfortable question has been raised for the media to deal with.

     

     

  • Popular belief is that some amount of politics is an inevitable fact of life. Everyone wants to get ahead fast, everyone wants to retain control, so messing with another group/individual becomes par for the course.

    Anil Thakraney: Dirty corporate politics

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    We will never really know the exact reason behind CEO Vikram Pandit’s abrupt departure from Citigroup. And that’s because there are always two sides to a story. Most of the media reports, however, indicate that Pandit was a victim of organizational politics, that it was unholy play by his boss that led to Pandit’s sacking. And this, despite the officer’s good performance. Apparently, Citigroup’s Chairman, Michael O’Neill, had been planning Pandit’s exit for a very long time.

     

    If indeed that is the case, Pandit becomes just another name in a very long list of senior execs who were shown the door as a direct result of dirty office politics and back-stabbing. Unfortunately, this happens quite commonly in organizations, so you can imagine how many bright minds have fallen by the wayside because they couldn’t play the game, or chose not to participate in it.

     

    I must add here that the No 1 reason I preferred to be a freelance operator was to escape the clutches of politics. I make less money than I would in a full-time job, I get no annual/sick/casual leave, and I have long forgotten what ‘Perks’ means (I am now convinced it’s just a chocolate brand). In addition, I often have to chase payments harder than I chase stories. And yet, I am at complete peace, all the negatives get nullified because I no longer have to put up with shitty corporate power games.

     

    Popular belief is that some amount of politics does get played in all organizations, that it’s an inevitable fact of life. Everyone wants to get ahead fast, everyone wants to retain control, so messing with another group/individual becomes par for the course. This may be true. And yet, I do believe this is a cultural issue. If the man/woman at the top encourages a culture of ethics, mutual respect and integrity, and comes down heavily on back-stabbers, it is possible to build a clean organization. In fact, I am certain there must be many such across the world. That’s why I believe it’s purely a matter of good leadership. And am afraid, if the media reports are accurate, Citigroup has projected a very sad image of itself.

     

    Surely there’s more happiness in achieving goals on one’s own merit, and not by trampling on others? Or am I living in fool’s paradise?

     

    ***

     

    PS: Haha. I like this ad. Not just because it features the international Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, but also because the ad is a totally surprising solution coming from a bank. Guess it will take our desi banks like Vijaya Bank and Shamrao Vithal Bank a zillion years to discover such a ‘treasure’. 🙂

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”220″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8Dh1Yp3aY[/youtube]