MxMIndia

Tag: MxMIndia

  • Ensure you, family and friends are registered in the electoral rolls. To check, visit https://www.nvsp.in

    Is Your Name on the Voters’ List?

     

    By Your Editor

     

    So the general elections have been announced.

     

    We all have our cribs about our politicians. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi. Mamata. Mayawati. Kejriwal. Shiv Sena. About the inefficiencies in the country: potholes, corruption, traffic, trains, buses, educational system, no jobs. We are fed up of our systems, and many of us believe that things will never improve in our lifetime.

     

    Perhaps this belief is correct. But we can try and make a difference. For starters, elect a candidate and political formation to represent us. And pray the elected reps do something. Make them accountable.

     

    The question is: how many of us will beat the summer heat, the lethargy and the attraction of sleeping those few minutes extra because it’s a holiday? For those in Mumbai, the voting day is April 29, a Monday. Perhap enough reason to get out of the city for a long weekend.

     

    It’s however important for each of us to vote. If there’s no candidate who you think is worthwhile, press the NOTA button. It’s critical to express ourselves and get the right person elected as Member of Parliament.

     

    Please check if you are on the voter’s list.

     

    Visit: https://www.nvsp.in

     

    If you get an error, just click on reload. It will come on.

     

    Then enter your name and search. If  you don’t remember your Assembly constituency, don’t bother. The search facility is pretty powerful.

     

    Also, please check with all those eligible to do the same, if they haven’t already done that. If they haven’t registered, they must. And if they have registered, they should keep checking at the website.

     

    The submissions (for proof) are simple: photograph (passport- or ID card-sized), birth certificate, passport, driving licence. If you don’t want to link your Aadhar Card with this, you can manage without it. The only painful thing is that if the first-time voter is over 21 years of age, then there’s a self-declaration to be filled in, signed and uploaded (click here). Please ensure that the scans of all of the above are jpegs/jpgs, not pdfs.

     

    We’ve done it ourselves for a recently turned potential voter and are hence convinced that it’s simple. You’ll get an sms near-instantly giving you a reference number.

     

    Please do visit the website. Check if your name is on it. As also your family. And then get your friends, colleagues etc to do something.

     

    Also, if you are an employer or a biggie at an organisation, dream up something to incentivise voters. An extra day’s salary may be a bit much, but how about a meal at a good restaurant? Or tie up with a Big Bazaar or Book My Show and get some discounts. Even tie up with the Nykaas of the world asking them to cosmetics at a 50% rate.

     

    We need some of upscale stores to step in too. Foodhall, Nature’s Basket, the five/seven star hotels, an extra discount to Zomato Gold members who have voted.

     

    How about some brands sponsoring hot and healthy/unhealthy breakfast outside the voting booths? Meal boxes.

     

    Can our TV channels position their popular stars at selfie points for people who have voted. Take a selfie with Shankar Mahadevan?

     

    If brands can do major activations at the Kumbh Mela, this is a Maha-Maha-Maha-opportunity for a public connect.

     

    Dream on, folks. Let’s make the 2019 Lok Sabha elections an unforgettable one. And elect a government we want out there.

     

     

  • Pandey has his role cut out for him, and we are sure the high numbers on December 11 will help boost revenues.

    1 Minute View: Congratulations, Avinash Pandey!

    1 Minute ViewWe revive our 1 Minute View feature on popular demand. Popular, we must clarify, doesn’t mean lakhs and crores of readers, but just a few dozen loyal well-wishers of the website. They believe that the ‘1 Minute View’ helps give readers a daily perspective on issues concerning the trade.

    We agree, except that commentary is not very revenue-generation-friendly. So the sensitive folks in the trade may take umbrage to adverse comments on them or positive comments on competition. But, heck, that’s now what got us to start MxMIndia. Our allegiance is towards our readers.

    Meanwhile, the year has started in right earnest and with some happy news from the offices of ABP News. Long-standing ABP News honcho Avinash Pandey is now the Big Boss of the company. We wish him the very best. The news comes on the back of the revelation that ABP News has clocked the highest programming content across Hindi and English news television. In a year that’s going to see the mother-of-all elections, Pandey has his role cut out for him, and we are sure the high numbers on December 11 will help boost revenues.

    It’s an interesting road ahead for Pandey and ABP News. Developments of the last year on the editorial front have now been forgotten, and it’s heartening to see that ABP News has maintained its neutral stance. And that could well be a good thing given that finally the media has started asking the Narendra Modi government some tough questions.

  • We adopted a Code of Ethics even before MxM was launched. Although it's on the site, since it's become a blindspot, we publish it as our Big Story a couple of times a year

    The MxMIndia Code of Ethics

     

    MxMIndia adopted a Code of Ethics even before it was launched. Although it’s on the site, since it’s become a blindspot, we’re publishing it as our Big Story annually. This is the link to the Code: http://www.mxmindia.com/code-of-ethics/ Read on…

     

    The MxMIndia Code of Ethics
    This code of ethics is not meant to be a treatise in ethics. We believe all MxMers are mature professionals, of sound character and have values we agree with.

    However, since a Code of Ethics is not really followed in organisations that some of our employees may have worked with in the past, we have a formulated an easy-to-follow set of Dos and Don’ts that each and every employee has agreed to follow. Also, there’s a general belief that many media companies (business-to-business and mainstream) follow unethical practices. It’s hence critical to put the record straight on why MxMIndia isn’t like the ‘many’ others.

    1.While the objective of MxMIndia is to be a profitable enterprise, our revenues will not come from compromising editorial standards. Excellence is what we are setting out to achieve, Ethically and with Integrity.

    2.We will not be influenced in any way by advertisers“ past, present or future, and will write or comment on an individual, service or organisation regardless of whether or not it advertises with MxMIndia.

    3.We will not sell our editorial content. Content includes text, photographs or any visuals.

    4.Accuracy in presenting facts is of utmost importance and facts must be correctly presented.

    5.We will not present any bias in our news sections. If, however, MxM India does undertake a campaign, it will clearly state its editorial policy

    6.If there’s any advertisement that could be confused with editorial content in appearance, it will be clearly tagged as an Advertisement and be displayed in a style that is different from normal editorial content.

    7.Our reports and features will always attribute sources to people. In case, the source does not want to be named for fear of loss of employment or due to some sensitivity, every attempt must be made to look for an alternate source who could be named. If that fails, every attempt should be made to make the reader rest assured that our source is authentic and this may be done by describing who the source is.

    8.We have a no tolerance policy towards plagiarism. Employees may be given a warning if found plagiarising, but in most cases, the services of any employee found plagiarising “regardless of his/her seniority or utility to the organisation“ would be terminated within 24 hours of the Editor-in-Chief conducting his/her investigation on the act of plagiarism.

    9.If any attempt is made to influence us by way of a threat to withdraw advertisements, we reserve the right to expose such individuals and/or their organisations.

    10.We will not publish photographs off the internet. If a picture is be taken from the internet, it will be done only after written permission of the source. Else, we will own the rights for the picture which may be procured by buying rights for appropriate usage. Ditto for text. If we do carry syndicated content, the source needs to be clearly be stated at the end of the article.

    11.Our journalists will take the permission of the interviewee to record his/her comments, especially when the meeting is not face-to-face.

    12.Unless approved by the Editor, we do not part with the transcript of any interview. A journalist may however play back a few quotes attributed to an individual.

    13.We will allow individuals or organisations adequate time to revert with their response to a question. In most case the adequate time would mean four to six hours. If it’s a non-critical story, then we would recommend holding the story for at most a day.

    14.We will not accept any gifts that attempt to influence us. These should be returned immediately. Gifts in the form of chocolates, mithai, flowers or basic promotional material that is of reasonable value (of up to Rs 500-750) is fine. Mementos or promotional material of nominal value may be accepted. No gifts must be solicited. If there’s a doubt, please consult the Editor-in-Chief/CEO. If an organisation is found to influence an MxMIndia journalist, under extreme cases, MxMIndia may even blacklist the organisation and/or its products and services.

    15.We will not solicit any outstation trips. If however there is an invitation for a junket, we will accept it only if the Editor believes there is a news value in the event. In such a case, MxMIndia will mention that the journalist concerned has visited an outstation venue at the invitation of the company which must be named. For local travel, all our employees are defrayed expenses towards local travel, and hence we discourage taxi pick-ups or drops, as is the norm in some sections of the media.

    16.We will not solicit any invitations for a meal or a drink. We discourage MxMIndia employees to drink beyond their limits at events, dinners, press conferences etc where they represent the Company. We will also not solicit free books, software, movie tickets etc.

    17.MxMIndia employees are discouraged from moonlighting. If, however, employees do receive requests to write an occasion article for a non-competing publication, the employee could do it after seeking permission via email.

    18.Unlike some media houses, we are happy to see our employees ”regardless of their seniority levels“ to be interviewed and featured in other media. However, prior permission is desired for every appearance on television. Employees must ensure that their work at MxMIndia doesn’t suffer due to their appearances on TV, radio etc. While tweeting, participation in social networks like Facebook and Linked In are encouraged, every attempt must be taken to ensure that the values and interests of the organisation are not compromised.

    19.We will ensure that our ethical standards are followed in all that we do ” events, conferences and awards. We will ensure our integrity is not compromised.

    20.We discourage the use of pirated products and services for official use. We advise our employees to only use legally procured software. Employees using their personal computer equipment for work are encouraged to switch to legal software.

    21.MxMIndia has a no tolerance policy on sexual harassment.

    22.Our employees are not allowed to deal in stocks related to the media and entertainment sector. If they hold shares before joining the organisation, they must disclose their holdings in writing to their immediate boss. They could, however, invest in mutual funds related to the M&E sector.

    23.While this Code is only applicable towards conduct as an employee, we advise all MxMers to ensure that they are ambassadors of MxMIndia and all that it stands for even outside of work hours.

    24.Over the last few years, there have been question marks raised about the ethical standards adopted by journalists and media organisations. While a lot of it may be untrue, we believe that journalists and others working in various media organisations are also responsible for this perception. At MxMIndia, our attempt will be to reverse this.

    25.This Code is applicable for all employees of MxMIndia. Associates, retainers, columnists, regular contributors are also required to adhere to the above Code.

     

    We encourage all our constituents and advertisers to read the above document and cooperate with us and enable us to abide by it. If you wish to report a dishonest act, write directly to pradyumanm [at] mxmindia.com.

     

  • We expect you to be well-read, confident and you should write well

    MxM is looking for a junior journalist in Mumbai & Delhi

    MxMIndia, the preferred Indian platform for credible content in advertising and marketing, is looking to hire a junior journalist in Mumbai and New Delhi NCR. Zero to 18 months’ experience.

     

    The ideal candidate could have done a basic degree in anything – including botany or microbiology or even archaeology, but must have excellent written and spoken English. Comfort with business and an understanding of media and entertainment are essential. Shouldn’t get the heebie-jeebies dealing with basic arithmetic (like what is 20% of 60!). Only those with an 80%-plus academic record in Class 10 and 12 need apply. ICSE/ CBSE boards only. If you weren’t a high performer in academics at the school level, give us sufficient proof that you are a high performer in life.

     

    Candidates will be hired on a two-month probation. We will undertake a written test before we meet candidates. We do not expect you to have a 10/10 in GK, and don’t expect you to know who the last eight Chief Justices of the Supreme Court have been and we won’t ask you what is the capital of Nigeria, but a well-rounded knowledge of the world is essential.

     

    We expect you to be well-read, confident and you should write well. We will pay a standard industry-level salary.

     

    Interested? Send your cv and writing samples to editor [at] mxmindia.com

     

     

  • Our seven-year journey has seen us travel alongside India’s growing A&M fraternity… Saat saal, saath-saath

    We’re Seven. Saat saal, saath-saath | The Seven-Year Itch

     

    On September 9, 2011, on Onam Day to be precise, MxMIndia was born. Those who’ve been tracking our journey know about the way we work. Our Code of Ethics. Our principles. Our commitment to credibility. Our commitment to give you content that’s fair.

     

    We are perhaps an aberration. The fact that some others who don’t believe in the same principles as us are prospering is perhaps indicative of the times we live in. We are certain though that there is a large community out there which is mature and wants content that’s meaningful. Interviews that ask the tough questions. News reports and analyses that are not influenced by the business interests of current or potential advertisers.

     

    It’s not been an easy journey, we can tell you. The last seven years have seen many of advertising partners being subjected to the vagaries of the world. We’ve stood by them. They’ve been there for us.

     

    Our seven-year journey has seen us travel alongside India’s growing A&M fraternity. Okay, we’re being filmi, but it captures the sentiment well:Saat saal, saath-saath.

     

     

    ~ ~

     

    Our team 

    Our team has grown steadily and we are proud to have people who have stayed on with us for most of our seven years. Our stars: Rafiq Barak, our head of technology, has now settled in well in Tamil Nadu and manages our ops from there. And Kishor Kate who has moved up the ladder to oversee all our accounts and admin work.We are happy to inform that we are now looking better on the business development front. Anuradha Kini, a seasoned media professional, is now on board to lead sales. Given all our constraints of credibility, her job isn’t easy.

     

    And then there is our high-powered team of star columnists and full- and part-time journalists. We’re proud to have Ranjona Banerji, Shailesh Kapoor, Sanjeev Kotnala, Indrani Sen, Prabhakar Mundkur and Siddhartha Mukherjee amongst our regular columnists. We hope to have a few more industry leaders on board over the next two quarters.

     

    Some of our tech partners and associates have also been a constant. Mediology, Deepak Joshi & Associates, CA Nishant Soni, Krishna Rathi & Associates, Fotocorp, Ganeshaspeaks and of course: Prashant Basrur and Deadline Advertising.

     

    Our gratitude to our advertisers for their faith in us. To our stakeholders for bearing with us. We’re indebted to the A&M ecosystem for standing by us. Our primary allegiance is – and will continue to be – to our readers. You, dear reader, will always come first.

     

    ~ ~

     

    The Seven-Year Itch

     

    Every year, this celebratory note has also been a time to introspect and look ahead. Our hit rate on accomplishing some of the stuff we intended has been a 5/10.

     

    It’s been seven years. And we can sense the itch to do more. We’ll keep you posted.

     

     

    Best wishes,

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari

  • IRS 2017 Live! Today, Jan 18, 3pm onwards

    The live webcast of the IRS 2017 was aired from 3 to 5pm today.

    We’ll post a link to the video recording in a few days.

     

  • Starting Wed, Oct 4, 2017, get our news via Whatsapp. Simply add 90829 15802 to your phone contacts. And send us your number

    Get MxM updates on Whatsapp!

     

    Starting Wednesday, October 4, 2017, MxMIndia news will also be disseminated via Whatsapp

    But we respect your privacy.

    So even though we may have your phone number, we will NOT spam you. Even though we know we should send you an update, unless you opt for it, we will not send you anything!

    You need to do just two things:

    1. Add us on your phone contacts. Save our number – 90829 15802 – on your mobile phone or device where you want the update

    2. And then send us a text/whatsapp message (at 90829 15802) asking us to add you on

    You must of course have WhatsApp loaded on your device.

    Please do note that this is NOT a Whatsapp group. So your number will NOT be exposed to anyone, and you will ONLY receive messages sent by us.

    In the text/WhatsApp message that you send us (at 90829 15802), you don’t have to send us your name and company name.

    But if you add a location (Mumbai, NCR… wherever) and a specific area of interest (Broadcast, Print, BARC ratings, PR, Journalism, Creative) we can put you into a separate group which can also receive targeted messages at a later date.  By default, we will put you in a general ‘ALL’ group.

    Please do note that there may be some advertiser messages that may come to you on this. We will tag all native/sponsored content.

    However, we assure you that there will be no more than 10 posts that you will receive from us on any single day.  You need to trust us on the fact that we won’t send messages indiscriminately. So, on a certain day, you may well receive only two or three messages For instance, we’ve resisted the temptation on mailers and send no more than five a day, despite the lure of revenues.

    Unless there’s something really very urgent and important, we will also not send messages between 10pm and 7am India Time. Our updates will be Monday through Friday, except for a short recap message on Saturdays. Only special flashes on Sundays and public holidays (once in a blue moon!).

    Thanks and keep the faith. Remember the number: 90829 15802

    Just to recount the steps:

    1. Add our number 90829 15802 on to your phone memory (by saving it on your phone book or contacts)

    2. Send us a Whatsapp or Text Message at 9082915802 asking us to add you on to the broadcast list

    3 .We will send you a message on receipt

    Do note that you can unsubscribe by simply deleting the number from the phonebook/contacts.

    Currently, this service is available only via Whatsapp. However, at a later date, we may add other messaging platforms like Telegram, WeChat, etc.

    We would like to alert you that you can mute messages that you receive from us if you find the receipt of message is a distraction.

    When we got a friend to read this, she said we were being very apologetic. We said we aren’t. However, we respect your privacy and right to not get disturbed.

    And, lastly, this priceless service is available free of cost.

     

  • We had resolved to be different from the rest. We were B2B, but we weren't going to be like many other B2B publications. No compromising on credibility…

    We are five. Thank you for the faith!

     

    Yes. Yessssss! Yesssssssssssss!

    We’ve done it. We’ve survived. We’ve thrived.

    Five years back, on the auspicious day of Onam, September 9, 2011 to be precise, at some time around 4pm, MxMIndia was born.

    It’s been a good five years since then. We had resolved to be different from the rest. We were B2B, but we weren’t going to be like many other B2B publications. No quid pro quos against advertising. No compromising on credibility.

    Yes, it’s not been tough doing all of this. We don’t do events every other week. We’re just good old content. Unadulterated. Fresh. Honest. And we don’t mind calling a spade a spade.

    In the last five years, the media has seen some significant developments. Digital was growing then, it’s small even now, but it’s decidedly a force to reckon with. Content was thriving then, as it is now, but the question marks have grown. Social media has become a force to reckon with, Twitter has become a must-have for influentials.

    Phase 3 of radio has finally happened, news channels are proliferating and newspapers aren’t dying. Magazines have survived, and new ones keep getting launched.

    How are we different from the others. That was a question we were asked then, but that’s a question we aren’t asked any longer.

    We are different. We are credible. We are editorially-driven. Our god isn’t our advertiser, but it’s you, dear reader.

    We write about people and entities who don’t advertise with us. And we don’t necessarily write about people and entities who advertise with us.

    But we’ve paid a price for all this. We have lost many advertisers because of our independent stance. We’ve not been ignored by some because they didn’t want us to write on stuff we did.

    We don’t approach advertisers and revenues where we feel that there could be a compromise. Or where there is a belief that they are doing us a favour.

    What we can assure you, dear reader, is that in all of the mad rush for monies that exists in the world, we haven’t compromised on our value system. Earlier this week, we were asked by a leading media company whether we would send out a few tweets on their brand and retweet some. Just fifty or hundred them in a year. The bucks would’ve been good, we’re sure. But that wouldn’t be right on our readers.

    We’re happy to do microsites and carry sponsored content, but only if the advertiser is out in the open.  It’s not that we don’t accept requests for plugs, we do. But we won’t carry stuff that doesn’t fit MxM.

    And this is something all our constituents needn’t ever worry about it:  our journalism is what journalism ought to be. The content that appears on MxMIndia appears solely on the discretion of the editorial team.

     

    ~~

     

    Five years is a huge milestone. We’ll not talk about our plans for the future here, because in the past some of what we announced, didn’t happen.

    What you will surely see in the days, weeks, months, years to come is an uncompromised value system.

    Our special thanks to all those who have been with us through these five years – our writers, the industry, the many people who have patronised us, our advertisers, our syndication clients and of course all the people who have constituted the MxMIndia team – present and past.

    Thank you for being around, and keeping the faith in MxM.

    Bestest,

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    PS: The hunt for funds in order to grow bigger is still on. If you would like to invest or know someone who will, please contact me at pradyumanm@mxmindia.com… I will write back or call.

     

  • Senior media professional and Contributing Editor, MxMIndia Jaisurya Das responds to a reader queries on a mixed bag of career and personal issues

    Dear MxM by Jaisurya Das: Is it cool for media firms to ban Facebook and LinkedIn? + Uncontrollable headaches, giddiness & insomnia could be due to stress, lifestyle disorders

    By Jaisurya Das

     

    Hello and welcome back to India’s very own ‘smack on the face‘ counselling column for the media, marketing and advertising fraternity.

     

    Just a week ago, I wrote an article on this site about depression and its perils. The importance of recognising seemingly unconnected symptoms and seeking help when necessary is often ignored unfortunately.

     

    While most content writers would be thrilled to get a staggering 16,000 page views for their piece, for me this was an eyeopener! I am happy that so many people gave this attention, but somewhere it also means that there is huge number of us who are affected by this directly or indirectly.

     

    What is going wrong? Is it our race that is genetically unprepared to handle the modern world or is it just our abuse of the body and mind?

     

    I asked this very question to a senior neurologist and an equally senior psychiatrist earlier this week.  It was exceedingly worrying to hear that my neurologist friend gets over 40 young patients per week who complain of uncontrollable headaches, giddiness and insomnia. Apparently in almost all the cases, the latent cause is far from a neurological disorder, and is attributed to stress and lifestyle disorders.

     

    Cut to the psychiatrist and it isn’t very different! Twenty patients a week and all between 21 and 35 feeling wired up, disoriented, complaining of acute insomnia, tremors, anxiety, nasty tempers and so on.

     

    Alcohol abuse, lack of any regimen, multi-tasking beyond capability and the infinite quest for the pinnacle of success are some of the diagnosed triggers I was informed.

     

    Ladies and Gentleman, where are we headed? As parents we give everything, and yet fall short of being able to rein in our children from abusing their system. As corporate citizens, we join the youth in leading a lifestyle that is anybody’s guess, and as friends, we disregard what may just be the most critical aspect of a friends life !

     

    It’s not enough calling and checking on someone who is going through depression. No, it’s not enough waiting to be invited. Someone who is in it badly won’t want anyone around. It’s for us to move that one step ahead to extend the hand of help. Yes, you will face anger, indifference and more…but that’s what friends are for aren’t they? Don’t forget, it could be you.

     

    It can happen to any of us, any time, with no apparent cause and yet with help 100 per cent  recovery is more than possible. Please do not turn your face away from someone who is going through depression. God forbid, It may just be you tomorrow!

     

    Have the patience and understanding.

    Be that pillar of support and not a cowardly sprinter.

     

    We can make a huge difference. Believe me, it’s possible…!

     

    Am sorry I had to take you through an intense few paras but I just don’t want to stop trying to get everyone’s attention to a malaise that can well become the next swine flu…

     

    I think it’s safest for me to cut to the Q & A for the week lest my readers disown me completely…

     

    Ladies and Gentlemen, from the cities of Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and last but not the least Kottayam for the first time this season…Welcome 🙂

     

    Recently my colleague was reprimanded and penalised for being seen at a nightspot consuming alcohol. Is there a law restraining employees on their behaviour outside work?

    No, there isn’t a law such, as far as I know ! However, corporates and educational institutions are getting increasingly tougher with their decorum policy.

     

    To be honest, I don’t blame them considering that this has been precipitated by a series of incidents involving employees across locations. To make things worse, quite a few of these incidents turn nasty and end up having legal ramifications. That’s when the company has to step in to sort things out and use their good offices to diplomatically solve these issues.  Prevention is better than cure, I guess !

     

    I agree that this is policing beyond what is necessary and everyone has a life beyond work hours but not at the expense of decorum. As is the case with most things, a few rotten eggs ruin the entire basket!

     

    Hopefully things will stabilise and we will all see a regimen-free world to live in, but that can happen only if we ourselves behave responsibly in the first place. Yes, irrespective of whether it’s under the influence of alcohol or not!

     

    Is it advisable to avoid working in the same organisation as your spouse?

    There’s nothing wrong in working in the same place. Yet, certainly not in the same department, or in roles that require professional interaction/ supervision involving each other. This isn’t about biases.

     

    It’s more about comfort and professionalism and the ability to take independent decisions.

     

    I have had couples working in the same office, but in different roles and there has never been any cause for concern or lack of effort on their parts. In fact in the entrepreneurial world, this is very common and is a much accepted practice too.

     

    Retail sees this as well and so do other streams such as medicine, architecture, finance etc.

     

    Several couples practise together, be it Doctors, Lawyers, Architects, CAs and almost all of them do very well too. Finally it’s about how professional you are at work. Nothing matters any more!  As long as there is perfect understanding and egos are put to rest, great work will emanate for sure.

     

    So, go ahead and work in the same office, my friend..Both of you will only be happier!

     

    However a word of caution : Be sure to keep your flirting in check while the wife is around 🙂 Now, this is certainly advisable.

     

    Sir, you wrote about appraisals. My boss who relented under pressure from HR to give me a good rating is now out to nail me for no fault of mine.  Should I complain to HR?

    Wow! HR intervened and told your boss to rate you well? This is a new one indeed ! This probably means your previous appraisals haven’t been fair or you have a highly

    pro-active HR team!

     

    Yeah no boss is going to like instructions being given to her/him on appraisals..but taking all this out on you isn’t something that is sensible or acceptable!

     

    I guess it’s finally about mega egos and this will never change. I so wish people realise the folly of sitting on artificial pedestals and behaving like autocrats. They often forget that finally its only the chair that is commanding respect. And a chair can be taken away in a flash !

     

    Personally, I would suggest you casually broach the topic with HR and simultaneously have a chat with your boss to tell him/her what you feel. It’s important he/ she knows that you have recognised the causticity of his behaviour with you.

     

    There is a strong chance that he/ she may realise the mistake and back off, which is the ideal situation but if not, it may be sensible to escalate this!  Please do understand that your performance and raison d’être in the company will play a major role when this is escalated. I have assumed for now that you are an important part of the enterprise and responded accordingly.

     

    Is it cool for media firms to ban Facebook and LinkedIn. They are now platforms for people to communicate with each other. Your comments.

    Thanks for writing in with a pertinent question! I completely agree with you on the importance of these social platforms in ones life, but this doesn’t necessarily amount to a passport for 24/7 use!

     

    Organisations end up banning this because of its addictive properties. Social media is much like a mood elevator and tranquilliser rolled in one, and consequently highly addictive too! Yes, it gives you a high, but has its downside as well. Stay away from narcotics, be it the real thing or in the virtual form. Yes, the virtual can be embraced but it’s far too dangerous to take to bed…

     

    Metered doses. Always the most effective. Proved beyond doubt!

     

    And please don’t tell me that its required for networking and hence must be done at office. No, it isn’t and you can do it on the move, or when you have the spare time. No heavens will fall if you haven’t send a connection request in the past 24 hours or that important post hasn’t gone up yet….

     

    Use social media but don’t let it take over your life. Get your priorities straight and follow them. Social media is here to stay and so is your timeline. Relax, there is time in the day for every task. Stop mixing oil and water! We haven’t forgotten our basic physics have we? Density and so on…

     

    I rest my case. Amen.

     

    Now, this is the part I don’t like!!

     

    Goodbye, Au Revoir and so on! But what has to be said must be said (so said, JD!) and hence it’s time to bid adieu.

     

    Do not despair my friends, for we will be back with Swiss precision on the 21st day of April.

    Well, this is what we are made of! Being there.

     

    And for those of you who may have a question, please inbox us on editor@mxmindia.com

     

    and yes, don’t forget to mention Dear MxM and your city in the subject line.

     

  • It's our fourth anniversary today. On September 9, 2011, on the auspicious day of Onam, MxMIndia was born

    Four! Credible, Ethical, Profitable

     

    It’s our fourth anniversary today.

     

    And while we are not having any major celebrations,  it is important that we don’t forget this milestone.

     

    On September 9, 2011, on the auspicious day of Onam, MxMIndia was born.

     

    With a clear vision, but with dollops of idealism. We wanted to be a B2B media publication, but we didn’t want to link advertising with editorial content.

     

    All our employees needed to agree to a set of Code of Ethics. Our columnists and staff reporters have always had a free hand to write whatever they wish to, as long as they are doing it with responsibility. And this MxMIndia vouches for.

     

    Consequently, we have had to suffer a loss of revenue. Many advertisers blacked us out. Some still do.

     

    Our response.  We re-engineered ourselves. We don’t depend on advertisers for our bottomline.

     

    In Year 2 and 3 of our operations we looked at syndicating our content to earn revenues. Some of the world’s largest media companies inked a pact with us to source our content. Because they trusted us. They know that we will not compromise on content just because a certain company is a regular advertiser. Yes, there have been occasions where we may have erred in our judgment, but it was not definitely not with revenues in mind.

    We are profitable, month-on-month, but we are still paying back some old dues. So to those naysayers that you can’t run a business without compromising on content, here’s proof that it’s possible to do things the Right Way.

     

    ~ ~

     

    We don’t want to blow our trumpets on this day. Though we would love to. And have some reason to do so.

     

    We wish to rededicate ourselves to our readers.  Yes, we need to take care of our stakeholders, we need to service and solicit advertisers, but our primary allegiance is to our Readers.

     

    ~~

     

    Sincere thanks to all those who have been associated with MxMIndia since 2011. To our advertisers and benefactors who have believed in us. Thank you, each and every one of you!

     

     

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari

    Co-founder, Editor-in-Chief and CEO

    September 9, 2015

     

  • MxMIndia is looking for bright, smart, confident individuals (gender no bar) in Mumbai and New Delhi who have excellent English writing and speaking skills. Email us a link to your LinkedIn profile and your coordinates at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

    MxM is hiring. And you needn’t have been a journalist to be an Editor or Reporter

    Yes, you could have been a copywriter, clientservicing exec, PR exec, sales manager, shop assistant, social media writer, call centre operator, homemakers… whatever. MxMIndia is looking for bright, smart, confident individuals (gender no bar) in Mumbai and New Delhi who have excellent English writing and speaking skills. And, btw, you could’ve also been a journalist.

     

    MxMIndia is into the business of media, and not just into the craft and creation of television software, advertising or news media. So please don’t expect to meet Kapil Sharma or Arnab Goswami or land yourself on the sets of your favourite soap on Day 1 or 2 or 100 of your job.

     

    The ideal candidates should be under 24 years of age, but 30-somethings are welcome as long as they are happy to start lower down the ladder.

     

    We have flexi work hours and you don’t have to be physically present in the office every day. We are strict on deliveries, but we aren’t impractical in our demands. We follow a Code of Ethics, and expect your primary commitment to be the work at MxM.

     

    We are a multiple media company and offer opportunities in digital, print and in future: video/television.

     

    We don’t expect you to know who the Chief Justice of India is or who is the Chief Editor of The Times of India, but we surely expect you know a fair bit about the media and brands and newsmakers.

     

    The ideal applicant should be familiar with the digital media, be active on Twitter and Facebook and be comfortable with technology. We don’t consider working long hours a virtue, but when necessary, the MxM editor/sub/reporter should willing to work looong hours.

     

    Enough said. If interested, mail us a link to your LinkedIn profile and your coordinates at editor [at] mxmindia.com.

     

    Designation and salary will match experience.

     

  • MxMIndia celebrates its third anniversary. Three years ago, we launched with the promise of integrity

    Three Cheers! We are three today!

     

    It’s reason for a big Yay! On the afternoon of September 9, 2011, on the happy occasion of Onam that year, MxMIndia launched with some fanfare.

     

    We were very clear from Day 1: that more than even our own stakeholders, our allegiance would be to you dear reader. It took a while for many in the media to get used to this. For years they’ve been happy being subjected to only positive news (and hardly any views). Like very early in our existence, some biggies at a channel weren’t too happy with what a columnist had written about them. Soon enough they figured we had no agenda, and there was no method to our madness. We just let it pass even as we were worried whether it would impact our advertising. It didn’t and the network has been an ongoing supporter in business. Over the years, there have been several attempts to silence us. We’ve also been threatened with dire consequences. Some really large corporates spewed venom or made fervent requests about what our columnists have written. As all our writers will testify, we’ve stood by them. And never got them to change their commentary.

     

    Yes, there were a couple of times when our reporters goofed. We carried info without verifying facts. We apologised, unconditionally.

     

    We are very careful about how we conduct ourselves. We don’t unleash newbies on to captains of the industry. We respect their time and don’t want them to be subjected to inane questions.

     

    So what does MxMIndia stand for? Integrity.

     

    In the world of me-toos, we attempt to be different. We don’t get too excited about breaking news. We don’t think your inbox should be inundated with movements of people or accounts about which you wouldn’t care too much. Not that we haven’t done that in the past. But we try and resist the temptation 99.5 percent of the time.

     

    Other than our unique treatment of news, we’re known for our views. Our columnists have the licence to write on anything. Of course they do that responsibly.

     

    We also love doing interviews. And some of our long copy interviews are fun reading. Or so people tell us.

     

    We don’t do quid pro quos. Recently a potentially big advertiser asked for a story with the promise of year-long advertising. We refused. We don’t mind losing out on revenues, but we won’t compromise our values. Revenues jaaye, but values na jaaye…

     

    We also don’t mix our business with editorial. There’s a clear wall between both functions. So even if a certain media entity is an advertiser with us, we don’t necessarily write about it. Ditto with events. We may be media partners of Conference X, but we won’t necessarily report on it. Conversely, even if we aren’t associated with a media event, we cover it. We self-regulate. We are governed by a Code of Ethics from Day #1.

     

    So how do we rate our own performance so far? We would think it’s a 6 on 10. Okay, make it 5.75. It was an 8 on 10 when we celebrated our first anniv, but since then things slipped a bit. We promised a print edition. Save two annuals and some advertiser-funded booklets, adverse business conditions held us back. We’ve also not ventured into events yet, even though the intent exists.

     

    What next in the coming year? First, our third Annual. Second, a few special initiatives that we are working on. We will of course continue to add on to our focus on editorial content.

     

    Our sincere thanks to the fraternity for supporting us – in business and editorially. Thanks to all our staff – past and present – for having been part of MxMIndia and sharing our vision.

     

    Thank you for keeping the faith.

     

    Best wishes

     

    On behalf of Team MxM,

     

    Pradyuman Maheshwari