For those of us who read and write about topical issues on a regular basis, the two recurring problems are the lack of different things to read and write about.
When I sit with my computer and think about what to write, I rarely come up with something novel. Even if the idea is not novel, the execution should be. But I rarely come up with either. I wonder how many of you feel the same way…
Therefore, I think that unless future writers are innovative and intelligent, writing, and hence reading, will lose their importance. How many stories have we read on the issue of reservations, for example? How many gave you any new angle to the debate? I remember reading one by Amit Sen Gupta three months ago that had new ideas about why reservations should exist. But other than that I just skim through the articles on reservations because all are repetitive.
Similarly, many issues today are done to death and hence our worldview is limited to only these issues. Only a few people can think about new, creative ideas to express. This is true of all forms of expression/communication. We see similar films, similar TV programmes and similar plays.
Moreover, people believe in either speaking for or against the given issue, few see the grayer shades of the picture. So if you read blogs regularly you will find that there are thousand different people saying the same things in the same boring manner. Perhaps even I am one of them sometimes. If you read a few of the previous posts on this blog you will know what I mean. I sometimes wonder why we insist on limiting our writing to the set framework of ideas and execution? I have no convincing answers. I tried for a long time to write about things differently or about different things. But it is an effort to do so.
Have you experienced the feeling of happiness when you read a novel piece of writng? It is truly fulfilling. I genuinely hope that there will be a time when we get to read more of them.
I believe that human capability is immense.
Raksha Kumar
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Why everyone needs to know NEWS…
It's a Sunday. We are in the newsroom trying to tackle the overwhelming flow of news in this Information Age. This is how: we start by staring at each other's faces (perhaps trying to see if anyone has a clue about what can be news), we are desperately looking at all the news agencies for scraps of news, we drink cups and cups of tea hoping that something will happen somewhere in the world.
Newspersons are like vultures, a collogue said. True. You can feel their eyes prying at everything that they believe is potentially newsworthy. And the moment it happens (sometimes, even before it happens) they pounce on their prey and tear it into pieces.
Therefore, a typical newsroom is like the calm before the storm. It is quiet. Calm. We are all working in peace, punching information into the computer, completely oblivious to the world outside. And suddenly, a phone rings. In seconds, we are all screaming, staring at the other channels and looking at all the wires (news agencies) and literally running around in the newsroom. Only few know what they are doing, though.
This process slows down further on Sundays. Why, we say. Why does nothing happen on Sundays? The whole world seems to be on a holiday. Except for the newspersons. Trying to wait for the news that does not seem to be happening.
It's crazy, this news business. We insist on giving news 24 hours, irrespective of whether there are takers for it. We insist on giving news all day, irrespective of whether there is so much news or not. And we insist on sticking to our definitions of news, irrespective of how narrow the definitions are. This defeats all the classical principles of economics. There is supply without much concern about the demand, there is production without much concern about the supply and there refuses to be any market expansion.
Are you bowled over by all the economics? Well, most people in the news business are also like that. However, ironically, they constantly give you news about the stock markets and financial securities.
Similarly, most people here are adept at telling the public what they themselves know little about. Perhaps, that is the reason why if they do not understand anything they do not consider it newsworthy.
Do you think I’m rambling? Well, you must know that I’m in the news business as well. If, by the end of this, you feel that I have said nothing in these 10 paragraphs, then I’m surely cut out for the job!!!!
Raksha Kumar
Newspersons are like vultures, a collogue said. True. You can feel their eyes prying at everything that they believe is potentially newsworthy. And the moment it happens (sometimes, even before it happens) they pounce on their prey and tear it into pieces.
Therefore, a typical newsroom is like the calm before the storm. It is quiet. Calm. We are all working in peace, punching information into the computer, completely oblivious to the world outside. And suddenly, a phone rings. In seconds, we are all screaming, staring at the other channels and looking at all the wires (news agencies) and literally running around in the newsroom. Only few know what they are doing, though.
This process slows down further on Sundays. Why, we say. Why does nothing happen on Sundays? The whole world seems to be on a holiday. Except for the newspersons. Trying to wait for the news that does not seem to be happening.
It's crazy, this news business. We insist on giving news 24 hours, irrespective of whether there are takers for it. We insist on giving news all day, irrespective of whether there is so much news or not. And we insist on sticking to our definitions of news, irrespective of how narrow the definitions are. This defeats all the classical principles of economics. There is supply without much concern about the demand, there is production without much concern about the supply and there refuses to be any market expansion.
Are you bowled over by all the economics? Well, most people in the news business are also like that. However, ironically, they constantly give you news about the stock markets and financial securities.
Similarly, most people here are adept at telling the public what they themselves know little about. Perhaps, that is the reason why if they do not understand anything they do not consider it newsworthy.
Do you think I’m rambling? Well, you must know that I’m in the news business as well. If, by the end of this, you feel that I have said nothing in these 10 paragraphs, then I’m surely cut out for the job!!!!
Raksha Kumar
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