Nitpickers' Lounge

That's what we need here and on other such blogs. A window to take a hard, close look at and then, get our claws into the 'meat' of some of our papers. Where the devil is the copy desk? Where have all the rewrite men gone?

Just when I said the TOI is slick with its copy, they give us a sentence like this (speaking of the Raju brothers) on the front page--"Though they are allowed to move freely inside the enclosure, they stayed put in their barracks and did not talk to anyone except prison officals that also (sic) when contacted." Two sentences later the story ends with--"at 7 p.m. on Sunday night, Srinivas Vadlamani, CFO of the Satyam was also admitted into the jail." Well, well, what do you make of that? On the front page in its two-column 'bottom', here's another one you could pick on--"Gilani's stand is expected because it would be politically suicidal for any Pakistani government to send over suspects."
More later....

new year musings

Plan to be a more disciplined blogger in 2009 and comment on some of the sore points that stick out in the local media. Also, plan to watch some regional television channels especially since the competition is getting fiercer, with 'Saakshi tv' all set to make its appearance soon with a big bang.
In the print media, nothing seems to have changed very much. DC is a bit like the Bourbons--'learning nothing and forgetting nothing'. TOI is much quicker on the uptake and has a sharp desk that is right on the ball and tweaks the reporters' language just enough to make the requisite impact. 'The Hindu' continues to be the old maid of Anna Salai nee Mount Road. In a fit of sudden anxiety, probably when competition comes aknocking the old maid shakes herself up, dabs some make-up and tries to act more coquettish than she ever did in her staid 100 year-old existence, trying her hardest to woo young readers . But, these flirtatious, odd acts of nervousness on her part only seem to drive her readers into the arms of her competitors faster.
Sadly, the faultlines between the Urdu press and the rest of the media, both vernacular and English are very thinly disguised as someone familiar with these languages will tell you. The twain do meet but they remain poles apart in terms of coverage and analysis.
Will be back soon with more reflections.......not that they count. At least there's public space to think aloud and get on with one's life.

The channel war

The channel war is likely to heat up with 'Saakshi' coming up with its tv channel soon. While the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, the way things look, the crowded channel television space in telugu is in for another round of competition, before each finds his bit of turf.
While I must apologise for this long 'break', in terms of media-watching, there's little to write home about. 'The Hindu' is staid as ever, DC is just the same in terms of content and presentation, and I must say that beyond its 'teachindia' and 'green' Hyderabad campaigns, TOI has not shown much imagination. Development journalism is missing. What both DC and TOI need is a P.Sainath.

new players and old rivalries....

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Isn't that true of the media in some respects as well.
We see a whole bunch of new players in the ring--some waiting in the wings--in A.P., yet, politics relegates everything else to the backstage. And often, as in the case of Aitemad, Siasat and Munsif it's more of a slanging match, at one level with all sorts of accusations and insinuations. Time alone will tell how some of these media rivalries both in the print and electronic media will play out in the long run