Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India MARCH 200 9

H O U S E

J O U R N A L

PTI in Cyber Space O

ne of the press releases that we received to be run on our PR Wire Service spoke of launch of a new websitetrackthisnow.com. Tiny flags sprouted at various locations on the world map or of country when you want the website to search a certain story. We typed PTI and hit the enter button. The map, to begin with was of India and wow, in an instant, India’s map was full of tiny flags….balloons you may call them, kept sprouting in various nooks and corners of the map. What the search engine looked for were news items credited to PTI and various datelines. So if the web crawler found a news item, say from Guwahati, it would plant a flat at Guwahati in the map. Trackthis.. thus showed the wide network of PTI. Click on the world map and that yields mixed results the crawler does find PTI world over but the abbreviation in some cases may just stand for Philadelphia Training Institute or something similar.

As the world takes wings in the cyber space web crawlers track even individuals. If you had a by-lined story going on our wires, type your name in the the search box and hit the ‘enter’ key on the Google website you would know in an instant where all your story has been picked up by the web crawlers- millions of them- that work round the clock sifting through tonnes (terrabits to be correct) of data that is uploaded on the Internet- dishing out on your desk top or lap top, palm top or your mobile- what you are looking for. And remember, these crawlers have not been commissioned by us, they are freelancers (so to say).

Technology can ensure we build special mechanism to track in which part of the world, which media PTI stories appear.

The results, we are sure, would be mind boggling. And we are not talking of other languages where in your stories are translated, Indian and foreign. With their declining populations, as the world looks up to India and China for business, the business is increasingly turning to the local language to maximize reach. Look at Microsoft- Bill Gates has long jumped into developing softwares that make MS products in Indian languages. Websites like Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia have pages in Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi....

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

The next chapter of the World Wide Web will not be written in English alone says Daniel Sorid in the New York Times. Asia already has twice as many Internet users as North America and by 2012 it will have three times as many, he wrote in article titled ‘Writing Web’s future in many languages”. Already more than half of Google’s queries come from outside the US, he says. Nowhere are the obstacles and rewards more apparent than in India whose online population is poised to become the third largest in the world after China and the US by 2012. Indians may speak one language to their boss, another to their spouse and a third to a parent. Microsoft has built its Windows Live bundle of online consumer services in seven Indian languages and Wikipedia now has more entries in Indian local languages than in Korean.Want to know how technology has made it easy to write in your mother tongue on an English key board? Go to Quillpad. Type on the English key board what is phonetically closer to your own languageIt appears in your own language on the screen!

How prepared are you to take a plunge into this vast ocean?

The print is caving in, giving way to online. The world is going digital. In India there is still time before the country is overtken by the digital media but the day is not far. You can see the guard at your society gate, your maid servant and your pavement vegetable vendor using mobile phones. They may not be reading any newspaper today but coming days, the digital media would cater to this segment too- read out the news from their home state, in their own language. Opportunities are aplenty.

Its time you try and measure your presence in the cyber space. See if your story appears in the ‘most read’ or ‘most e-mailed’ section of any news portal. See where you stand, amend your style to suit the new digital citizen who is global, has his/her own style that is crisp, to the point and easily understandable language.

— Editor

NEWS AGENCIES

The International Potential of PTI, a View Point from America

by Anita Sengupta As an NRI or an Indophile, how would you expect a news story to be written to be of interest to the ‘global Indian’? Ms Anita Sengupta, an NRI student from USA, on an internship with PTI, New Delhi, was assigned a project to write on this.

Following is the summary of her project report: — Editor The signs are everywhere: the world is globalizing. What started as a simple economic trend of outsourcing has exploded into a worldwide phenomenon of global curiosity, cultural barrier breaking and emigration - all fueled by widespread communication. As a news agency, Press Trust of India’s purpose is providing information, and thus the Press Trust of India (PTI) has an obligation of sorts to go global, to let the world know of the current events in one of the most talked about countries in the world. For an international audience of non-resident Indians (NRIs) and the internationally curious, PTI’s articles should have clear context, obvious relevance and broad accessibility.

Knowing how to write for an international audience starts with knowing how an international audience will read. For most international readers, Indian news will not take top priority when compared to their national or local news. Due to this lack of immediate importance, readers will read inconsistently - either by chancing on an article or, in a special case, by actively seeking information on India. No matter their motivations for reading, what is important to recognize is that the international community - NRIs included - lives without the inherent context to Indian affairs that resident Indians have.

Taking the above into account, each article must not just be informative, but attractive to an inconsistent, passive follower of Indian events. An article should not only focus on the specific current event that sparked the article, but how the news reflects the broader background, implications, and trends in India and internationally. Essentially, each article should be carefully written to have clarity and relevance.

An article’s international clarity will be enhanced by paying important attention to context explanation, language, and smooth-reading style. As stated before, non-residents of India lack the national ambience that Indian residents take for granted, and certain details must be taken into account to compensate. Because the Indian news source abroad is limited, it should serve as a rule that any article should be selfsufficient, that is, anyone should be able to read and understand the isolated article. The article, therefore, should not have unexplained references to events or people, and each proper noun should be given a brief introduction that is relevant to both the story and the perspective of the international reader.

Internationally-run articles must be as clear and lean as possible to avoid any confusion for the reader. As a non-Indian resident, the reader will be hit with a lot of new information with each article, not just the current event that propels PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

the article, but the background, explanation, and implications surrounding it. So articles must be carefully and smoothly written so that they do not end up as a jumble of information. For enhanced clarity, technical elements of language should also be taken into account. If being sent to the United States, the stories should be rewritten in American Standard English instead of Indian Standard English. Monetary amounts should also be written in Indian rupees and US dollars (or any other relevant currency).

Because articles from India do not immediately take top priority, articles should showcase the relevance of the story to the reader. Essentially, each story should pass the “so what?” test . If a reader is to ask “so what?” about the current event in an article, the article should answer the question by analysing the relevance of the story. This can be achieved by putting the article in proper framework. Articles should be sent out under five broad categories that encompass most readers’ interests. International, National, Economic, Sports, and Entertainment. Stories that are selected for the international audience should be slightly refocused so that they update the reader not only on specific current events, but also on the context and implications on category within which the story falls. The reader then gets specific facts and the broad scope of things, increasing overall comprehension of India’s current affairs. This characteristic would particularly appeal to NRIs who look to stay updated on the pulse of India.

All articles released by PTI should be easily accessible for those who seek information on India. PTI should work with large newspapers in countries with large NRI populations, such as the United States and Britain to publish internationallyedited articles. Because the Internet is so prominent, PTI should have an international website separate from the national PTI site where only internationally-edited stories are posted. For those who would like more information - most likely NRIs - a subscription should be available to get access to all (non-internationally-edited) articles. For ease and personalisation, subscribers should be able to set up preferences that direct them to articles surrounding their interests, for example, PTI articles out of a specific region, regarding a specific topic, or with a specified keyword. This personalisation would give PTI an edge over other Indian news sources.

PTI is a news agency of great potential that is currently met with a situation of great potential. Because of its size and dexterity in journalism, PTI is in the position to become a leader in addressing the rising widespread appeal of India throughout the world - from the NRIs to the internationally curious.

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WELCOME 2009

A Welcome ‘Year Ender’ Of the numerous year enders that all of us get involved in as a year draws to a close, one year ender everybody looks forward to eagerly is the new year eve party. Its time to unwind. To let one’s hair down, or more appropriately, to shake a leg, after the hard leg work of the year. The Photos show it all. Its no seniors or juniors. No bosses or the new comers. Its time to mingle and enjoy.

So the CEO & EIC, general managers, editors are pulled by colleagues to join them for a jig to the tune of the DJ belting out the latest Punjabi songs or pop numbers. We have some photographs of the new year eve parties from Mumbai and Kolkata too. Chennai also held a party but no pix.

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PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

WELCOME 2009 in PTI Kolkata...

and in PTI Mumbai ........

Will the new world catch us yawning?

Prof Kevin Warwick is a Cyborg - part-machine and part-human. In the late 90’s, he had chips implanted in his forearm that could transmit sensory impulses from his nervous system to the computers running his office. It meant that every day, when he walked into his office at Readings University, the doors would automatically swing open, the room would light up, the air-conditioners and computers would switch on, and the gas burner would warm him a cuppa, just in the way he liked it!

I met Prof Kevin in 1999 during a show organised by the British Council Division in New Delhi. He had just finished taming some hostile questions from people unsure of whether he was being unethical or whether he was trying to be God. They, however, seemed ready to conclude that they were seeing technology take over lives.

One person, I remember having the felicity for some big words and grandstanding, was blunt to the point of calling the professor a Frankenstein and a monster-maker.

Prof Kevin was never the kind to be harried, and thankfully for our Mr Wordsworth, he was not about to be meeting the professor.

Because, only a few years later, Prof Kevin was to convince his wife to become a Cyborg with an advanced sensor that could make them relate through chip and computer on the affairs of their life together. There is the 1993 sci-fi thriller, Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Sandra Bullock, where a relationship of a similar kind is depicted.

Prof Kevin and his wife are a case for serious discussion, because, believe it or not, in some remote labs and extra-ordinary homes of the world, cyborgs, invisible men, human clones and robocops are beginning to walk. These are yet only the closet creatures of frontier science, but much before the director of Demolition Man imagines, they may be out on the street with you and me.

PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

The reason why I am bringing this up now is that technology is leading us on and pacing us like no other time in the past. In our own immediate world and domain, technological innovations are looking us in the eye, challenging our practices, our ethics and our cultural standards. In the previous issue of HJ, you may remember the CEO had talked about the breed called citizen journalists who have armed themselves with the power that media organizations conceded to them, pressed on by the coming of age of the Internet.

Citizens can give opinions. They can’t conduct journalism. Because when citizens assume the role of journalists, neutrality and objectivity become instant victims. The fact, however, is that the Internet world is less to do with facts and more to do with opinions, because the truth is that when the time came, the journalists were just not there to fight the battle for the Net. Today, technology ushers revolutions every day. We can fear the technology, we can remain set in our ways, we can be the frog in the well and we can let the ocean wave swallow us! Otherwise, we can recognize the technology, grasp it, master it and set it on a course on which we want it moving!

Must we become like the frog in the well? The other day I was out with a friend, talking about how difficult it is to maintain a driving speed of 50 kmph. He had an answer, which quite fits into the context we have here. He said: “We move at 50, because the lawmaker doesn’t see beyond the Ambassador.”

Before I end, let me say, I owe it to Prof Kevin to clarify that he is not quite the guy his audience made him out to be at the seminar. To know more about him and his work, I would recommend his book, I Cyborg, to you. It speaks of the man living out the argument I have tried to make here – master technology before it masters us!

— Shali Ittaman Consultant, New Media 4

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STORIES BEHIND STORIES

Charge of the News Brigade on 26/11

‘B

reaking News’ to right of us, ‘News Alerts’ to left of us, ‘News Just In’ in front of us. Volley’d and thunder’d. Storm’d with telephone calls.

It was the Charge of the ‘News’ Brigade at PTI’s Central Newsroom at New Delhi on the night of 26/11 when the agents of death struck with impunity at Mumbai in an unprecedented terror strike.

When the first news of gunfire at Mumbai’s main rail terminal — Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal, popularly known as VT — trickled around 10 PM, none had an inkling that a horrifying story was unfolding which tested the PTI news machine.

Suddenly, news alerts broke about an attack at Mumbai’s Leopold Café.

Then reports of taxi blasts. It was not an isolated incident or two. A staccato of newsbreaks on attacks at Taj and Oberoi hotels and a torrent of information and it was slowly turning out to be a blood soaked night in the country’s financial capital. Our reporters in Mumbai swung into action while the photographers froze many a frame.

The Mumbai team relentlessly fed the Central Newsroom while in Delhi reinforcements were rushed and “took positions” to fire stories. All the afternoon shifters stayed back and chipped in with inputs. No ‘byte’ on TV screens was missed. Every bit was sacred to give flesh and develop our stories.

And it was just a matter of time or minutes before our CEO donned the role of Team Leader for “Project Mumbai”. The gameplan was like a full-court press, to use a Basketball term, and nothing was left uncovered. Our news wires blazed away to glory.

The cogs of the standard editorial drill during coverage of major events moved with clinical precision. The ‘must have’ news menu were quickly dished out. Our editorial and reporting teams backed by a foolproof technical network did not blink even for a second.

As the hours passed by, every detail from brave attempts by police officers to neutralize the gunmen to eye-witness accounts and the trauma at hospitals was being covered. We led the pack to give an updated figure of 60 deaths backed up by actual body count when the Mumbai siege entered the fourth hour at a time when most papers were about to ‘Close Press.’

The CEO was directly involved in churning out two stories — both events of major significance — thanks to diligent monitoring of a tsunami of TV newsbreaks.

One was about how the attackers at the Taj Hotel, which bore the brunt of the carnage, specifically yelled for Americans and Westerners to target them and gun them down. This gave a clue to the possible motive of the terrorists in the first few hours of the attack when the picture remained hazy.

The second related to the dramatic event of how one terrorist — who turned out to be Kasab, the lone surviving gunman — was captured at the Girgaum-Chowpatty area after he tried to escape in a hijacked police Qualis vehicle. Both reports sailed through our wires quickly and were runway winners in the next day’s papers and prominently highlighted.

News of ATS chief Hemant Karkare possibly being killed stunned 5

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the news room. Was it true or not true. We spoke in hushed tones.

Time was ticking by to update the lead. But a quick confirmation by our team settled the lead for us and the story turned on its head.

Around 2AM, the final lead of the death toll at 80 on the first night of the terror attack was moved and was bang on target as reflected by the newspaper leads. But the CEO was still doing the works at that (unearthly !) hour. We were alerted on how the first pictures of the face of a terrorist was being shown on a TV channel. Our photographer in Delhi who was leaving office was quickly summoned back and we had a TV grab which was the picture of the night.

It was 3.26 AM. The telephone rang. It was the CEO on the line again to check if everything was updated.

Boss said he was retiring for the day (or night) but with a suggestion that he must be woken up if any need arose. As Ratan Tata said later while criticizing the authorities over the handling of terror attacks in the initial hours, “There should be leadership in knowing what to do.” But for PTI, the charge was led from the top.

And the wheels cranked flawlessly through a neat relay drill in deploying manpower till the Mumbai siege ended, 60 hours after the first bullets were fired by the terrorists.

— G Sudhakar Nair New Delhi

Agency Impact in Metro Papers From September 1, 2008 to February 15, 2009 Placement in Numbers

Placement in Percent

PTI UNI Domestic News

Business News

Foreign News

Sports News

English Overall

Hindi News

Photo

96.7

46,076 1,557

98.3

1,02,198 1,754

95.9

25,120 1,072

97.8

27,399 609

97.6

2,00,793 4,992

3.3

1.7

4.1

2.2

2.4 87.2

1,44,962 21,280

92.2

34,557 2,927

12.8

7.8

PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

HEALTH MATTERS

H

e must the first, we are sure, and would be the last, we are doubly sure, to have climbed onto the table to address PTI journalists in the Seminar Room that has hosted the virtual who’s who in the political, corporate glitterati, litterateurs et al over the years. Baba Ramdev measured the strength of the oval shaped table in the Seminar Room, satisfied himself that it could hold his weight and climbed onto it with an athlete’s ease- comfortable in his famous “Padmasan” pose, to speak to the journalist and non-journalist staff on Yoga and, yes, Politics!

The Baba, who has demystified Yoga to reach the ancient Indian health science to almost every household in the country, demonstrated ‘Pranayam’ and fielded queries from the audience- everything on record- with a request before leaving to tell people that he was not and would never be with any political party including the BJP. Ramdev had answers for all questions- from cures to stress specific to the fast paced life of journalists to the controversy related to contents of medicines that his ‘Patanjali’ institute manufactures (generated by Vrinda Karat of the CPI-M). He was equally at ease to respond to questions on his supposed tilt towards the saffron brigade. The media, he lamented, ignores when “I am with politicians of the Congress. They go to town when I am seen with the BJP leadership,” he said.

Coupled with the earlier visit of Dr. Upendra Kaul, it was fitness in the air in PTI.

Meanwhile, Dr.Kaul, having told the PTI staff in Delhi on the wonderful machine called heart, followed it up with a two-day medical camp. He sent a team of doctors and paramedics with hi-tech equipment for a health check up of the staff. The response was enthusiastic. People lined up, filled forms and answered queries of the friendly doctors who gave instant analysis and also advice.

We all know that with our heart and soul in the profession, we tend to ignore what should be a routine for everyone. A health checkup. What both Dr.Kaul and Baba Ramdev conveyed was let us learn to carry out the day to day work and take care of health too.

Baba Ramdev in PTI with an audience overflowing into the hall.

Staffers lined up at different counters during the two-day medical camp that Dr Upendra Kaul organised for the PTI staff in PTI.

Dr Upendra Kaul speaking to PTI staff on heart, ‘the most efficient pump’.

Down the memory lane ...

General Manager (Admn) M Shakeel Ahmed digging with a pickaxe during the Bhoomipujan ceremony of the PTI Bangalore Building in the southern metropolis on March 16, 2009.

Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi laying the foundation for the agency's multi-storeyed building in New Delhi PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

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NEWS AGENCIES Argentina to host third world congress of news agencies

A

rgentine capital Buenos Aires will host the third World Congress of news agencies in October 2010, representatives of the World Council of News Agencies agreed in a meeting in Madrid in October 2009. Argentine news agency Telam will organise the 2010 event, its president Martin Granovsky told the meeting held at the headquarters of Spain’s EFE news agency, and stressed that the congress would underscore “commitment to freedom of speech, diversity and the role of news agencies around the world”.

Granovsky stressed the “fair play” that was operative in the election of Buenos Aires as the setting of the congress and related it to a tacit agreement among agency heads that “there will be no competition among us but rather collaboration”. “Not only is there room for everyone, but also if we don’t collaborate news agencies will end up as museum pieces. None of those that were here want to feel nostalgia for news agencies, we want a project with a future,” the Argentine journalist said.

PTI CEO Razdan was among those who attended the meeting in Madrid which also included top executives from Australia’s AAP, Agence France Presse, the Associated Press, Italy’s ANSA, Agencia EFE of Spain, and Russia’s Itar-Tass among others.

EFE CEO Alex Grijelmo, as president of the World Council of News Agencies, opened the meeting and underscored the work done up

to now “to contribute to a greater awareness of the role and the importance of news agencies”. He emphasised the need to “deal with the rapid growth of globalisation, the impact of the Internet and digital media” as well as continuing to do professional journalism not entangled with political interests.

The group’s first world congress was held in Moscow in 2004 while the second was held in the southern Spanish town of Estepona in 2007.

With newspapers in crisis, newswires may learn to live without them This is an article which appeared in the February 12th issue of the London Economist. It is being reproduced here for its relevance to us.

— Editor Where does news come from? The answer, much of the time, is from newswires. Many of the stories in newspapers, on television, radio and online are based on dispatches filed by the big news agencies. The biggest international newswires, Associated press (AP) and Reuters, date back to the expansion of the telegraph in the mid-19th century, when rapid newsgathering first became possible.

The agencies have usually been wholesalers of news; newspapers, broadcasters and websites act as retailers, repackaging and selling news to consumers alongside material generated in-house.

Some, such as AP ( a co-operative-owned by its subscribers) and the state-backed French News Agency (AFP), have stuck to that model. But Reuters, like the Dow Jones newswire (which grew out of the Wall Street Journal), has developed a huge business providing information to financial-services firms, for which rapid, accurate news is highly valuable. A more recent arrival, Bloomberg, started out as a provider of such information but has turned into a news agency as well, creating a worldwide network of bureaus and syndicating stories to newspapers.

The financial crisis is taking a terrible toil on both financialservices firms and newspapers, so you might expect the news agencies that serve them to be in trouble too. Not so. Christoph Pleitgen, a senior Reuter executive, says the big newswires have been staffing up in the past year. The Journal’s owner, News Corp, announced job cuts at the newspaper earlier this month, but said that the Dow Jones newswire was adding journalists at its bureaus, especially in India. Likewise, Bloomberg’s recent announcement of around 190 job cuts at a foreign-language television venture got more attention than its promise to create 1,000 jobs elsewhere, including in its news bureaus. And CNN, a television-news network, plans to set up a new international agency to rival AP and Reuters.

A few struggling newspaper groups have stopped subscribing 7

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to newswires. Many others, having cut their own newsrooms, have become more dependent than ever on regurgitating agency copy.

The proliferation of news websites, hungry for content, but lacking staff to produce it themselves, has also boosted the agencies. Last year printed newspapers contributed only 25% of AP’s revenues, says its boss, Tom Curley, down from 55% in 1985. Mr Pleitgen says that in developing regions, such as the Gulf, new television stations, websites and even newspapers are springing up, compensating for the newswires’ loss of customers elsewhere.

But if newswires are thriving and newspapers are making ever more use of wire copy, why don’t the wire services supply news direct to the consumer? The risk that newspapers will be disintermediated is noted in a new report by, of all people, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.

In some ways, it is already happening. Reuters and Bloomberg offer their top stories direct to consumers on advertising-financed websites.

And as more people consume news via smart-phones and other mobile devices, the newswires are providing it there, too. Norman Pearlstine, a senior Bloomberg executive, says the firm’s application for the Apple iPhone has been downloaded over a million times.

Its service is free “for now”. AP which is owned by its main subscribers, is treading carefully; it has struck deals with 1,200 American newspapers to create mobile websites, for which AP provides national and international news and they provide local news.

Nobody yet knows which business model, if any, will work for mobile news. Mr Pearlstine notes that mobile users happily pay for a new ringtone, so why not for news? It is unclear how good news agencies will be at marketing direct to consumers. But as they continue building their worldwide news bureaus and providing more comprehensive coverage, they may more likely to survive in the long term than those newspapers which, through constant rounds of cuts, risk becoming ever less distinctive.

— Courtesy: Economist, London PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

PHOTO GALLERY

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan with some of the members of the Legal Bureau when he visited PTI in Delhi.

Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan looking at photographs of PTI’s Chairmen in the agency’s Board Room in New Delhi.

CEO & EIC Razdan greets Yoga guru Ramdev when he visited PTI for a lecture-demonstration.

PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

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PHOTO GALLERY

Razdan with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee when he visited PTI.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee speaking to PTI journalists in New Delhi.

Corporate Affairs Minister Premchand Gupta with CEO Razdan when he visited PTI for a question-answer session on matters concerning his Ministry.

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PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

ih-Vh-vkbZ - Hkk"kk

d”k&e&d”k esa gS d”k yxkus okyksa dh ftanxh /kweziku ij jksd ls ,d vkSj cM+k cnyko gqvk gSA /kweziku fcjknjh ds yksxksa dh iapk;r ftl ialnhnk txg ;kuh ^^ckyduh** ij yxrh Fkh] vktdy og fojku iM+h jgrh gSA Áfrca/k yxus ls iwoZ ;g ckyduh ges”kk xqytkj jgrh Fkh vkSj dHkh&dHkh rks blesa bl dnj HkhM+ gksrh Fkh fd Mj yxrk Fkk dgha NTtk gh u fxj tk;s vkSj nwljksa dh [kcj cukus okyh ihVhvkbZ dks viuh gh [kcj u cukuh iM+sA ckyduh dk egRo fdruk Fkk] bldk vanktk blh ckr ls yxk;k tk ldrk gS fd dksbZ dke ds cks> ls nck gS rks ckyduh ij tkdj d”k yxk ysrk Fkk] fdlh ds ikl dke ugha gS rks ckyduh ij d”k yxk jgk gksrk Fkk] dksbZ u;h LVksjh lksp jgk gS rks ogha [kM+s gks dj d”k ij d”k yxk jgk gS] fdlh dks fe= yksxksa ds lkFk pqVdqyk “ks;j djuk gS rks ogha igqap jgk gS] fdlh dks xe Hkqykuk gS rks og Hkh ogha igqaprk Fkk-- ^,d iaFk nks dkt^ tks gks tkrs FksA ckyduh dk Hkjiwj mi;ksx djus okys vius ,d lkFkh us ml fnu cMs “kk;jkuk vankt esa dgk ^^vc rks ckyduh dks ns[kdj yxrk gS fd og vius xqtjs fnukas dh ;kn dj vkalw cgk jgh gSA** lkFkh us vkgsa Hkjrs gq, dgk] ^^ckyduh ij /kweziku D;k can gqvk] ^vanj dh [kcjsa* rd feyuh can gks x;haA v¸;kjksa ls ;gha rks irk pyrk Fkk fd fdl c‚l us fdldks MkaVk] fdldks iqpdkjk] fdldh [kkV [kM+h gqbZ vkSj fdldks eykbZ feyhA Áfrca/k ls iwjk dk iwjk lwpuk usVodZ gh /oLr gks x;k gSA** esjk rks ekuuk gS fd iwjh nqfu;k dk cks> vius da/kksa ij mBkdj pyus okys i=dkjksa dks Áfrca/k ls ijs j[kk tk;s ;k fQj fe;ka xkfyc ds “kCnksa dh Vkax rksM+rs gq, ^^tkfgn chM+h Qwadus ns] ihVhvkbZ esa cSBdj] ;k fQj oks txg crk ns tgka---A** & /kesZUnz dqekj jk;

flxjsV ds /kqvksa ds NYys cukus okys ^ykMZ vkQ fjaXl* ds lkFk yxkrkj T;knfr;ka gks jgh gSaA igys ljdkj us flxjsV ds iSdsV ij u tkus D;k fp= cuokdj mUgsa ^Mjkus* dh dksf”k”k dh vkSj tc ml ij Hkh eu ugha Hkjk rks lkoZtfud LFkyksa ij /kweziku djus ij gh ikcanh yxk nhA ckr ;gha rd gksrh rks gj xe dks /kq,a esa mM+k nsus okys cspkjs gekjs lkfFk;ksa dk nq[k dqN laHkyrkA ysfdu dgj rks rc VwVk tc ihVhvkbZ Áca/ku us iwjh dh iwjh bekjr dks gh ^uks Leksfdax tksu^ cuk fn;kA mQ--- ;gka Hkh igjk fcBk fn;k x;k vkSj og Hkh cgqr xgjkA rhljh vka[k lhlhVhoh dSejs ls cprs cpkrs vkSj /kwy >ksasddj d”k yxk ikuk vc nq”okj gks x;kA bruh ikcafn;ka yxk nh x;h gSa fd ;s cspkjs Vsa”ku ds ekjs D;k djsaA vc rd ekurs Fks vkSj tkurs Fks--flxjsV gS lathouh] ihdj LokLF; cukvks le; ls igys cw<+s gksdj] fj;k;rksa dk ykHk mBkvks nks vDrwcj ds ckn ls lathouh dk vkuan mBkus okys ljdkj dks dksl&dksl dj d”k yxk jgs gksaxs--- xe xyr djus dk bruk vklku vkSj lLrk mik; tks muls fNu jgk gSA oSls gekjs n¶rj esa ^^/kweziku nafMdk^^ fcjknjh ds ca/kq vc [kqyh gok dk lsou djus dks etcwj gks jgs gSaA n¶rj ds xsV ls ckgj vDlj nksigj ckn ;k “kke dks vkidks os ofj’Btu rd ogka utj vk tk;saxs tks vkerkSj ij vius dsfcu ;k dEI;wVj ls vyx dgha fn[krs gh ugha FksA pyks bl cgkus cspkjs jkst de ls de dqN le; ds fy;s gh lgh ekSle ds nhnkj rks dj gh ysrs gSaA gks ldrk gS fd bl cgkus gh lgh] muds ruko Hkjs psgjksa esa tc rc dqN :ekfu;r Hkh >yd tk;s vkSj ge tSls dfu’B ;g;ksxh cs[kkSQ mudh utjksa dk lkeuk dj ldsaA

^^vcdh rks ekj fy;k eSnku cPpw---** yacs vjls rd nks cts ls lk<+s vkB cts dh f”k¶V djus ds ckn tc pkVZ esa vxys g¶rs ekfuaZx f”k¶V esa viuk uke ns[kk rks jkgr dh ,d yach lkal yh vkSj eu gh eu lkspk ^^vcdh rks ekj fy;k eSnku cPpw---A** njvly yacs le; ls esjh nks cts dh f”k¶V gh yx jgh Fkh vkSj nksigj dks xkM+h ysdj csleasV esa utj nkSM+k dj dgha dqN xqatkb”k ns[k LVs;fjax eksM+k ugha fd vkokt vkrh Fkh] ^^vjs eSMe] D;k dj jgh gSa] oks rks Qyka lkgc dh txg gSA vPNk b/kj vkb,] FkksM+k vkSj vkxsA gka] gka] FkksM+k ck,a--- gka] vc ,dne ihNs] ogka dksus esa pys tkb,---** tjk dqN cksyus ds fy, eqag [kksyus dks gksrs rks fQj ;gh lquk fn;k tkrk] ^^vki rks jkr esa gh tk,axh] fQj vkidks D;k fpark gS \** vc vxys dks D;k crkÅa fd esjh fpark flQZ ;gha rd ugha gSA ihNs dksus esa ys tkdj ikdZ djus esa vkSj fQj Åij rd igqapus esa tks ikap nl feuV chr tk;saxh] mudk eSa D;k fglkc nwaxh \ leL;k ikfdZax rd gh jgrh rks xuher FkhA tgka nks cts ;k pkj cts dh f”k¶V esa vk, rks xsV esa ?kqlrs gh fny dh /kM+dusa rst gks tkrh gSaA eu gh eu Hkxoku ls ;gh ÁkFkZuk djrs gSa fd tYnh ls txg fey tk,--- ojuk ikfdZax esa nl feuV yx x, rks x, dke lsA Åij ,UVªh xsV ij tks u;h e”khu yxh gS] og rks ^^lc tkurh gSA** tgka maxyh j[kh ugha fd le; crk nsrh gSA e”khu dqN cksyrh ugha gS ysfdu ,slk yxrk gS fd ml ij yxh ?kM+h ekuksa dg jgh gks ^^vkt rks brus feuV ysV gksA D;k ckr gS \** vc e“khu dks dSls le>k,a ikfdZax dh leL;k\ PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

oSls bldk ,d mik; rks ;g gks ldrk gS fd ,d e”khu cslesaV esa Hkh yxk nh tk;s tks ,slh gks fd tgka xsV esa xkM+h ?kqlh fd vkidh gkftjh ntZ gks x;hA fQj rks dksbZ ckr ugha] xkMZ xkM+h yxokus esa ikap D;ksa nl feuV dk Hkh le; ys ys] rks pysxkA oSls ikfdZax dh leL;k ,d nks ckj cM+h ennxkj Hkh lkfcr gqbZ gSA ;s vkQ nh fjdkMZ gS] lcds lkeus iwNuk ugha] ge lkQ eqdj tk,axsA ,d ckj ?kj ls gh nsj ls fudys vkSj tc lekpkj laikfndk us ?kwj dj gesa vkSj fQj viuh ?kM+h dks ns[kk rks geus psgjk yVdk ds dg fn;k ^^D;k djsa--- ikfdZax esa gh bruk oDr yx x;kA** oSls ;s cgkuk dbZ yksxksa ds dke vkrk gksxkA gj pht dk Qk;nk vkSj uqdlku nksuksa gksrk gSA [kSj] bl lIrkg rks lqcg vkB cts vk,axsA iwjk eSnku [kkyh gksxk ¼xqLrk[kh ekQ] dqN txgksa dks NksM+dj½ vkSj tgka et+hZ “kga”kkg dh rjg viuh xkM+h [kM+h djsaxs vkSj nksigj dks tc fudysaxs] rc Hkh xkMZ dks cqykus ;k fdlh dh xkM+h gVokus dk dksbZ >a>V ugha gksxkA cl xkM+h LVkVZ djsaxs vkSj QqjZ gks tk;saxsA fuxkgksa us jfookj ls ysdj “kqØokj rd dk M~;wVh pkVZ nksgjk;k vkSj ^^fofnu lSdsaM--- [kq”kh dkQwj gks x;hA vxys g¶rs dh lksp jgh gwaA laiknd th irk ugha dkSu lh M~;wVh yxk,axsA dgha ,slk u gks] fQj lquk;h ns ^^b/kj ugh] m/kj Hkh ugha] ,dne ihNs dksus esa pys tkb,A** & ujs”k dkSf”kd 10

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ih-Vh-vkbZ - Hkk"kk ;qokvksa ds egkdqHa k esa eq>s Hkh feyk ekSdk viuk gquj fn[kkus dk jk’Vªh; ;qok mRlo oSls rks ns”k ds ;qokvksa dk egkdqaHk gksrk gS ysfdu ;fn bls ÁfrHkk dk ijh{k.k LFky dgk tk, rks vfr”k;ksfDr ugha gksxh vkSj blh ijh{k.k LFky ij eq>s Hkh viuh Hkk’k.k dyk dk Án”kZu djus dk ekSdk feykA bl dlkSVh ij [kjs mrjus ds fy, fiNys dbZ lkyksa ds fd;s tk jgs esjs Á;kl ml le; lQy gq, tc eq>s Hkk’k.k ¼rkRdkfyd½ fo/kk esa fot;h ?kksf’kr fd;k x;kA ;qok ekeys ,oa [ksy ea=ky; }kjk gj lky vk;ksftr gksus okys bl mRlo rd igqapus ds fy, eSa Hkh fiNys dbZ lky ls Á;kl dj jgk FkkA eSa vius dks HkkX;”kkyh gh le>waxk fd eq>s jk’Vªh; Lrj dh bl Áfr;ksfxrk esa igqapus dk lkSHkkX; ÁkIr gks x;kA ;qok mRlo esa oSls rks ukVd] u`R;] xk;u vkSj oknu tSlh dqy 18 fo/kk,a “kkfey gksrh gSa ysfdu eSa bldh Hkk’k.k ¼rkRdkfyd½ fo/kk esa Hkkx ysrk vk;k gwaA bl ckj fdLer esjs lkFk Fkh vkSj fiNys uoacj esa gq, jkT;Lrjh; ;qok mRlo dh O;k[;ku ¼rkRdkfyd½ Áfr;ksfxrk esa eSaus gfj;k.kk ds 22 Áfr;ksfx;ksa dks ihNs NksM+dj ÁFke iqjLdkj ij dCtk

tek fy;kA esjk p;u ve`rlj esa 12 tuojh ls 16 tuojh rd vk;ksftr gq, jk’Vªh; ;qok mRlo ds fy, gks x;kA jk’Vªh; Lrj rd igqp a uk blfy, egRoiw.kZ gS fd ;gka rd dbZ pj.kksa esa lQy gksus ds ckn gh igqapk tk ldrk gSA Cy‚d Lrj ij tks ÁfrHkkxh ÁFke vkrs gSa] mUgsa ftyk Lrj ds ;qok mRlo esa Hkkx ysus dk ekSdk feyrk gSA ftyk Lrj ij ÁFke vkus okyksa dks jk’Vªh; ;qok mRlo esa “kkfey gksus dk volj feyrk gSA bl ckj ds jk’Vªh; ;qok mRlo dk mn~?kkVu ve`rlj esa mijk’Vªifr gkfen valkjh rFkk [ksy ea=h ,,l,l fxy us fd;k tgka ns”k dh cgqvk;keh laLd`fr dh NVk ns[kus dks feyh tks esjs Le`fr iVy ij vkt Hkh vafdr gSA jk’Vªh; Lrj ij bl ckj eSa cs”kd rhljs ik;nku ij jgk] ysfdu vxyh ckj eq>s ÁFke vkus dh mEehn gSA & us=iky “kekZ

t; gks ihVhvkbZfxjh ! n¶rj ls vkns”k gqvk fd Hkkjrh; turk ikVhZ dh jk’Vªh; dk;Zdkfj.kh vkSj jk’Vªh; ifj’kn dh cSBd dks doj djus ds fy, ukxiqj tkuk gSA vkfQl us gh Vsªu dk fVdV Hkh dVok fn;kA rfeyukMq ,DlÁsl ls tkuk Fkk tks Hkksiky ls gksdj tkrh gSA jokuk gksus ls ,d fnu igys Hkksiky ds eSustj vjfoan “kekZ dk Qksu vk;k] ^^gka th] gekjs “kgj ls gksdj xqt+j jgs gSaA lqcg lkr cts rd igqapsxh vkidh xkM+h gekjs “kgj esaA uk”rs ds lkFk gkftj jgwaxk LVs”ku ij eSaA** eSaus gSjkuh trkbZ] **“kekZth vkidks dSls irk pyk \** vius [kkl vankt esa vV~Vgkl yxkrs gq, mUgksaus dgk] ^^cM+k rst+ pSuy gS viu dkA** eSaus dgk] **“kekZth] feyus vkb,] ij uk”rs dh tger er djsaA** mUgksus ckr chp esa dkVrs gq, dgk] ^^bl ckjs esa vki u cksysa] eSa rks uk”rs ds lkFk gh vkÅaxkA** mUgksua s iwNk] **vkSj dkSu&dkSu vk jgk gS ihVhvkbZ ls \** eSua s crk;k] **cznj vkSj t‚;**A og [kq”kh ls cksy]s **okg] okg et+k vk x;k! eSa rhuksa dk uk”rk ysdj ikap ¼Qjojh½ dh lqcg vki lcls Hkksiky LVs”ku feyrk gwAa ** vkSj lqcg lkr cts tc ge rhuksa Hkksiky LVs”ku ij mrjs rks “kekZth uk”rs ds iSdsV ds lkFk ekStwn FksA mUgksaus rhuksa dks xys yxk;k vkSj uk”rs dk iSdsV Fkekrs gq, cksys] ^^losjs&losjs vki yksxksa dh HkkHkh us cuk dj Hkstk gSA** xje xje iwfj;ka] vkyw dh lCth] vpkj vkSj fcNkus ds fy, iqjkus v[kckj--- lc Fkk uk”rs ds iSdsV esaA gekjs ikl d`rKrk O;Dr djus ds “kCn ugha FksA Vªsu ftruh nsj [kM+h jgh] “kekZth ds vV~Vgkl LVs”ku ij xwatrs jgsA vkl&ikl ds reke yksxksa dh utjsa ge ij FkhaA Vªsu us pyus dh lhVh ekjhA “kekZth Vsªu ds lkFk pyrs gq, cksys] ^^vc ykSVus esa nl ¼Qjojh½ dh jkr dks feysaxsA jkr vkB cts vk,xh VsªuA eSa fMuj ysdj vkÅaxkA** bl Áse Hkjs vkxzg dks ge Bqdjk ugha ldsA 11

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nl dh jkr Hkksiky igaqpus ij “kekZth fMuj ds lkFk ekStwn FksA ijkaBs] jksfV;ka] vkyw&xksHkh dh Hkkth] vpkj vkSj Hkksiky dh [kkl feBkbZ ds lkFkA galh&et+kd vkSj xIisa py jgh FkhaA blh chp Vsªu us lhVh ctk dj pyus dk b”kkjk fd;kA Nqd&Nqd pyrh Vsªu ds lkFk j¶rkj feykrs gq, “kekZth us jkt+ [kksykA uk”rs ds fy, eSaus vkidh HkkHkh dks ugha mBk;k FkkA cgqr losjk Fkk ukA eSa [kqn vius gkFk ls mls idk dj yk;k FkkA gekjs ikl dgus ds fy, “kCn ugha FksA ge njokts ij [kM+s gkFk fgykrs jgsA “kekZth ds vks>y gks tkus ij cznj us dgk ^^t; gks ihVhvkbZfxjh !** & tyhl ,glu

“Metro in Press” enclosure at Delhi Metro Museum The Delhi Metro museum at Patel Chowk Metro station records the contribution of print news reports and journalists who covered the DMRC’s journey since its nascent days. A plaque featuring PTI’s June 11, 2007 copy in a newspaper on the start of disable friendly features in Delhi Metro is distictly illuminated under arc lights at the “Metro in Press” enclosure of the museum.

PTI reporters who have covered the Metro at some point of time have also been immortalised with their names inscribed on a separate platform along with other scribes and news reports. The inscriptions not only highlight the important streak of PTI stories but surely are a reporters delight too !!

—Neelabh Srivastava New Delhi PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

MEDIA SCAN the largest money-churner in the global market and gaining prominence in India too. The report said the Indian gaming segment registered revenues of Rs 400 crore in 2008 and could reach Rs 940-crore mark in 2013.

The Out-of-Home segment is estimated to have touched Rs 1,600 crore in 2008, and projected to be at Rs 2,900 crore by 2013, the report said. Music is the only industry to have registered de-growth due to drop in sales of audio cassettes and compact discs over the last couple of years. It was estimated to be worth Rs 700 crore in 2008 and projected to cross Rs 1,000 crore by 2013.

To ensure ‘self-regulation’, Govt forms media committee Government has formed a media consultative committee to ensure regular exchange of views between the administration and the various media panels in the wake of criticism over the coverage of Mumbai terror attacks. According to a government notification, the committee will meet at least twice a year or “as and when necessary”. The notification said the 20-member committee would work under the chairmanship of secretary, IB ministry with members drawn from various professional panels.

“The committee was formed to assist the media in observing self-regulation. In none of its mandates, it seeks to gag the media,” an IB ministry official said. The committee, formed in the backdrop of recent debates on the need for guidelines for the media while covering incidents related to national security among other sensitive issues, will periodically discuss concerns of media houses on various regulatory, policy and procedural matters.

Christian Science Monitor to discontinue daily print edition The century-old Christian Science Monitor said on October 28, 2008 that it would discontinue its daily print edition in April and move almost exclusively to online publication, becoming the first major national newspaper to abandon a daily paper-and-ink format.

The move, which had been expected by industry professionals and the Monitor staff, will cut annual costs by millions of dollars for the money-losing newspaper, which is subsidised by the Christian Science Church. The publication’s management and some staff members also contend that the online format will make the report more timely to subscribers, most of whom receive the Monitor by mail a day or two after the paper goes to print.

But the change will present considerable risks. Unlike most daily newspapers, the five-day-a-week Monitor receives the bulk of its revenue from subscriptions, not advertising. The Monitor plans a new weekly magazine to maintain its print presence, but that is expected to bring in only a fraction of the $9.7-million circulation revenue it receives annually. To compensate, the publication will have to increase online advertising dramatically.

The Monitor may also face a delicate balancing act in presenting itself almost exclusively via a new technology.

Govt okays facsimile edition of foreign newspapers; WSJ allowed The government for the first time has given approval for publication of facsimile editions of foreign newspapers by allowing ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and ‘The Wall Street Journal Asia’ to publish in India. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said the newspapers will be brought out by Wall Street Journal India Publishing Private limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Jones and Company Inc, USA. Earlier, the government had granted permission for Foreign Direct Investment worth Rs 2.16 crore, it said.

Media, entertainment industry to cross Rs 1,00,000 cr mark by 2013 The media and entertainment industry is likely to grow at 12.5 per cent over the next five years to cross the Rs 1,00,000-crore mark, according to a FICCI-KPMG report on the industry . “Over the next five years, the industry is projected to grow at 12.5 per cent to reach the size of Rs 1,05,200-crore by 2013,” the report released in Mumbai on February 17 said.

The Indian media and entertainment industry stood at Rs 58,400 crore in 2008, up 12.4 per cent over the previous year. The report added that the economic slowdown has affected advertising revenues of segments like television, print, radio and outdoor, particularly in the last quarter of 2008. The market environment has become increasingly challenging and could affect the industry this current year too, it said. The projected 12.5 per cent growth for the media and entertainment industry will be driven by factors like favourable demographics, long-term fundamentals of the economy, expected rise in advertising to GDP ratio and increasing media penetration, the report said.

Of the different segments of the industry, television forms the biggest chunk with revenues worth Rs 24,100 crore in 2008, a growth of 14.2 per cent over 2007. Revenues from television is projected to grow to Rs 47,300 crore by the year 2013, the report said.

The film industry grew 13.4 per cent in 2008 over the previous year and posted revenues of Rs 10,900 crore. It is projected to reach the size of Rs 16,800 crore by 2013.

The print media grew 7.6 per cent in 2008 over 2007 with revenues of Rs 17,000 crore. The industry is expected to grow to Rs 26,600 crore by 2013. Segment of radio, which was worth Rs 840 crore in 2008, is expected to double in the next five years.

The Indian animation industry is minuscule compared to the global industry but it has been on the growth path, the report said.

The report estimated the size of animation industry in India at Rs 1,700 crore and said it could grow to Rs 3,900 crore by 2013.

The report was also bullish about the gaming industry which is PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

Pak second deadliest place for scribes, India not far behind Pakistan was the second deadliest place for journalists in 2008 with India following closely behind, according to a new report by a global press freedom watchdog that showed Asia has replaced Middle East as the most dangerous region in the world for mediapersons.

Though more journalists were killed in Iraq (14) than any other country last year — for the sixth year in a row — Pakistan came second with six deaths as “chaos gripped the country’s politics and conflict spread along the border with Afghanistan,” the International Press Institute (IPI) said. India followed with deaths of five journalists, remaining at the third spot with Mexico and the Philippines, the Vienna-based group said in its annual ‘World Press Freedom Review’ which focussed on Asia this year.

“Impunity remains a contagion in the region, particularly in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, but the murderers of journalists are also escaping prosecution in leading democracies such as India,” IPI Director David Dadge said. “Those who want to stifle free expression and frighten journalists into silence and self-censorship are succeeding because of impunity,” he said releasing the report.

The IPI, a global organisation of editors and media executives, recommended that an “apparent lack of political will to protect journalists needs to be addressed” by India, especially in areas plagued by political conflict.

“The state must commit to prosecute those who compromise the freedom of the media” and “enact legislation to preserve the diversity of the media and to prevent monopolies from developing,” it said.

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TRIVIA An SMS doing the round in media circles: Ten reasons why I joined the media 1. I hate to sleep 2. I’ve enjoyed my life in childhood 3. I can’t live without tension 4. I want disturbed family life 5. I believe in Geeta-” Karm karo, phal ki kaamna na karo” 6. I don’t want to spend time with my family members 7. I want to take revenge on myself 8. I desperately need breakup from my dearest friends 9. I want social boycott 10. I love to work on holidays.......!!!!!!

Sukh Ram? He could only be a constable, No? Well we could say results of the first gallup poll on outcome of the impending general elections are out. Majority of the journalism students who were given a written test for recruitment in PTI recently felt the UPA had a better chance of returning power. Some, however, saw BSP’s Mayawati heading a new coalition at the centre.

Some saw the CPI supporting a BJP led coalition. One optimist even felt that the Congress and the BJP could come together and form an alliance. Well in politics anything is possible!!

The students, at the same time, had interesting views of the world as reflected in their answers. Some tidbits: UPA stands for United Provinces Alliance NDA stands for Non-Democratic Alliance PTI was formed by some NGOs MIA stands for Ministry of Internal Affairs Illicit means to give wrong information Emigrate means to return to one’s country Difference between news agency and a newspaper: a newspaper goes to sleep every day. Agencies remain awake - never sleep.

Dhawal Kulkarni: A police officer killed in the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks. (We wish Dhawal a long life and lots of cricket.)

Loose: When something becomes bigger than the normal size.

Sukh Ram: He fought very bravely during the recent terror attacks in Mumbai Bhimsen Joshi: Well known Sitar player Pinarayi Vijayan: CBI chief of Kerala Justice Saumitra Sen: He was beaten up by the police during clash with lawyers.

Some anecdotes Many times while discharging professional duties we come across situations, instances, happenings, people that we cannot report but that nonetheless get etched in the ‘off beat’ pages of our memory.

The ‘Stories behind the Stories’ column gives us an opportunity to share with colleagues some such experiences. There are also tidbits - one liners, we may call them - that cannot be woven into long pieces but are hilarious. One such instance was pointed out at a recent Saturday editorial meeting in Delhi and we share the same with you. The other two are from editor’s own collection. We look forward to your experiences for the next issue.

“Aisa Bhi Hota Hain!”

At a recent press conference, the organisers, aware of journos’ tendency to leave the place even before a press conference is over, announced that those scribes who would stay put till the end of the press conference would be presented with a pen drive as gift. (This one came from a colleague. We didn’t ask him whether he stayed back till the end!!)

When you jump the security to be with the Prime Minister Once upon a time when security was not that strict and one could really see a prime minister from very close, a colleague outsmarted the police to accompany Prime Minister Mrs.Indira Gandhi at a function where media was not invited. It was A.K.Ramanujam (AKR) in Mumbai assigned to cover Mrs.Gandhi’s visit to the Prince of Wales Museum. As the place was small, authorities did not issue press invitations. Having been ordered to cover the function, AKR was not the one who would wait for an invitation. When pointed out by officials at the gate of the Museum that media was not allowed, AKR waited patiently for the PM to arrive.

The moment Mrs.Gandhi stepped out of her car, AKR opened his umbrella, held it dutifully over Mrs.Gandhi and walked with her right into the museum. It was too late when security officials from Delhi and those from Mumbai realised that AKR belonged to none of them but by then he was already in the museum and the brief function would not permit them to whisk him away.

A triumphant AKR returned to office to write the one take story only to confront a media delegation wanting PTI to join their boycott of the coverage as media had not been invited. The boycott plea was, however, not accepted.

Press Trust of India or is it President of India?

Mishaps of technology How much dependent have we become on the tiny gadget called the mobile that has almost become an appendage? A forlorn colleague recently was restless that her mobile was lost and along with it all her contacts, photographs, songs and what not. Its nothing less than getting lost in a jungle without a guide map. You are incomplete without your mobile- you are just willing to suffer the loss of privacy, the crank sales calls and the unwanted SMSs. These tiny gadgets cause funny situations sometimes as a colleague realized. Supposed to send a message to a party confirming next day’s meeting, the colleague sent the SMS by mistake to another party.

And remember, the SMS does not say ‘wrong number’. To add to the confusion, the same colleague sent a message to a wrong person stating that he was waiting on the first floor. The receiver kept wondering for long as the building he was in at that moment had no first floor!

NB: Contributions welcome for this column. Confidentiality assured!

— Editor 13

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The call was put through with speed one is not used to when dealing with government offices. Looking for reaction from the President’s office, the call was made to the PABX number and I simply introduced myself as calling from The Press Trust of India. The Sri Lankan President had a week before returned from a visit to India and that seemed to add to the ‘alertness’ of the operator who picked up the phone and I could overhear her whispering into the ears of her colleague, ‘ It’s from President of India.’ before forwarding the call to, may be, another extension. It took several minutes (seemed like ages) and a silence at the other end of the line before another voice came on the line and, without caring to listen to me, said “Sorry for the delay, Sir. We are putting your call through.” Another spell of silence and as minutes ticked by yet another voice expressed regrets for the ‘delay’. Finally, another female voice came on the line..”This is the personal secretary to the President. May I help you please?” “Yes, I (heaved a sigh of relief) and said I am the Colombo correspondent of Press Trust of India. We wanted the President’s reaction to....”. The voice at the other end went silent for a while before announcing with profound seriousness, “Yes sure. The President’s Press Secretary will get back to you....”

PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

OFFICE NEWS HJ readers would notice a small change in the front page layout. The logo in the centre has the figure 60 attached prominently to it. PTI completed sixty years of its operations on February 1, 2009. This logo, which you may have already noticed on the desk calendar that we brought out this year, is a token acknowledgement that we are sixty years young and growing.

The landmark achievements during the period since the last issue include completion of the building project in Kolkata and PTI going ahead with a similar project in Bangalore.

PTI Audio Wire as also a premium entertainment package comprising text, images and video are in the pipeline. A video service in Indian languages in collaboration with the Associated Press (AP) is also on the anvil.

SPECIAL INCREMENTS Name Mukulendu Dirghangi Rakesh Pandey Nand Kumar Singh

Grade / Designation Chief of the Legal Bureau Journalist Group II Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Senior Durban Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Sweeper NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender NJ V Attender Journalist Group II Journalist Group II Senior Operator Assistant Accountant Attender-cum-Pantry Assistant

Name Mahender Kumar Geeta Gupta Amit Aggarwal

Grade / Designation Steno-Secretary Accounts Clerk Accounts Clerk

Name Designation Centre Kaveri Ghosh Sub-Editor New Delhi Rajeeb Mukherjee Senior Sports Journalist New Delhi Resham Mukherjee Senior Journalist New Delhi Bijay Shankar Patel Economic Researcjer New Delhi Abhishek Shukla Senior Correspondent New Delhi Nirmal Anshu Ranjan News Coordinator New Delhi Vikash Bhargava Senior Economic Correspondent Ahmedabad D B V Suryanarayana Principal Political Correspondent Hyderabad Ajit Kumar Dubey Senior Correspondent New Delhi Manish Gupta Principal Finance Correspondent New Delhi Nisha Sharma Journalist New Delhi Ruchi Kapoor Economic Reporter New Delhi Sandeep Dahiya Correspondent Jaipur Schweta Chaturvedi Senior Sub-Editor New Delhi Mahesh Langa Principal Correspondent Ahmedabad Shamshad Ahmad Khan Sub-Editor New Delhi Rajendra Mohanty Principal Correspondent Raipur Stuti Roy Economic Reporter New Delhi Vivek Malik Sub-Editor New Delhi Uddalok Bhattacharya Principal News Coordinator New Delhi Vijay Gangadhar Malepu Journalist Mumbai Mohd Mazhar Saleem Journalist - Bhasha New Delhi Sumangala Secretary to CAO New Delhi Abhishek Bajpai Correspondent Lucknow Umesh Singh Chauhan Economic Journalist - Bhasha New Delhi Ankur Mishra Business Development Manager New Delhi Ritika Kumar Probationary Journalist New Delhi Manohar Singh Principal News Coordinator (Bhasha) New Delhi Namita Tewari Principal Economic Correspondent New Delhi Arjun Sen Consulting Associate Editor New Delhi Adeel Ahmad Khan Engineer - Projects New Delhi

Centre New Delhi New Delhi Ranchi Gangtok Kolkata New Delhi Chandigarh Lucknow New Delhi New Delhi Aurangabad Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Bangalore Kozhikode Chennai Chennai New Delhi Dehradun Agartala New Delhi Mumbai New Delhi

Grade / Designation Acting Regional Manager (South) Chief of General Bureau in Mumbai Chief Corporate News Coordinator Chief Communication & IT Correspondent Sreekumaran N Principal Coordinator (Eco News Desk) Namita Tewari Principal Economic Correspondent Manoj Rammohan Principal Business Analyst Prabhudatta Mishra Principal Agriculture & Commodities Correspondent Charanjit Singh Senior Corporate Correspondent Deepak Goel Senior Corporate Correspondent Piyali Mandal Communication & IT Correspondent Shruti Srivastava Finance Correspondent Tanu Pandey Finance Correspondent Rajesh Rai Industry & Commerce Correspondent Kamal Narayan Omer Deskperson cum Reporter Saurabh Chaturvedi Deskperson cum Reporter Wasfia Jalali Deskperson cum Reporter PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

Centre New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi

NEW APPOINTMENTS

NEW DESIGNATIONS/REDISGNATIONS Name S Ramaswamy Vilas Tokale Rajkumar Leishemba Anjanaa Daas

Centre Kolkata Lucknow Lucknow

CONFIRMATIONS

PROMOTED AS Name Ranjit Kumar Sinha Sagar Kulkarni Binod Kumar Singh Habul Barman B Basu Satey Pal Singh Meharwan Singh Rawat Arjun Singh Jaibir Singh Rawat Ishwar Singh Apparao Laxman Kale Suhas S Khanvilkar Krishna L Naik Satyawan Narayan Kadam D N Thamanna Gowda K Muralidharan M Ashokan V P Radhakrishnan Raghubeer Singh Deepti Saxena Jayanta Bhattacharya Suresh Mishra Ashwini Yatin Rane James Jose

Grade / Designation Journalist Group IB Journalist Group IB-Bhasha Photo Journalist

Centre Chennai Mumbai New Delhi New New New New

Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi

TRANSFERS Name Raghavendra

New Delhi Chandigarh New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi

Designation News Editor

From Beijing

To Chennai

RETIREMENTS Name A R Chidambaram Stanley J Miranda G K Gulati Swapan Chakraborty Ved Prakash Yadav 14

Designation Regional Engineer Regional Manager (South) Sr Transmission Incharge Senior Regional Engineer Regional Engineer

Centre Chennai Chennai New Delhi Kolkata New Delhi

Month September October October November February ! 14

OFFICE NEWS

G K Gulati, seen in pic being garlanded by Federation General Secretary M S Yadav, retired as Transmission in Charge in New Delhi on October 31, 2008.

Regional Manager (South) S Miranda with the PTI Chennai staff on the day of his retirement.

RM (W) Sudhaman and Mumbai Sports Club office bearers with some of the winners of the Club’s TT and Carrom tournaments which were held in July-August 2008.

Ved Prakash Yadav retired as Regional Engineer in Delhi on February 28 after 23 years of service.

Adarsh, son of Sudhir Behera of Berhampur, won the junior boys individual championship for the second year in succession at the 2008 annual sports meet of his school, St Vincent Convent School.

Adarsh secured four first and three second positions in different events.

Master Arnur Mishra of Class 5 DPS Noida, won the first rank in school and fourth rank in state in the National Cyber Olympiad. Arnur, son of Uma Mishra of Bhasha, who topped with 98% in all groups in DPS Noida was declared the ‘Wiz Kid’ by the school.

Best Story Awards Ever since it was launched in October 2005, a total of 353 colleagues have been given awards for best stories in various categories, best editing and best photographs.

The editorial panel that evaluates the stories looks forward to more response from journalists from various centres. If you feel you have put in an extra effort to get a story or as a sub editor to give a story a good intro that was hidden may be in the second take, send your stories (in case of editing, both the original and the edited versions) to Vijay Satokar, Dy.Editor in Delhi.

If you have won an award but your photo has not appeared in the HJ, send us a passport size photograph along with details of the story/photograph for which you bagged the award.

— Editor 15

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PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009

ON THE NEWS BEAT

T

he PTI juggernaut rolls on. India’s commercial capital - Mumbai Sharma went to Badaun and Lucknow while Rajesh Kumar Roy trav- again became target of terrorists. We had one Mumbai col elled to Agra, Piyali Mandal went to Kochi and then to Hyderabad, league after the train blasts writing in HJ, ‘Not Again’. Well, news Saurabh Chaturvedi went to Alwar, Megha Manchanda to Baroda breaks will happen. Although one would wish no mayhem of this and then to Jhajhar, Banikinkar Pattanayak went to Chandigarh and kind happens again, one can, may be, only pray. So Mumbai team Shriti Srivastava went to Thiruvanthpuram, Kamal Kishor Shankar including the photographers rose to the occasion and ensured we was in Lucknow and then in Jhajhar, Sukanya Mohapatra was in remained on the top. We have a piece on the coverage by Editor, Rajasthan, Laxmi Devi went to Bhatinda, then was in Gurajat and then in Orissa, Stuti Roy went to Nainital, Tanu Pandey was in G.Sudhakar Nair on the operation.

Jaipur, Ruchi Kapoor was in Then there was another Amritsar and Namita Tewari incident that shook the counwent to Surat. try and the world on the Deskperson cum Reporter economy front. There was Wasfia Jalali went to Jaipur to Satyam in the South with cover the literary festival Ramalinga Raju making a there. Bedika of the Entertainclean breast of the fraud that ment Desk went to Bangkok to Satyam played on the cover shooting of a film song, investors.The business team Snehesh Philip and Sumir Kaul geared itself and came out were specially sent to Mumbai with flying colours. Following in the aftermath of the terrorwas the deployment of forces ist attacks to do special stoin and out of the country. We ries. begin with the Photo DepartFrom the Sports Desk, ment: Philem Dipak Singh was in Goa Sr. Editor, Photo, to cover the Manchester Subhash Malhotra was in US United Premier Cup under 15 in November with PM, CEO Razdan and Executive Editor Chandrasekar interviewing Army Chief, football tournament, Diganta lensman Vijay Joshi was in Gen. Deepak Kapoor.

Biswas covered 70th National Japan and China again with the PM, Shubav Shukla wielded his camera to provide photo cover- Table Tennis Championship in Patna. He also went to Hyderabad to age of President Pratibha Patil from Bhutan, Kamal Singh flew with cover the Indian Cricket League. Amlan Chakraborty was in Mohali the media team that accompanied President Pratibha Patil on the to cover the India vs Australia 2nd test, then in Kanpur for the 3rd three nation tour while Atul Yadav took a detour from his usual test and in Mohali again to cover the India vs England 2nd test. tours with Rahul Gandhi to go to Dubai, Qatar and Oman in sepa- Richa Tyagi was in Tokyo for ‘Namaste India’ festival, Anil Chakradev rate tours, Shahbaz Khan was in Myanmar with Vice President Hamid was in Hamburg covering India week by the German city, Ajay Kaul Ansari, Deputy Editor Pallab Bhattacharya too was in the media was in Afghanistan for the handing over of the 215-km Delaramteam. Vijay Varma was in the Maldives with the Vice President, Zaranj highway to Afghan authorities by External Affairs Minister Manvender was in the US with the PM’s entourage, Atul Yadav of Pranab Mukherjee, Anil Bhat was in Chakan-Da-Bagh on October 21 course continued to accompany the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. to cover cross border trade in Kashmir across LoC in the PoonchFrom the bureau, Subhasis Mittra (in strict confidence) says he Rawalkot sector, M.I.Jehangir was in Salamabad covering the misses the stewardship of Shivraj Patil as Home Minister. He there- Srinagar-Muzaffarabad sector; Amitabh Shukla was with Rahul Ganfore, went to Bhutan to cover the coronation of the new King. M.V. dhi touring Utttarakhand, Archana Jyoti was in Manas (Assam) to Meenakshisundaram flew into the island nation of Maldives to re- report on three one-horned rhinos being released back into the port on the swearing-in of the new President. Meenakshi was also wild by the wild life department, N.C. Bipindra was in Kochi to in Indonesia and Vietnam with President Pratibha Patil, Sagar report on the keel laying ceremony for India’s first indigenous airKulkarni went to Dhaka with External Affairs Minister Pranab craft carrier by the Defence Minister A.K. Anthony.

Mukherjee, Ajay Kaul headed towards Iran and Afghanistan with We have report from Kolkata from where : Tapan Mohanta (Senthe media team that accompanied External Affairs Minister Pranabda. ior Sports Correspondent) visited Cuttack for coverage of the ChalNearer home the places the staff criss-crossed were Shillong lenger Trophy cricket championship, Amitava Roy (Senior Reporter) (Sagar Kulkarni - Science Congress), Guwahati (Subhashis with new went to Srinagar and other places of Jammu and Kashmir during a Home Minister P. Chidambaram) Ajit Kumar Dube was in Bangalore visit sponsored by J and K Tourism, Sunil Mukherjee (Senior Reto report on the aero show. Assembly polls saw Anand Mishra and porter) was in Salbani in West Bengal to cover the foundation layAmitabh Roychowdhury touring Chhattisgarh and Dey and NAB vis- ing ceremony of JSW Steel Ltd, Pradip Chakraborty (Senior Political iting Rajasthan, Sunil Gatade and Santosh Joy were in Nagpur to Correspondent) accompanied Mamata Banerjee to Singur, Tapan cover BJP’s National Executive.

Mohanta (Senior Sports Correspondent) visited Cuttack to cover the The frequent flyers of the Business bureau were globe trotting India-England one day match, Bisheswar Malakar (Business Reporter) with Sunil Kumar Batra visiting San Francisco and then Barcelona, travelled to Simla on an Amway-sponsored trip, Dibyendu Chakraborty Indivjal Dhasmana was in Geneva, M.Karthikeyan was in Canada, (Senior Business Correspondent) visited Andaman and Nicobar IsManish Gupta in USA, Ammar Zaidi went to Oman and Qatar, Prakash lands on a SBI-sponsored trip, Shyamal Baran Roy (Senior Reporter) Chawla was in Paris, Anjanaa Daas was in Barcelona, Rajkumar visited Santiniketan to cover the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Leishemba flew to Paris while Sukanya Mahapatra went to Australia, programme, Saibal Gupta (Reporter) visited Nandigram in West BenPiyali Mandal was in London and Deepak Goel in Japan. Pranjal gal from January 4-5, 2009 to cover the byelection to the Assembly Pratim Bhuyan went to Germany. They visiting places in India too. seat.

Ammar Zaidi went to Jaipur, Prabhudatta Mishra went to Goa, Deepak Edited and published by Vijay Satokar for The Press Trust of India Ltd., at 4 Parliament Street, New Delhi 110 001 PTI HOUSE JOURNAL - MARCH 2009Editor: Vijay Satokar. Copy &16 Coordination: B. Udayashankar.

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