Times Now libel case: Editors' Guild expresses concern

In 2008, a photograph of Justice P.B. Sawant, the former chairman of the Press Council of India, was shown in a 6.30 p.m. Times Now news report on a provident fund scam, instead of that of Justice P.K. Samanta, then of the Calcutta high court. A court in Pune directed Times Now to pay Rs.100 crore in damages, against which the channel appealed before the Bombay High Court.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court of India declined to intervene in the Bombay HC case against Times Now, directing the channel to deposit Rs.20 crore with the court registry along with a bank guarantee of Rs.80 crore.

The Editors' Guild of India has issued the following statement:

The Editors' Guild of India expresses its concern at the implications of today’s ruling of the Supreme Court, rejecting a Special Leave Petition seeking a stay against a High Court decree for damages worth Rs.100 crore against the Times Global Broadcasting Company Limited.

While recognising that the law of defamation is an important qualification of the fundamental right to freedom of expression, the Guild believes that the law of defamation has to be construed in such a manner that it does not constrain the normal functioning of the media.

An unintentional error because of a technical mix-up is in a different category from malicious or intentional libel. If inadvertent errors were to be met with punitive fines, it would make it difficult and indeed hazardous for journalists and media organisations to carry out their professional duties.

The Guild notes that in the present case the photograph of Justice P.B. Sawant was shown mistakenly as being involved in the Ghaziabad District Court Provident Fund Scam because of the similarity of names with another judge. There was no malice. The error was corrected within 15 seconds, and for five days the channel issued a public apology to the wronged judge.

•  Read Outlook editor Krishna Prasad's blog post: "HT springs to ToI’s support in Times Now case".

What it means to be a TV news reporter-2

SUSHMITA CHATTERJEE

Commits alumna SUSHMITA CHATTERJEE (Class of 2008), who was the Aaj Tak/Headlines Today correspondent in Bangalore, discusses some crucial aspects of television news reporting: 

Well, my junior Neha Mehta has already given you all a good idea of what it means to be a TV news reporter. While she has covered most of the tougher aspects of television reporting, I thought of sharing some personal tips that I learnt as a reporter with Aaj Tak/Headlines Today.

Yes, TV reporting is tough, but I sincerely believe if you’re passionate about it, you will love it. I most certainly did!

Okay, so you are passionate and you would love to do stories that can change someone’s life. What next? You have to keep some crucial aspects in mind if you are planning to become a TV news reporter. Here are a few pointers.

1. YOUR STORY IS YOUR BABY — TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT

“Wow! I have the power to do things that my other friends can’t!” “I have access to places where no one else can think of entering!”

When you are new to TV news reporting, these are some of the thoughts that can cross your mind. But remember, however clichéd it might sound, with power comes great responsibility. Also remember that what you say on screen as a reporter does hold great importance. Your story might change the lives of many, but if it is portrayed wrongly it can not only ruin your channel’s reputation, it can also put your career in jeopardy.

So, treat your story as your own baby. Research your idea thoroughly. Find out all possible angles for your story, figure out whom it can impact, and, if possible, speak to all of them. After you have collated all your information, fight for your story to go on air. Do not let anyone scrap it from the channel’s run-down if you know you have the content to back your story.

2. PITCH FOR STORY IDEAS THAT WOULD INTEREST YOU

When planning your story, think of yourself as a viewer. Would the topic interest you? If it doesn’t then most likely it will not impact your viewers either. Remember that your story should appeal to you first! Read through newspapers, journals, magazines, watch other television news channels, look through public data and crime reports to find a peg that grabs your attention. And then weave your story around it.

SUSHMITA CHATTERJEE IN ACTION FOR HEADLINES TODAY.

3. BE NOSY, BE THICK-SKINNED

When I say this, I don’t mean it in a negative way. During my career as a TV reporter, I realised being nosy was one of the most important qualities you need to acquire. To give you an example: I got a half-hour special story — ‘Boy Chained by Family’ — by talking to a friend who went shopping and saw this boy in one of the shops. Remember, you can get your story from the most unexpected person — just by talking with them.

Poking into other people’s lives comes in handy for TV news reporters at times :-). Ask questions! Sometimes you might get bad-mouthed for asking questions people term as ‘stupid’. But as Ramesh Sir says, No question is stupid. As a TV news reporter, you always need to keep these golden words in mind. That’s what I mean when I say be thick-skinned, do things that will impact the end-result: YOUR STORY!

4. KNOW WHEN TO STOP WHILE TAKING SOUND BITES

It is difficult, but you have to learn to do it. A lot of times you will meet people who can go on talking, though it might not add any value to your story. You, as the reporter, should know when to stop them after you have got your desired sound bite without making it evident. The best way is to tell interviewees in the beginning about the story line and discuss the contents of the sound bite with them.

But there could be cases where some people reveal a lot of details while they are talking. If you expect such a thing, do not stop them. The best way is to reduce the duration of each sound bite by asking questions in between. This would make the task of selecting crucial sound bites easier for you.

SUSHMITA CHATTERJEE, ALONG WITH OTHER ALUMNI, WAS AT COMMITS EARLIER THIS YEAR TO JUDGE THE SECOND SEMESTER TELEVISION NEWS BULLETINS.

5. MAINTAIN CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH

REPORTERS FROM REGIONAL CHANNELS

Regional channel reporters can be a great source of information. I say this out of experience. If you are working for a national news network, always remember that a regional news reporter would have much more access to different areas as compared with you, often because of the sheer fact that they are more in number. Regional channels have specific reporters for each beat, but since you are a national news reporter you focus on three to four different stories in a day. Hence, maintaining cordial relations with regional news reporters will help you get to know some stories which might make it to the national network, too.

6. DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW-UP ON YOUR OWN STORIES

This is what most people forget to do. When you do a story and see it on air, don’t just forget about it right after. Every story you do can give you a new perspective a few months down the line. It can throw up another new angle. Hence, following up on stories is very important to keep your story ideas flowing.

7. STAY HEALTHY!

You might not get this tip from any book on journalism. But this is very important! Yes, as a reporter you might never get a chance to eat on time because of the numerous assignments you will be working on! But try carrying your food along, or at least something to munch on, be it biscuits or bananas. Only if you are healthy will you have the strength to run behind your stories!

These were just a few of the things that might make your dream of becoming a TV news reporter easier. I enjoyed my stint with television for two years. And I hope a few of these tips will help you carve a better future too. It’s absolutely true that the feeling of seeing your story on air after a hard day’s work is worth all your effort. All the best!

• Sushmita Chatterjee now works as an Instructional Design Analyst for Accenture's Content Development Centre in Bangalore.

• FURTHER READING: Sushmita Chatterjee's Commits junior NEHA MEHTA (Class of 2009) gives us her views in "What it means to be a TV news reporter-1". 

• ALSO READ: What it means to be a sub at a TV news channel, by Neha's classmate, DIPANKAR PAUL and What it takes to be a TV news anchor, by FAYE D'SOUZA, Class of 2004.

• Want to know how to have a successful internship at a TV news channel? Read this post.

What it means to be a TV news reporter-1

Commits alumna NEHA MEHTA (Class of 2009), who was the Times Now correspondent in Bangalore, gives television news aspirants an insight into the challenges of reporting: 

What is it like to be a television reporter? (Hmm… welcome to hell, people! Oh, I'm kidding! Or am I?)

Reporting is one of the best and, at the same time, one of the most challenging jobs in television journalism. TV news reporting has various aspects to it; the actual reporting is only one of many.

It may all look easy on the small screen, but in reality, it can be totally frenetic. To get your face on TV for those 60-odd seconds in a day you have to work like a maniac for the rest of the 23 hours and 59 minutes. But once your story is on air, the feeling you experience is something out of this world, especially when you know your story can change the lives of many.

There are at least three things to keep in mind if you want to be a successful TV reporter.

AWARENESS OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS: It's extremely important for you to be aware of your surroundings — people, places, and, of course, information. Keep an eye on everything possible; sometimes the least interesting people can give you the most important story of your life. Also, please read newspapers EVERY DAY and, most important, watch other news channels, even regional news channels. This will help you to gather a lot of information that you can use when the need arises.

SOURCES: Your best source of information might not be someone at the head honcho level; often, to your surprise, it can be the ubiquitous chaiwala who sits around the corner. I was primarily a political reporter and I would get much of my information from the chief minister's driver, gunman, watchman… never from his PA. So make as many friends as possible because 'har ek friend zaroori hota hai'.

NEHA MEHTA BROKE MANY STORIES ON TIMES NOW.

SCRIPTS AND PTCs: Your script should have an interactive feel to it and you should always “write to the visuals”, this will help to explain your story better. Don't try to tell your audience too much, nor give them too little; at the same time, don't ever consider your viewers to be simpletons — don’t try to give them information which, more often than not, they would already know. Don't keep asking them questions in your story, probably once is more than enough. Your story always has to be future-looking; otherwise why will your viewer come back to your channel?

Coming to PTCs or the Piece to Camera (also referred to as the P2C), please remember this is your only claim to fame on a news channel. So be presentable, well-groomed, and confident. Your looks can sometimes add credibility to a story.

ON THE "PERSONAL" FRONT: All this was very technical. Now for some “personal” advice. It is very important that you be yourself. It takes a lot of hard work to be a part of a news channel. You will have to work insane hours and days without leave and, of course, appreciation comes once in a light year.

When you have a story in mind go and find out everything about it. Think of ways you can shoot and script it. Think about how this story can be beneficial to people around you; after all, the press is the fourth estate and we journalists carry the baton of responsibility for society. You can get vulnerable in such surroundings but it depends on you how you hold on to your ethics and values. It's very easy to sensationalise news and sometimes your news channel might ask you to do so, but I think it's you who needs to decide where you want to draw the line.

THE TIMES NOW EXPERIENCE: As for my experience with Times Now, it was the best reality roller-coaster ride of my life. Sure, I had my ups and downs but who doesn't?

I enjoyed my stint as a TV reporter because after working hard on my stories I would see them on air and that would give me the best feeling ever, something I don't think anything else can give me in my life.

Not a single day in my life was identical once I joined Times Now. Every day was a different challenge; there is so much pressure when it comes to deadlines that I was constantly hounded for stories and ideas and for months I wouldn't get a day off. Come rain, come shine we had to work and deliver. That’s when I would think back to my days at Commits, the days when Ranita Ma'am would tell us students to pop a pill and get to work. There is no escaping, folks. :). Or, as Ramesh Sir would say, c'est la vie.

• Neha Mehta, who moved to Kolkata after marriage, is now the executive creative director of D'Oh-Boy!, the city's first doughnut cafe. 

ALSO READ:

• What it takes to be a TV news reporter-2

• What it means to be a sub at a TV news channel

•  What it takes to be a TV news anchor

• Want to know how to have a successful internship at a TV news channel? Read this post.

"As a TV reporter, I know that my role is only secondary"

Writing in yesterday's DNA, NDTV journalist Sunetra Choudhury offers a stirring riposte to all those who have been critical of our television news channels' coverage of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement:

Everywhere I go, every non-TV person I talk to, says the same thing: 'You 24-hour channel people are really overdoing it' 'Don't you have anything else to do?' 'You have made a hero out of Anna Hazare' 'Look at the dumb TV anchors and the questions they are asking' 'How can you say India is with Anna when so many people are against Anna?'

I'm not even going to try to defend every complaint against TV coverage. Lord knows some of the cribs are really valid, but I think it is high time self-proclaimed TV critics really understood what the medium is all about, what logistics they deal with and what kind of pressures that TV reporters, anchors and producers face every second of the day.

After explaining the hazards of her profession, which include "getting elbowed in the gut by other members of the media ... and getting felt up by some of the crowd", she gives us an insight into the problems of covering an event of this magnitude:

Before Anna Hazare sat on his dharna, we TV reporters were called for an editorial meeting. Unlike what the cynics among you like to believe, the strategy wasn't to grab eyeballs by exaggerating the number of the crowds. The problem was more basic. How does a newsroom with limited reporters cover an indefinite fast like this? How do you ensure somebody is always at the site so that if anything untoward happens, we are there to bring you the news?

Remember the unearthly hour Baba Ramdev was shooed out of Ramlila ground? It was because TV reporters were there that any police excess was captured and checked.

This is a very reasoned and cogent analysis of the issues that our television journalists have to deal with. Read the piece in its entirety here: "In defence of the subaltern TV reporter".

"How TV news is distorting India's media"

This is a 2006 post by a BBC South Asia bureau editor, but some of the points he is making are still valid.

• If you go to the end, you will see he has a dig at himself too.

I asked Ayesha Tabassum (Class of 2007), who is a producer with Times Now in Mumbai, to comment on this piece. Here's her feedback:

It's a fair picture he has given about the current situation in television news. But certain points seem to be exaggerated...

LIKE THIS ONE:

The former Home Minister Indrajit Gupta was one day doggedly pursued by a young journalist on his way out of parliament.

When he finally agreed to stop for the news crew, he was asked the probing question. "Sir, would you please say something". The second question was "and Sir, who are you?"

No channel would send out a reporter who is ignorant about the basic facts... even if you are not active on the field you cannot afford to ignore basic facts and information about your government and ministers or any other topic under the sun. Google is always out there to help you out (Wikipedia is not always reliable, though).

BUT THIS ONE:

One young woman described herself in the opening line of her CV to my office as being "young and vivacious".

HAPPENS WAY TOO OFTEN

Particularly at Hindi news channel offices (sorry to sound biased but, trust me, it happens most of the times).