By: IRFAN QURAISHI
Ironically
apart from trending notion of government servant cum Journalist and burgeon rise of ‘Litho’ newspapers, which has blocked
the opportunities for dedicated journalists as well as for new entrants, a new
breed of ‘pseudo’ Journalists without genuine organizational affiliation has
surfaced in Kashmir. Have you ever met this breed of journalists? Don’t
be surprised, if you have not, in Kashmir you will find scores of these scribes.
The serious question is who are they? And how they work? They
are not even freelancers who pitch stories to their editors to earn some bucks sincerely.
These scribes are mostly bogus people misusing the profession for vested
interests. Interestingly these scribes work for free. The only thing they need
is to accommodate their PR (public relation) news items or sometime with a byline.
They call it PC (Paid coverage). These scribes cover almost every event, be it political,
corporate or a protest demonstration at press enclave. Worth to mention their assigned
beat is mostly lesser known politicians, political parties and union leaders.
Latter they get these news items accommodated through reporters
working in different newspapers on friendly terms if possible. If failing to do
so, then ‘Litho’ newspaper is already a secure option for them to accommodate their
PR item. And the rates will be charged accordingly to the client. Even they
also provide a receipt for the payment to satisfy their client and to pretend authenticity.
These pseudo scribes are in nexus with ‘Litho’ newspaper owners to run this ‘news’
trade. This is an agonizing nuisance growing in Kashmir journalism, spoiling
such a noble profession besides defaming sincere, dedicated and honest
journalists and media industry.
This
is not confined to print media only; electronic media also exists in this race.
Shockingly so-called electronic media men taking undue advantage of Kashmir
being ‘news hot spot’ for national news channels approach low budget television
channels for free work. These people having no media degree just manages to get
TV channel logos (Mike ID) from one or more news channels depend on accessibility.
They don’t need reporter or vice versa. They are all in one scribes, doing
camera and arranging scripts for their PR and PC news items. They never know
that what a news, intro or camera shot is. They hardly know how to put camera
on recording mode as most of them are wedding cameramen.
Their
approach of work and earning is not much different from that of print media
pseudo scribes existing across trouble torn Kashmir valley. They don’t posses
any appointment letter, designation, identity card or authenticity letter or
sometime it depends upon the mood of boss at channel headquarter. But one thing
is sure they have to send free feeds and manage their pockets by their own. The
day they (pseudo TV scribes) start asking for expenses or payment, they are no
more with the news channel.
This
seems a willing exploitation by these pseudo TV scribes, which has not only
blocked opportunities for Journalism degree holders and jobless professional
journalists in Kashmir at national level, but also ruined the ethics of
journalism. Mush to the embracement to this noble profession, they do wedding shootings
also during wedding season. Many of
these ‘all in one’ pseudo TV scribes during news off season in valley when
civil secretariat moves to Jammu winter capital, moves to Ludhiana, Calcutta,
Haryana and Punjab for selling Shawal. This notion has created a negative
impact on journalists on ground.
In
terms of journalism these are pseudo scribes, but they are more influential than
full time working journalists and they work at their will. Amusingly journalist
fraternity calls these scribes as ‘secretariat Journalists’. As they are not supposed to pitch a story idea
to anyone or file a day plan, they spend their leisure time at civil secretariat,
in ministers’ side rooms, at chambers of state administration top brasses or at
government department offices to make their PR for better influence and to
secure their survival of fittest. Most of time it is 'without organization, a
pseudo scribe friend who fix an appointment or line up politicians or bureaucrats
for full time working journalist for a quote/byte or an interview. This full
time journalist is hardly known to these influential people in government by
face as unlike pseudo scribe he is tight scheduled, stressed to complete his
assignment in time.
Interestingly
these scribes also make good use of social networking to impress their clients.
They circulate photographs, news items and other PR details instantly through facebook
pages, whatsap groups they have created. During legislative assembly polls in
the state last year, a group of unidentified
youth was active in Srinagar city, representing themselves a journalists and
demanding money from politicians for providing them publicity in view of
upcoming polls, which was also reported in newspapers.
This
nuisance continues due to the failure of state information department to curb
the pseudo journalism and journalists in valley. The information department issued
identity cards to authorized journalists long back which to some extent proved a
good step to control this notion. But that procedure was never followed again,
hence nuisance goes unchecked.
(Irfan Quraishi is a Bureau Chief at Kashmir for Day &
Night News, a Chandigarh based national News Channel.)
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