Friday, December 31, 2010

Eat well, Sleep well :)

That is my new year resolution :D. Always has, always will be ;-) !

2010 has been a very eventful year, both on the professional (includes work and twitter/blog :) ) and personal front. Perhaps the most eventful year ever (so far :D). Here's wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2011.

And don't forget - Eat Well, Sleep Well :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Break from blogging :)

Me taking a break from blogging for about a month :). Will be back in the New Year. Thanks folks for encouraging the blog so far, and looking forward to the new year for more interaction.

-Sudhir

My Experiments with Photography - Part 6

My brother got this kickass camera from the US. Nikon D3000 with extra lense (has some wierd name). I am telling you - it is just kickass! Tried taking pictures of pigeons in our balcony today. And the last picture is.... well...let's just leave it at there :D








Monday, December 6, 2010

"Lynch Mobs"

For more than a year now, the media derived some kind of sadistic pleasure in labeling those questioning them. When mediagate broke, the expletives continued. Lynch mobs was the term. Barkha used it first. Then Rajdeep Sardesai, in his capacity as the President of Editors Guild called it the "lynch mob mentality".

After an emotional speech, he was ready to face some questions. Look at the end of this video. He got some very very tough questions. This report in The Hindu details it clear.

Mr. Sardesai also remarked that the response in the case of Ms. Dutt and Mr. Sanghvi had been lynch-mobbish, with their being judged guilty without any reference to their journalistic track records. “The fundamental principle of jurisprudence, that you are innocent until proven guilty, has been reversed here,” he said, adding there was an element of professional jealousy in the chorus of voices raised against them. This started a near riot on the Press Club lawns, where the discussion was held. Journalists rose as one to condemn the suggestion that talking to corporate sources was an unavoidable aspect of good reporting. Many of them pointed to their own experience of getting good stories and breaking scoops without ever having to talk to a lobbyist. They made their displeasure clear at the issue being reduced to a case of jealousy and envy, and sought to know if Mr. Sardesai's own channel referred its exclusive stories to those featured on them.

Sensing the mood of the house, Mr. Sardesai, who is also president of the Editors Guild, quickly took back his words, promising immediate intervention by the Guild in formulating a code of ethics for journalists, including for editors.

So members of their own community have behaved in a manner befitting "lynch mob" mentality! Wonder if anyone would now dare to label any of the genuine questioners online. Also look at the cat fight amongst editors. Rajdeep taking on N.Ram, Vinod Mehta taking on Barkha and Vir - this is a HUGE victory to all those bloggers who have argued the same, over the years, in detailed blogs. Kudos to all ! The hypocrisy stands exposed, and how! The muck doesn't seem to stop anytime soon :)

Friday, December 3, 2010

Trysts with MSM - Part 14: Basic Grammar 101

MSM stands for Main Stream Media.

In response to this question/demand/request to Vikram Chandra from me :

btw, @vikramchandra pls change the name of the program "India decides at 9". You/NDTV don't wholly represent India.

Vikram Chandra replies:

@ssudhirkumar and you do?

Now, at no stage did I say I do. Nor was the question framed as "India is asking you to change the name". It was just asking him to change the name of the program he anchors.

For those responses, he replies next day:

@ssudhirkumar of all your rants, this one takes the cake! "India Decides @ 9" doesn't mean decides on THIS show. Basic grammar 101

@ssudhirkumar 9 pm just happens to be one of the most watched slot. Across channels.

@ssudhirkumar having said that, i don't personally think it is the catchiest of titles so, for once, you may well get your wish..

I guess I have to indebted to NDTV for teaching me English. Once upon a time, Nidhi Razdan declared that I do not know English and today Vikram Chandra teaches me Grammar 101.

My apologies to you Vikram, for being dumb enough to think that "India Decides at 9" means exactly that and not the contrary.

Update on May18:

They have decided to change the name of the program :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Trysts with MSM - Part 13

The Mediagate scandal just refuses to die! Barkha's award winning performance on TV did not just shock the viewers, but many journalists too. Amidst discussion many such points, Bhupendra Chaube (National Bureau Chief of CNN-IBN) had this to say to a former colleague of his.

@diptosh the issue now clearly is not about corruption but violation of thin red line?If I was in barkha's shoes, I would have done the same

That response was in reply to this point by Diptosh -

@BDUTT It's really strange that ppl who have never done journalism are telling us to rewrite the grammar of reporting.

Anyways, I got curious, and asked Bhupen :

@bhupendrachaube didn't get the context of ur "would have done the same". What would u have done the same?

For which he replied : @ssudhirkumar not report on corporate pr angle

And now I got more curious :)

@bhupendrachaube ohh ok. now I am more curious. why? Isn't that a story to be told? :)

He replies: @ssudhirkumar u need to be a hardcore political journalist to understand why u wouldn't report on it! How can u make a pr agent a story? (cont)
@ssudhirkumar u r not sure of what the person is saying, the person is one of several people whom u r speaking to in an evolving situation


@bhupendrachaube look at it from the viewer perspective. we dont have indepth understanding, but we blindly trust what's on TV

@bhupendrachaube and when something like this happens - all we are told is that this is how it works so get back to work...

And here comes the killer line!

@ssudhirkumar mayb 2 decades back, it would have been reported. dynamics have changed now.In 24 hour cycle,u make& break rules all the time

I asked back what right does he (as in not individually, but the media as a whole) have to pontificate to us, if rules are broken "all the time"! However, this statement by Bhupen

@BDUTT @diptosh but what this has done, is that its making reporters question how to deal with sources. Best stories always come from crooks

elicited this response from auldtimer , that just about sums up the whole mood.

So journos expect us to trust them because they trust crooks RT @bhupendrachaube Best stories always come from crooks.