TAPASYA MITRA MAZUMDER (Class of 2013) has just completed a year as a reporter with Bangalore Mirror. Here she tells us what she learnt during the course of her journey:
I am not here to tell you about the many methods you can use to write good stories; you have RP Sir for that. :-)
Instead, I am going to highlight the many lessons I learnt in the course
of my journey and the mistakes I made, from which I hope you will be
able to learn.
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| TAPASYA AT HER DESK AT BANGALORE MIRROR. |
My chemistry teacher in school had once told us that fools learn from
their own mistakes while the wise ones learn from other people’s
mistakes. Well, I have been both foolish and wise in the past one year.
In the course of gathering more than 250 bylines (including more than 30
Page 1 stories), I have learnt that they do not define my success. I
consider myself successful because I have evolved for the better since I
graduated from Commits and completed one whole year in my profession.
Remember one very important thing: You have to figure out how you are
going to survive in this profession. It will take no time for the
management to chuck you out if you are an underperformer. People have
bad days at work. I have had bad weeks, and sometimes bad months. For
me, it was a challenge to go about doing city-based stories without
knowing the local language. On top of that, I do not have a beat, a
specific area or subject to cover. But I turned that around to do
stories from every beat, and so far I have written on education,
science, technology, health, crime, and youth issues. I have also
highlighted some very important issues that have gone on to become
national stories.
Stories can jump at you from anywhere, so always be on the lookout. My first cover story with
Bangalore Mirror was
published four days after I joined and I got it from Facebook.
As RP Sir has always stressed,
social media networks are often a good news source
and I have produced stories based on what I read on Facebook, web
feeds, WhatsApp messages, adverts on the back of autorickshaws,
circulars posted on national websites, and even from comments on the
micro-sites of some educational institutions.
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| THIS STORY BY TAPASYA, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED ON PAGE 1, WAS RECEIVED WARMLY. |
But at this point I should warn you that it is not a good idea to warm
the seat of your chair by “Facebooking” all day; go out in the field
instead.
Which brings me to my next point: networking.
I get a kick from going out in the field and meeting people. It is the
best part about my job, but I make sure they remember me too once the
event we are attending is over. So I give everyone my card when I am
attending, say, industrial conferences. One day I got a call from a
person I had met at one such conference. He had called to tell me about a
story and the next day the paper carried
my article on Page 1.
But you have to be able to sift the grain from the chaff to know which
items can be developed into newspaper articles and which ones are simply
not worth pursuing. Initially, I would run to my boss for every small
story I could grab but my effort would often get
spiked.
Over time, though, I learnt to distinguish between what readers would
find interesting and relevant and useful and what they would ignore.
It is also very important to mention here that you need to know how to
pitch a story to your boss. I have learnt now to highlight only what’s
necessary and also point out sometimes
what section of the paper it would be suitable for.
Now that you have pitched your story, learn to defend it. If you think
it is a good one, make all-out efforts to persuade your bosses to see
what you see in it. Don’t be disheartened if your idea is rejected;
sooner or later you will learn why it wouldn’t have worked. I have
sometimes fought heated and emotional battles with my boss over my story
idea, but most times wit and tact will do.
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| TAPASYA WITH HER BANGALORE MIRROR COLLEAGUES (FROM LEFT) HM CHAITANYA SWAMY, PRAKRUTI PK, SRIDHAR VIVAN, AND SHAMAYITA CHAKROBORTY. |
I have a habit of writing lengthy pieces (as RP Sir will confirm) but
the news desk staff, who edit my stories, have not complained. Their
reasoning is that it is better to trim a long piece than try to chase
the reporter for more information. I try to give them comprehensive
stories that need to be adjusted for length.
I also never take the subs for granted by giving them shoddy copy which
they will have to spend hours editing. Their job is to check the facts,
not straighten out your poor grammar all the time. Have respect for what
they do.
I want to add here that no journalism school, however high its
standards, can replicate a newsroom nor can it provide the experience
you need to survive in a profession that requires interacting every day
with people, both colleagues and outsiders, so here I would like to roll
out a few points.
Working in an office with almost 50 people and being the junior-most
staff member, as I am, it is impossible to avoid getting involved in
office politics or in so-called healthy banter. But know your limits
and, without seeming too aloof, keep a safe distance from controversy.
For example, if two senior colleagues are pulling each other’s legs in a
sarcastic manner, it would be a good idea to quietly disappear from the
scene.
Don’t ever involve colleagues in your personal life unless you trust them absolutely. The consequences of that can be dangerous.
At all times, watch your back because if you don’t, there will be no one to catch you when you fall.
P.S. Before I started writing this piece, I put together some points on a
sticky note. That is a good practice to institute. Try it out yourself.
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| TAPASYA SAYS
SOMEBODY ADDED THIS ARTICLE TO A WIKIPEDIA ENTRY ON CYBERCHONDRIA SO NOW
"EVERY TIME YOU GOOGLE MY NAME, THIS ONE SHOWS UP". |
