Patricia Mukhim
Suddenly we have entered the age of seriousness; everyone is serious these days. We live in a world of threats, bans, picketing and what have you? Even threats are no longer empty; they are as serious as the people who make those threats. Looks like there is no place for humour; or perhaps there is place only for dark humour such as the one enacted by the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) recently when they banned this newspaper. Angry people are angry for various reasons. And what they say publicly might not be their private grouse. I am still wondering like someone asked,“ Meghalaya Youth Congress Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hain?” If we get to the bottom of this rage, then perhaps as a newspaper, we might be able to address the issue better.
The media in Meghalaya never runs short on news. There is so much to report about. Then there are press releases by the burgeoning number of pressure groups and NGOs, all competing for space. Other than that we also have news from political parties about the little and great things they do, such as how many people they have enrolled as camp followers and what training they have provided to their cadres and so on and so forth. Every pressure group or political party considers their news to appear on Page 1. But what people, who are in the habit of giving press releases, should know is that theirs is not the only epistle that lands at our desk. There are dozens in a day. The point is to know how to write those releases; how to make them newsy and interesting. Anyone can churn our stuff that’s dry as a bone but will readers tax their bleary eyes (so used to reading Facebook updates and WhatsApp messages the moment they open those eyes in the morning) to read listless stuff? No offence meant but I wish there was an institution in Shillong teaching basic communications skills, where wannabe leaders can enrol themselves and learn to write crisp press releases with catchy phrases thrown in for good measure. For wordsmiths, a witty turn of phrase is a delight. I would love to see that day when we have such an Institute. Then, even the Directorate Information and Public Relations (DIPR) could send their team to that institute to learn to reformat their official releases and not make them so officious!
Coming back to the rough and tumble of journalism, the reason this paper was banned by the MPYC was because (a) ST sends stale news to Garo Hills – a refrain we have heard in the past and which we have tried to address (b) Good news is pushed to the back pages and all negative news is in Page 1. A reality check here! Papers circulating in Meghalaya but published from Guwahati close shop by a certain hour. Any news that develops after that appears in their papers the next day. No one seems to mind that. I wonder why! But my guess is that The Shillong Times is a household name and people have a sense of ownership of this newspaper hence they also feel they have the right to complain when we fall short of their expectations. And we are open to hearing those complaints and to address them as far as is possible. But to ban a newspaper because you don’t agree with its placement of news and other journalistic nitty-gritty is unconstitutional and illegal. For us the only resort was to file a First Information Report (FIR) at the local police station (Tura). Media persons don’t go around flexing their muscles. We use our pens to report the state of the world we live in. If the world of Garo Hills is today a string of unpleasant events – indefinite bandhs, extortion, kidnapping, killing, threats to people from multiple militant outfits, abandoned offices, government officials on AWOL etc., can we concoct good news?
And then we are told that good news is pushed to the back pages! What is good and bad news is subjective. There will be as many views on what is good or bad news as there are readers. That is why we follow broad journalistic guidelines as to where to place what news. But I am sure we are not always right! So there is adequate space for readers to pour their ire on us through letters to the editor. I must admit that contrary to some obfuscated complaints, we publish every letter that comes with the full name, address and contact number of the writer. A letter is a crisp, compact expression of an anxiety about poor governance in any sector or a socio-political-economic issue of public importance. A letter is not meant to pour scorn on someone or an outlet for personal or political vendetta.
For the people of Tura and its suburbs who missed reading our paper during the days of the ban, I am reminded of Edward R Murray who said that “Breakfast without a newspaper is like a horse without a saddle.” It sounds like an unhappy metaphor but there are many who genuinely feel that breakfast hour minus the newspaper provides an eerie serenity. Some even said their digestion improved noticeably when the morning paper stopped arriving. My private feeling about newspapers is a mixed one. Ninety-nine per cent of all so-called news is old stuff rehashed to give it a new look. What’s newsy about a kidnapping except that the name of the person has changed? Where is the news in the office picketing by the HSPDP? What’s new in an ILP agitation? Haven’t we heard it all before? And yes, 90 % of everything we read today is discouraging stuff whether newsy or not. So the breakfast hour is when we are munching stale discouragement along with fresh toast or a hot paratha off the tava or a steaming idli. So we could read the newspaper or leave it alone. Indeed, if we are confident that democracy is secure and would remain in good health without assistance from its many admirers, we could do without the newspaper.
But democracy puts a strain on us because we need to know the state of governance and whether it is serving us or a handful of people vested with power and only the newspaper can give us this information. Oh yes there are those who believe that the media have an exaggerated sense of themselves. Their contention is that with or without the media, public servants serve, felons act feloniously, demagogues croak their froggy tunes, prime time television has verbal slanging matches five or six days a week and life goes on in its familiar pattern. But Shillongites have shared that without a newspaper they breathe an ominous air as though the smog were descending. Hence they choose to swallow their bulletins at breakfast along with their favourite toast, putharo, idli, pu-khlein or paratha. That’s how life is!
These days people crave publicity for the issues they are passionate about. They try and communicate that same passion to the dour-faced journalist, who in a single day meets several people and groups who are equally passionate about the causes they espouse. Do you blame journalists if they are thoroughly mixed up and don’t know a good story from a bad one? Truly friends, journalism is not a glamorous profession. It blows apart your sanity. We are lucky not to land up at a mental hospital as the Bangladeshi intruder did. And of all the consumers in the world, newspaper readers are the most cantankerous and hard to please. Anyway that’s life so let’s get on with it. We have a deadline to meet and some good news to publish. Good news huh? What’s that? Can’t see any! Ampati still under siege by GNLA. Mr Sanyal the teacher is not yet released by his abductors! And the MPYC files a counter FIR against this paper. So we are booked under Section 41 (A) CrPC. Next time a thief enters your home and you file an FIR at the local police station be prepared to hear that the thief has filed a counter FIR against you because you are a threat to his life and limb! Good news, my foot!