Merging estates

BY Hoot editorial| IN Opinion | 19/11/2010

Politicians are these ordinary guys doing a difficult job. They sometimes need help from those who can see things as they are. Like us hacks.

And then some sanctimonious idiot suggests it is not a journalist’s job to do all this. Now which planet is he living on? A HOOT editorial. Image courtesy: themag.in

Journalists need to have contacts in the right places and use them to get stories. Or a response from someone in the news at a time when they would prefer not to comment. Someone who can’t do that is a loser.

Now lets tweak that a little bit. Journalists have access to powerful people who sometimes need to communicate with each other. They need someone to convey what they have to say to each other. Or to tell one bunch that they are talking to the wrong guy in the other bunch.

A little more tweaking. Contacts are friends too, right? You help friends. And if they are the kind who are running the country would you be so churlish as to not help when asked? Think of what’s at stake. The wrong bunch could end up coming to power because you did not do your humble bit to help the guys and gals you believe in. Help? Well, get a few messages across.

Politicians are these ordinary guys doing a difficult job. They sometimes need help from those who can see things as they are. Like us hacks. We write the odd edit dishing out advice. Sometimes the good prime minister or finance minister or home minister wants to explain why you didn’t quite grasp the whole problem. You trot across to the office to hear him or her out. Or take a walk with them. Why would you be so churlish as to not lend a ear when asked? People running the country need men and women who understand issues to discuss things with. The big guys in office also talk about their killjoy colleagues who are being sticks in the mud. Or more darkly, fronting for vested interests. Such as so and so. So that you can explain to the nation why the good men in this government are not making as much headway as they would like to.

Politicians and industrialists give you information. They are helping you do your job. You give them information too, gathered from people you meet. You are helping them do their job.

Businessmen are wealth creators. They create jobs. The country needs them. The government needs them. But the government can screw things up by being pig-headed about policy. They need us hacks to explain to the government how the wealth creators view things. And then sometimes there is a rotten egg in the government who is getting greedy. Mr Industrialist needs your help. Needs you to tell the rotten egg’s boss that he is upto no good. You know the boss. You have access, you're a journo. The big guns listen to you. Sometimes they tell you to go back and tell your industrialist pal that actually he is the one who is getting greedy. In the midst of this to-ing and fro-ing you you write your weekly gem based on all the perspective you have gained. Or host a show talking to the guy who is asking to be understood. He owns half the country and you are saying we don’t need to hear what he has to say?

Then some sanctimonious idiot suggests it is not a journalist’s job to do all this. Sigh. Now which planet is he living on?

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