ENGLISH JOURNALISM, LUCKNOW STYLE

BY Manjula Lal| IN Regional Media | 08/04/2002
ENGLISH JOURNALISM, LUCKNOW STYLE

ENGLISH JOURNALISM, LUCKNOW STYLE
 

This is about the English media in Lucknow. It is not pegged to the UP polls in particular, for the simple reason that the English language press is not taken too seriously in the city. And also because most of UP`s key constituencies/rallies are covered by journalists from Delhi, who descend in hordes at poll-time, depriving local colleagues of their moment of glory, after using all the latter`s resources and hospitality. But it would also be fair to say that the latter often have more perspective on UP politics because they don`t suffer the syndrome of not being able to see the woods for the trees.

All four papers in Lucknow are editions of national newspapers, and are controlled from Delhi. That this also fits the Pioneer is ironic, because the paper started from here (after a brief stint at Allahabad) more than 100 years ago, and had such distinguished correspondents as Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling. But in 1990, the Thapars bought out the Singhanias, all decision-making power shifted to Delhi, even though the edition`s loyal readership has not deserted it, and probably outnumbers that in Delhi.

Around 1980 came the Times of India`s edition, not under the Bennet Coleman & Co banner but some Jansewak Trust. Salaries were dismal, recalling the if-you-pay-peanuts-you-get-monkeys adage. Of course, there was talent too, as employment opportunities were so limited. The work culture in both these offices hinged on getting to office at 5 pm and somehow getting the paper out. Officials couldn`t be tapped in the afternoon anyway, as they all went home at 1 pm and came back at 4 pm after their siestas.

One resident editor (RE) was conspicuous either by his absence or for sprawling in his cabin with his feet on the table, chewing paan. His PA, a venerable South Indian gentleman, held court throughout the day, learning to dispose of eager applicants and coverage-seekers with elan. The TOI office, a rented hole-in-the-corner premises, continued to be a shabby, ill-designed structure. But perhaps not as bad as Pioneer, which till 2000 operated from the basement of a huge 11-storey half-built structure. It is debatable which was worse: the single toilet to be shared by men and women in one newspaper office, or the `rural shallow pan` that passed for a seat in the other.

These were the distressing working conditions available locally, till 1997 when the Hindustan Times` posh new building came up on Ashok Marg, with American-style interiors. Natually, its staff was drawn from TOI and Pioneer. The first RE was an import from Delhi, a trend followed by TOI which sent its Panta RE to shore up its Lucknow edition.

And last came Indian Express, with an unusual franchise arrangement, the RE picked from the TOI`s ranks. By this time, all papers had found that their imported REs could not survive local office politics, and reverted to drawing on local talent -- such as it was. Within months, one repented its choice by sacking its RE overnight -- for what misdemeanour, nobody knew. The rumour went that he had called a tantrik to the office to find out why circulation was not going up, and was told that it was because the building was built on a mazar (grave). So they started digging for the bones of the evil spirit.....

In these hard, recessionary times, editors are being chosen more for their ability to shore up the bottomline by lobbying for advertising from government and public sector sources than for news sense. The net result is that (with the notable exception of HT) the locally made pages are usually of such poor quality that upper crust readers - academicians, bureaucrats, bankers -- continue to take the Delhi editions of these same papers, even thought they are delivered only in the evening.

For a Delhi-trained journalist to adjust to this culture is amazingly difficult, despite there being no language problem and the distance between the two cities only 500 km. Most difficult to swallow is th