Monday, August 04, 2008

Employability...

"You are making yourself unemployable in the profession..." a concerned senior told me recently.
I had never thought of that really, you know. Until today. I guess there are those who can and will use some of the stuff I've mentioned on this blog against me, even if it is true. There are guys who will say that, "K is evil", or other crap like that. Managers who strike ridiculous deals and hope to keep them behind closed doors will say that I am a liability (because I write too much)not realising how much damage they themselves have done. They believe that readers should not know about crazy deals where editorial space is sold. The reputation of the media is being dragged through the mud and the entire industry is becoming a giant billboard, but don't question it.
See, if I do move along in my career, which I well might be or might not be doing anytime soon (depending of course, on this silly issue of employability), this blog will suffer as a result. I might be asked to stop writing here as a condition of employment, or I could be asked to start writing a proper signed blog. But, you know something, I really haven't ever cared too much about ruffling feathers, because feathers need to be ruffled every once in a while and people should question what we have become as a profession. Yeah, sure some people can get upset that I called some plan of theirs beserk, but this is the internet, buddy, get used to it. Rather me than some other half-wit somewhere else.
Yes I know some people are too scared to do their own thing and some people will never like me no matter what because I might have muttered something about their hygiene or lack of it at some time or another. And must you really be scared about a job. Must you really say that you will never question anything because you want to become a mindless drone writing the same old shit day in and day out. That isn't me, never been interested in doing that. I've never worked for the money, though I must admit in a position where I'm getting a lot of it, money is nice. I've got a fairly decent reputation beyond the blog, and yes, I'll admit I'm a bit lazy, but c'mon, who isn't? I am more than employable when it comes to knowing about stuff, more employable than most. Sure, I run a fairly popular blog, but should it matter? Then again, would I hire me? Maybe if I worked a bit harder, I would.
Will Presstalk die if I move along? It well might, but something will take its place, that much I can promise you. And don't worry, any which way, nothing is dying out anytime soon. As I said, this is the internet silly, get used to it!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fully behind you, Bro. And am sure many fans of K would be ready to take up arms for you, should you face any animosity bcoz of K(within or outside the clique..)

Aur Mamu, kisiko uthwana ho ya supari nikalna ho to bata dena!!! Will happily play Circuit to your Munna

Anonymous said...

Hey K,

Have you checked the interview of Uncle M taken by apni Anuradha on TV18???

Funny man

Anonymous said...

Right on...

Anonymous said...

Ref your "employability status" I'd like to change the description of your blog to... "Some people really need to grow up." And I don't mean you! I am also not surprised at all by the comment in your blog. I've been in hot water on numerous occasions when I worked at your favourite newspaper, because I questioned the news sense of some seniors. And mind you, I was pretty senior too. Recycled stories, ideas lifted from news magazines rehashed and presented on page 1 with bylines, crap being presented as opinion columns. The worst were the weekly columns by senior editors, which were more an exercise in pomposity than any form of journalism! I once questioned the ethics of a senior editor who datelined and wrote a news report about an event that happened somewhere abroad, which she never attended. I was warned to not criticize her because she was a favourite of the bosses. I once edited one such column replete with grammatical errors of the kind a schoolboy would be ashamed of. Strangely, it was the column writer who asked me to go through it. My name was stencilled in his little red book and till the time I worked under him I was his target!
So keep it up, kid, and don't stop writing the blog.

Anonymous said...

Rather me than some other half-wit somewhere else.

Chirag said...

You should be concerned.

William Patry shut down his blog. Google is said to be the paragon of virtue (not!) and he still had to take that decision.

You could run a signed blog, but then it wouldn't be nearly as much fun now would it?

Anonymous said...

Hope you don't stop writing bro. We know how our media is, and there is no other outlet for people to discuss stuff and maybe even let freshers or ordinary people know exactly what happens in media... we are very good at hiding our faults and opening fire on other professions. So do keep at it buddy.

Anonymous said...

Hello

I like your blog, you write good and envy that you've some nice contacts. There must be that fulfilling adrenaline rush in dialing that senior in this or that organisation and in begging for information from many people to splash it here as the final product, which is beautiful. But I also feel your boss is right. Yours is neither a 'journalism blog' (Sans Serif, Churumuri, Pen Pricks, etc) nor readers can put your information to any practical use (How do I know this, you will ask). It is as if one is sitting at the press club talking to an expert hack over a glass of whiskey.

Take some rest. It's ok to face criticism. And come back again in a better form.

Regards
Rajat