Disclaimer: The following are some real life experiences peppered with some imagination.
Every one of my colleagues has faced this question sometime or the other. Its asked with awe, scorn, curiousity, interest and many other emotions. Here are a few common recurring scenarios when the question so to say is popped...
Scenario 1: Journalist goes to get vox pops on yet another topic
Interviewee says jovially 'Oh you are a journalist?' 'Yeah sure, I will tell you what is my opinion on Shahrukh's new look in Krazzy 4. Just tell me what time the telecast is."
That was an easy one, but wait until the journalist makes a mistake and asks the just retired uncle who has a general look of 'I-have-seen-it-all-and-its-no-good.'
"What? Why don't you cover better things? What about that dirty drain in my lane, which is causing such a lot of trouble? Why don't you do a story on the lineman in our area who takes bribes for fitting electric connections? What about all those slum dwellers who ............... .... You think you are a journalist?" (Well, last I heard cleaning up society drains came under civic activism, so much for the definition of journalism!)
Scenario 2: Journalist attends a party
Girl who is a contemporary of the journalist, "Oooh so you are a journalist? Must be such a challenging job. So much travel, so much work isn't it tiring? Tell me, what is the latest news about Shahid Kapur? Have you met him?"
"No, I don't cover entertainment."
"But still, you must be knowing. Oh mummy, look who I found. This girl is a journalist, she comes on TeeVee. (a huge gushing sound)"
Mom makes some polite conversation and gives you the 'my-daughter-shouldn't-mix-with-you-independent-types' once over and drags the daughter away. She glances back at you and thanks her stars that her son is only interested in homely girls.
Scenario 3: Journalist is at the family function of a hitherto not-so-friendly relative
Well, we have all attended functions at relatives' who were a big pain in the you-know-what. Meet them after landing a job as a TV journalist and...
"Arre why are you standing there all alone? Come, come let me introduce you to my friends. Hey Raghu, remember the cousin I was telling you about? The one who comes on TV? She is the one. Very talented blah blah blah."
And the friends go, "So, you are journalist?" all over again.
Scenario 4: Journalist meets college students
(Excitedly) "What you are a journalist? Ma'am I want to come on TV too. Will you tell me which college is the best? And also do I look OK for TV? Actually my parents want me to do MBA. But there is no fun in MBA. TV is so much interesting isn't it?"
"Yeah, do you by any chance know who is Sunita Williams?"
"Who is she? No, wait. Is she some Hollywood star of Indian origin? Williams...(some head scratching) Williams... the name sounds familiar. Is she some sports star?"
"Well, so you want to be a journalist, don't you?"
Total Comments: 19
Read Comment | Post Comment
Kajal,your blog is a fact file master piece for any professional irrespective of the premise of the field of expertise.I m an architect and a lady very ignorantly asked me if it was a new line/profession! People who associate architects with T-squares don't realize that T-Squares are a passe and Autocad,3d max.revit are in!I also agree with you about the usual introduction programme at functions when you end up listening questions but fail to obtain an opportunity to reply!Ignorance is such a bliss! ...Reply
I am sorry but the spelling is cribbing not cripping...and you mistook me totally...I am not talking about people with genuine interest here...I am talking about people who want to be one up when they ask the question whether I am a journalist...it is very easy to be an arm chair critic my friend...but you should know that the real world lies out of the well...and like I mentioned in the disclaimer, this is an article peppered with imagination...so sir, I have not been asking anyone about SRK's new look...and journalism is much more than coming on tv please... ...Reply
To begin with i would say that journalist might face few situations like this in their life which could be dragging at times. Again i must add few things to this article especially about the part where the journalist asks a just retired uncle about SRK's face in the new movie. That was followed by a whole lot of complaints about that person X. What i wanted to know is in once such place there has been a mention that journalist has got a social responsibility and have to help the society in whatever ways they can. Doesn't it a part of journalists duty to duly address these kind of issue to the concerned person? Instead of quoting that it is not the part of the definition for journalist in the dictionary, they can actually voice out the views of the public and help the society. There is nothing wrong when somebody asks you time and again if you are a journalist. One has to take it as a complement instead of cripping about it. People asks you a lot of question for one reason that is that they believe that you would be a better person to discuss as you would have knowledge and first hand information about things. You would have access to any person in any field. I would just like to say that issues like this can be drilling when you have to give the same answer to many people whom you actually have no interest to explain. The reality is that you are in such a field where you have to educate the people and bring awareness to the society instead of cripping about it. Everybody wants to come on TV and say something only few, very few gets the chance. Even if one gets a chance only few gets to make it a successful inroads into it. Personally, i have great interest in being a journalist for a very reason that i get to see myself on TV and get access to a lot of places where as a normal person i cannot even dream about it. ...Reply
I m fully agreed that Journalists may face some kind allien-typed response from all people who roaming around you. But if you think that if you are not journalist.May be you are not enjoy that type of freedom that you are enjoying today. ...Reply
For that you would have to figure out with the courts in your city/state. Speak to some lawyer near you place and you would get to know if your case would hold water. You would have to seek some legal opinion on your own first. ...Reply
Read More Comments