How do our newsmen write?
I am a newsman, though not as active as I used to be some time ago. I taught media students, and my younger colleagues, how to write for newspapers and for news agencies. It was not my original 'teaching.' I merely passed on what I had learnt from my gurus, BRP Bhaskar and K P K Kutty in UNI. Earlier my teacher P D alias Balasaheb Abhyankar shaped me when I was his student in the journalism class of University of Pune in 1969-70. I tried to to pick some knowledge and skill from books, and from the writings of veteran scribes.
The effort always was to write simple, brief, direct and easy to understand language for an ordinary Indian. Did I succeed? Most of the times, yes, but not always. I am still learning-- I turned 63 on March 13, 2010- and I am keen to share what I learn.
I would insist on my students and junior colleagues that news should be written in such a manner that the reader should not be required to refer to a dictionary. I often come across words which are difficult for lay readers of Indian newspapers. One recent example was 'Juggernaut.'
It was used in a photo caption IPL Juggernaut Gets Rolling Today
A media student asked me the meaning of this word. I was surprised that she should ask because she has convent background from Hyderabad and is a good reader and writer. I asked her to check from dictionary.reference.com, which said it was an overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path. The origin of the word is from the festival of chariot of Jagannath in Puri of Orissa. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Juggernaut)
Is it proper to use the word in the IPL context? It is a different matter. Here, my point is: it is not advisable to presume that your readers know the words. Use if you must, but explain its meaning directly or indirectly in the text of your story.
I decided to set up a blog to discuss Newsman's English because of the Juggernaut!
The effort always was to write simple, brief, direct and easy to understand language for an ordinary Indian. Did I succeed? Most of the times, yes, but not always. I am still learning-- I turned 63 on March 13, 2010- and I am keen to share what I learn.
I would insist on my students and junior colleagues that news should be written in such a manner that the reader should not be required to refer to a dictionary. I often come across words which are difficult for lay readers of Indian newspapers. One recent example was 'Juggernaut.'
It was used in a photo caption IPL Juggernaut Gets Rolling Today
A media student asked me the meaning of this word. I was surprised that she should ask because she has convent background from Hyderabad and is a good reader and writer. I asked her to check from dictionary.reference.com, which said it was an overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path. The origin of the word is from the festival of chariot of Jagannath in Puri of Orissa. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Juggernaut)
Is it proper to use the word in the IPL context? It is a different matter. Here, my point is: it is not advisable to presume that your readers know the words. Use if you must, but explain its meaning directly or indirectly in the text of your story.
I decided to set up a blog to discuss Newsman's English because of the Juggernaut!
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