“500 plus friends online….the person must be the loneliest creature on the planet”, said a journalist friend on the trend to be open networker and befriending those with whom one has never even met. A very private person and open critic of sharing personal and professional life with unknown people online, he was out rightly dismissing the idea of social and professional networking online. Well, I must admit that the argument has its merit even though I am myself glued to online communities for a large part of my personal and professional hours.
In an honest confession, I must admit that the networking forum like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter plays an influential role in my own social/networking life. I may pretend that I remain absolutely committed on a professional level, but the fact of the matter is that networking sites for me has happened like a deal with an open community. In my otherwise personal and professional life I have maintained a very strict admittance criteria for close friends and family only.
However, Facebook provides me a forum for trivial news share that I am always not very comfortable to discuss in an open forum. LinkedIn and Twitter has further helped me segregate such trivia from the more academic business exchanges I have contributed to, and profited from. Still the argument of my critic friend has forced me to introspect deep. Why??? May be because my growing sense of consciousness, backed by a few social research, has been telling me that the quality of relationships may actually be falling victim to the new-age networking tools.
Without knowing it, or at least without any conscious design, social media has also transmitted loneliness and a sense of social disconnection. In recent years, virtual escapism has effected change in numerous social groups and has given birth to new streams of revenue. Technology has drawn us into our interconnected webs, in the office, on the street, on the park bench, to the point that we exist virtually everywhere except in the physical world.
The quality time spent with friends and peer professionals is gradually getting less and we are subconsciously becoming a victim of internet obsession. Internet and its online communities are by its clinical nature cutting down the more fallible nature of human discourse: emotion, innuendo, political sniping. It lends a more objective, less risk-laden and therefore, I suppose, innocuous form of discussion. It's an ideal channel for those wishing to avoid the intricacies of complex humanity and family ties.
Relationships, both personal and professional, are hard work. Just because someone retweeted your post doesn’t mean you have a workable relationship with that follower. In order to nurture and sustain a viable connection with someone, you must have personal contact that not only reinforces what you are doing but who you are as a person and a professional. Social Media removes you from personal interaction with other people subsequently reinforcing social ineptitude.
Being a student of Freudian school of human emotions, I have always been interested in human presence and reaction and know from experience that reading faces, listening to tone beyond words and pure personal chemistry form the most powerful basis for collaborative and gratifying relationships. I must admit that such a holistic dialogue process cannot be sustained by networking sites alone.
The realization grew deeper in me be the mere phone call of a close friend, whom I have not seen for a long while. An admittedly internet addict in me suddenly felt an emotional chord by the vocal conversation and it gave me the realization of how much I value human interaction; and more importantly, of how much of it was moving away as our collective addiction to online community intensified.
While the online community is, and will remain an important aspect of today’s global networking, I have taken a conscious decision that I will never escape my nature. I'm a humanist, a communicator. Words, expression, nuance have always been the make-up of my character as well as the tools of my trade. Some where the modern day communication had created a widening gap between the conscious and subconscious mind, and it was the physical presence of a journalist friend, a one-to-one discussion that goaded me to bridge this ever widening gap.
I do hope that my peer group who swear by the online reputation management will not consider my conscious decision as an indictment of my proclaimed aptitude thus far. After all, I am not shutting down all the modern day dialogue channels, just trying to be more social on the parameters other than the social media.
5:39 AM
Why Prabhash Joshi could not be my ideal
On the sad demise of veteran journalist Prabhash Joshi, I find it quite strange, ironic and unfortunate that a whole new breed of journalists have declared him as an ideal and inspirational figure. It seems the new bunch of journalists have all jumped into the profession in the name of following the ideals of Mr Joshi. Had that been the reality, I wonder how come the new face of Indian journalism is so different from what he preached and practiced throughout his life.
When a journalist friend approached me to write an article for an obituary souvenir on Prabhash Joshi, it was much easier for me to take a moral high ground and declare him “My Ideal” too and follow the trend. However, being two generation post Mr Joshi in the business of communication, my conscience does not allow me to drag the name of one of the father figures of the profession as my ideal and continue practicing otherwise, if not altogether the contrary. To me Prabhash Joshi and his brand of journalism have been and will always continue to be an inspiration, yet he could not be my ideal.
Prabhash Joshi belongs to the old school of journalism where respect to the hierarchy and seniority was looked up to. It is not that the lobby and coterie kind of world did not exist in the media during those days. But the stature of Prabhash Joshi was much above that and in him there was always an inspirational figure whom everybody loved. He shaped the careers of many of the journalists but none of them ever became, or were allowed to become, sycophants.
It was always respect for the father figure of the industry who was there to guide the young lot. Such was the leadership qualities of this man that the young lot loved to be scolded, if found with lack of news sense or writing a poor copy. But along with this occasional pulling up to the reporters was an idealist editor who stood firm with his staff even when the Prime Minister himself wanted the journalist to be sacked.
By the time the next generation evolved in the media, the whole world had changed and liberalization had started spreading its wings in the media market as well. No wonder, many of the journalists who at one point of time sweared by the ideals of Mr Joshi started operating in a different manner. Respect for the hierarchy gradually turned into a flow of “yes boss’ from top to bottom. More money into the profession changed the face of journalism for all the wrong reasons and corruption in the industry became an accepted norm.
I remember my first chance encounter with Prabhash Joshi during a seminar at India Habitat Centre. Those were my initial days in journalism and I had heard a lot about him. This was added to the fact that by that time I had also came across very many intimidating editors for whom arrogance was the only yardstick of being a true leader. It was here that the mere body language of Mr Joshi was different; suggesting as to how true leadership is about earning the respect of your peer group and the juniors at the same time.
A soft spoken but full of satirical verses, this doyen of Indian journalism had a friendly chat with me. No intimidating body language and no editors’ attitude; yet there was an aura around that commanded respect which most of the editors under whom I have worked could not have managed to evoke. During the course of seminar on Media Ethics and Practices while his one-liner verses was all satirical, I felt that deep beneath a critical journalist’s tongue lies a dejected man who was not comfortable with the emerging realities of the profession. And he never minced words too as far as his detaste for the new brand of journalism is concerned.
At a time when the media world was looking for greener pastures and newspapers were “Made in Delhi and not Published”, Private Treaty was signed with the corporate sector and news space was being sold openly, Prabhash Joshi was among the first to openly condemn this overt commercialization. Sadly many of the Managing Editors who otherwise swear by his ideals and brand of journalism were too busy with their respective management in suggesting as to how more revenue could be generated.
That is the reason I have no remorse in accepting the fact that Prabhash Joshi could not be my ideal. Two generations post his era, the profession and its practitioners had changed. Neither could I get the professional upbringing that had been the forte of Prabhash Joshi and his ilk, nor did I fit into this next generation of journalism where the system demanded that being “yes man” was the first step to stardom. With a background of student politics, trade unionism in blood and a radical approach in politics, all I knew was to be a rebel for a cause. I have doubts whether I could ever have been an asset to a disciplinarian editor in Prabhash Joshi.
Yes, Prabhash Joshi has not been my ideal, nor do I pretend that to be. I just wish that the journalistic world would have followed his ideals, my professional upbringing would have been under this legend, he would not have been that involved in cricket that caused his heart attack or India would have played better on that day…….My wish list is a bit too long. But then had wishes been horses.
When a journalist friend approached me to write an article for an obituary souvenir on Prabhash Joshi, it was much easier for me to take a moral high ground and declare him “My Ideal” too and follow the trend. However, being two generation post Mr Joshi in the business of communication, my conscience does not allow me to drag the name of one of the father figures of the profession as my ideal and continue practicing otherwise, if not altogether the contrary. To me Prabhash Joshi and his brand of journalism have been and will always continue to be an inspiration, yet he could not be my ideal.
Prabhash Joshi belongs to the old school of journalism where respect to the hierarchy and seniority was looked up to. It is not that the lobby and coterie kind of world did not exist in the media during those days. But the stature of Prabhash Joshi was much above that and in him there was always an inspirational figure whom everybody loved. He shaped the careers of many of the journalists but none of them ever became, or were allowed to become, sycophants.
It was always respect for the father figure of the industry who was there to guide the young lot. Such was the leadership qualities of this man that the young lot loved to be scolded, if found with lack of news sense or writing a poor copy. But along with this occasional pulling up to the reporters was an idealist editor who stood firm with his staff even when the Prime Minister himself wanted the journalist to be sacked.
By the time the next generation evolved in the media, the whole world had changed and liberalization had started spreading its wings in the media market as well. No wonder, many of the journalists who at one point of time sweared by the ideals of Mr Joshi started operating in a different manner. Respect for the hierarchy gradually turned into a flow of “yes boss’ from top to bottom. More money into the profession changed the face of journalism for all the wrong reasons and corruption in the industry became an accepted norm.
I remember my first chance encounter with Prabhash Joshi during a seminar at India Habitat Centre. Those were my initial days in journalism and I had heard a lot about him. This was added to the fact that by that time I had also came across very many intimidating editors for whom arrogance was the only yardstick of being a true leader. It was here that the mere body language of Mr Joshi was different; suggesting as to how true leadership is about earning the respect of your peer group and the juniors at the same time.
A soft spoken but full of satirical verses, this doyen of Indian journalism had a friendly chat with me. No intimidating body language and no editors’ attitude; yet there was an aura around that commanded respect which most of the editors under whom I have worked could not have managed to evoke. During the course of seminar on Media Ethics and Practices while his one-liner verses was all satirical, I felt that deep beneath a critical journalist’s tongue lies a dejected man who was not comfortable with the emerging realities of the profession. And he never minced words too as far as his detaste for the new brand of journalism is concerned.
At a time when the media world was looking for greener pastures and newspapers were “Made in Delhi and not Published”, Private Treaty was signed with the corporate sector and news space was being sold openly, Prabhash Joshi was among the first to openly condemn this overt commercialization. Sadly many of the Managing Editors who otherwise swear by his ideals and brand of journalism were too busy with their respective management in suggesting as to how more revenue could be generated.
That is the reason I have no remorse in accepting the fact that Prabhash Joshi could not be my ideal. Two generations post his era, the profession and its practitioners had changed. Neither could I get the professional upbringing that had been the forte of Prabhash Joshi and his ilk, nor did I fit into this next generation of journalism where the system demanded that being “yes man” was the first step to stardom. With a background of student politics, trade unionism in blood and a radical approach in politics, all I knew was to be a rebel for a cause. I have doubts whether I could ever have been an asset to a disciplinarian editor in Prabhash Joshi.
Yes, Prabhash Joshi has not been my ideal, nor do I pretend that to be. I just wish that the journalistic world would have followed his ideals, my professional upbringing would have been under this legend, he would not have been that involved in cricket that caused his heart attack or India would have played better on that day…….My wish list is a bit too long. But then had wishes been horses.
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