The job of a reporter is perhaps one of the most enthralling and exciting of all. And, if you happen to be a television reporter... it becomes all the more challenging .... the excitement of news breaks and of course the impact of your scoops.
But more often than not the TV reporters have now turned (forcibly) sound-bite gatherers ...often thrusting the mike at a mantri outside the parliament or assembly or chasing the convoy of politicians....at a killing speed of 100 to 120 kms/hour.
Let me be very specific... I mean covering Sonia or Rahul Gandhi's visits to their constituencies.... Rae Bareili or Amethi.... Ask any reporter who covers these assignments... and he or she will always have an interesting tale to narrate.
Journos who cover Amethi and Rae Bareili often describe their woes...how covering a Rahul or Sonia visit is not all that fun. We all know the Gandhis' have got SPG (special protection group) cover and it's never easy to go near these VVIPs. Nevertheless, maniac competition among TV channels forces all the reporters and camerapersons to go for the 'kill' - that elusive bite.
I have just read a report in the Indian Express from Rae Bareili which describes all the drama and commotion that goes in covering these SPG protected VVIPs.
The Election commission on Monday received a complaint from the Samajwadi Party that Sonia Gandhi's election agent Priyanka was moving about in Rae Bareili constituency with a convoy of more than 15 to 16 vehicles. The EC sought a report from the district administration. Later it was found that Priyanka's convoy had just three vehicles. Rest of the cars belonged to the journalists-- who were chasing her for her ' sound bite'. The police had to finally stop the journalists from chasing Priyinka.
All those who have covered Rae Bareili by-elections can tell you how Monday (the day of polling) turned out to be one of the best 'bite gathering' days of all seasons.
Almost all the news channels managed to catch hold of Priyanka for a sound-bite. Although, the content remained more or less the same... many carried these bites with the privileged 'exclusive band'.
But if Priyanka generously gave sound bites (election season is on my friends) her brother Rahul is quite stingy as far as sound bites are concerned. At least he makes the reporters slog and slog... and makes them chase him for several hundred kms.. before.. he speaks something.
Being his mother's election manager, Rahul Gandhi camped in Rae Bareili for almost two weeks, traveling in his green quails from village to village or even on foot at many places.
Quite understandably, the media also followed him-- almost everywhere. A Journalist who covers Congress told me. "Once in a remote village, Rahul's motorcade stopped. He got down from his car for some 'work'. As usual a TV cameraperson tried to follow him only to be stopped by the SPG. "Yaar, he is going to pee.... don't go there at least!"
But perhaps Rahul did not know the journalists had come to ask him sensible questions! He thought journalists' presence could invite more trouble and considering the TV crews as a necessary evil Rahul Gandhi apparently asked his media managers to inform the TV reporters when he'll speak.
"Don't chase him. He will not give you a sound bite today, Congress spokespersons often told us. The day for the bite has been fixed for Saturday." As if Saturday is the day for distribution of sugar or kerosene oil in the Pubic distribution shops and we journalists would have to line up with empty bottles and a gunny bags for the D day or the bite day! - or whatever you may prefer to call it.
And when that bite day did arrive Rahul said: "Friends I have already talked to you thrice.. one more to go. I will talk again only when my mother comes." Mama's boy!
But by now most of us are clever enough to know after the elections 'monsoon' will soon be over and there could be a long spell of dry weather- when Bites of Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka will dry up... quite like the wells in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
That's the usual story, when TV journalists chase high-profile VIPs like Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in their constituencies these days. Often the over-alert SPG personnel stop the vehicles carrying the TV crews at a fair distance from the VVIP's car--- at least some 300 to 400 meters away.
But that is no deterrent for the bite gathering experts. In such a situation, the camerapersons often get down first from their cars...and start running towards the VVIP with their camera. "God give us some exclusive visuals this time" they murmur.
The reporter -- initially prefers to sit inside his air conditioned car but most often his pleasure is only momentary. Seeing another reporter with a gun-mike in the blistering sun makes you think what this **** is doing outside? Kahin isko bite hain mil jaye? (hope he doesn't get the bite).
Within minutes you and dozens of reporters like you are now rushing towards the VVIPs vehicle - waving the mike in their hand only to find the VVIP's vehicle has already moved. We rush back to our cars and the crazy chase begins afresh--- again for that elusive sound-bite!!
Rahul's sound-bite...for a TV journo... is a prize catch these days. TV reporters from Lucknow or even Delhi rush to Amethi even during Rahul's routine visits to his constituency (and those are quite frequent). In the rat race several channels even run their OBs on the rugged roads of Amethi in the hope to be the first ones to break Rahul's soundbite in their channel!
Others rush back to Lucknow to send the video footage with almost double the speed of sound (bite)! As if his bite would bring almost everything to a standstill...the Ganges will stop flowing, mothers would stop feeding their babies or the Taj Mahal would come crumbling down.
Although it's a different story that even after chasing the VVIP's vehicle for several hundred kms journalists mostly come back to Lucknow in the evening without a single sound-bite or some times a proper visual.
But there are many of us who over the period of time become hardcore bite-gatherers. They stand on the roadside.... the Neta comes, stops spits some 'dirt' on the camera and walks off. Others just walk past them without even a glance.
But then there are some hard nuts, very tough to crack. All those who cover or have covered the Bahujan Samaj Party or the Samajwadi Party know pretty well how tough it is to get Mayawati's 'exclusive' bite or even a straight answer from Mulayam. But the chase still continues.
But all this doesn't remind me of the paparazzo's chasing Princess Diana and allegedly causing her death. Why? because here we are not killing anyone but - our time and of course the visual medium.
About the AuthorAbhishek PatniAbhishek Patni is currently working as a Senior News Editor with CNN-News18 in Delhi-NCR and is handling news operations in the channel. In his 20-yea...Read Morefirst published:May 09, 2006, 17:11 ISTlast updated:May 09, 2006, 17:11 IST
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The job of a reporter is perhaps one of the most enthralling and exciting of all. And, if you happen to be a television reporter... it becomes all the more challenging .... the excitement of news breaks and of course the impact of your scoops.
But more often than not the TV reporters have now turned (forcibly) sound-bite gatherers ...often thrusting the mike at a mantri outside the parliament or assembly or chasing the convoy of politicians....at a killing speed of 100 to 120 kms/hour.
Let me be very specific... I mean covering Sonia or Rahul Gandhi's visits to their constituencies.... Rae Bareili or Amethi.... Ask any reporter who covers these assignments... and he or she will always have an interesting tale to narrate.
Journos who cover Amethi and Rae Bareili often describe their woes...how covering a Rahul or Sonia visit is not all that fun. We all know the Gandhis' have got SPG (special protection group) cover and it's never easy to go near these VVIPs. Nevertheless, maniac competition among TV channels forces all the reporters and camerapersons to go for the 'kill' - that elusive bite.
I have just read a report in the Indian Express from Rae Bareili which describes all the drama and commotion that goes in covering these SPG protected VVIPs.
The Election commission on Monday received a complaint from the Samajwadi Party that Sonia Gandhi's election agent Priyanka was moving about in Rae Bareili constituency with a convoy of more than 15 to 16 vehicles. The EC sought a report from the district administration. Later it was found that Priyanka's convoy had just three vehicles. Rest of the cars belonged to the journalists-- who were chasing her for her ' sound bite'. The police had to finally stop the journalists from chasing Priyinka.
All those who have covered Rae Bareili by-elections can tell you how Monday (the day of polling) turned out to be one of the best 'bite gathering' days of all seasons.
Almost all the news channels managed to catch hold of Priyanka for a sound-bite. Although, the content remained more or less the same... many carried these bites with the privileged 'exclusive band'.
But if Priyanka generously gave sound bites (election season is on my friends) her brother Rahul is quite stingy as far as sound bites are concerned. At least he makes the reporters slog and slog... and makes them chase him for several hundred kms.. before.. he speaks something.
Being his mother's election manager, Rahul Gandhi camped in Rae Bareili for almost two weeks, traveling in his green quails from village to village or even on foot at many places.
Quite understandably, the media also followed him-- almost everywhere. A Journalist who covers Congress told me. "Once in a remote village, Rahul's motorcade stopped. He got down from his car for some 'work'. As usual a TV cameraperson tried to follow him only to be stopped by the SPG. "Yaar, he is going to pee.... don't go there at least!"
But perhaps Rahul did not know the journalists had come to ask him sensible questions! He thought journalists' presence could invite more trouble and considering the TV crews as a necessary evil Rahul Gandhi apparently asked his media managers to inform the TV reporters when he'll speak.
"Don't chase him. He will not give you a sound bite today, Congress spokespersons often told us. The day for the bite has been fixed for Saturday." As if Saturday is the day for distribution of sugar or kerosene oil in the Pubic distribution shops and we journalists would have to line up with empty bottles and a gunny bags for the D day or the bite day! - or whatever you may prefer to call it.
And when that bite day did arrive Rahul said: "Friends I have already talked to you thrice.. one more to go. I will talk again only when my mother comes." Mama's boy!
But by now most of us are clever enough to know after the elections 'monsoon' will soon be over and there could be a long spell of dry weather- when Bites of Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka will dry up... quite like the wells in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
That's the usual story, when TV journalists chase high-profile VIPs like Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in their constituencies these days. Often the over-alert SPG personnel stop the vehicles carrying the TV crews at a fair distance from the VVIP's car--- at least some 300 to 400 meters away.
But that is no deterrent for the bite gathering experts. In such a situation, the camerapersons often get down first from their cars...and start running towards the VVIP with their camera. "God give us some exclusive visuals this time" they murmur.
The reporter -- initially prefers to sit inside his air conditioned car but most often his pleasure is only momentary. Seeing another reporter with a gun-mike in the blistering sun makes you think what this **** is doing outside? Kahin isko bite hain mil jaye? (hope he doesn't get the bite).
Within minutes you and dozens of reporters like you are now rushing towards the VVIPs vehicle - waving the mike in their hand only to find the VVIP's vehicle has already moved. We rush back to our cars and the crazy chase begins afresh--- again for that elusive sound-bite!!
Rahul's sound-bite...for a TV journo... is a prize catch these days. TV reporters from Lucknow or even Delhi rush to Amethi even during Rahul's routine visits to his constituency (and those are quite frequent). In the rat race several channels even run their OBs on the rugged roads of Amethi in the hope to be the first ones to break Rahul's soundbite in their channel!
Others rush back to Lucknow to send the video footage with almost double the speed of sound (bite)! As if his bite would bring almost everything to a standstill...the Ganges will stop flowing, mothers would stop feeding their babies or the Taj Mahal would come crumbling down.
Although it's a different story that even after chasing the VVIP's vehicle for several hundred kms journalists mostly come back to Lucknow in the evening without a single sound-bite or some times a proper visual.
But there are many of us who over the period of time become hardcore bite-gatherers. They stand on the roadside.... the Neta comes, stops spits some 'dirt' on the camera and walks off. Others just walk past them without even a glance.
But then there are some hard nuts, very tough to crack. All those who cover or have covered the Bahujan Samaj Party or the Samajwadi Party know pretty well how tough it is to get Mayawati's 'exclusive' bite or even a straight answer from Mulayam. But the chase still continues.
But all this doesn't remind me of the paparazzo's chasing Princess Diana and allegedly causing her death. Why? because here we are not killing anyone but - our time and of course the visual medium.
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