Muslim & Media: Big shot wanted to expand his paper in Okhla, called a meeting with the OT, know what happened
It was an unexpected call from a top university official months ago. “Please come and have lunch with us. I will introduce you with a big shot who wants to talk about your portal,” said the person, known to the OT for years.
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The OT rushed and there the official introduced him with a well-known Muslim personality, who after retiring had plans to launch a national level daily and was already publishing a paper in Hindi.
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Like many self proclaimed Muslim messiah, he also wanted to be Keith Rupert Murdoch, an Australian-born American media mogul.
Since the internet inception, you will see many moving around claiming them to be journalist without any basic training. The new trend of Facebookya journalists have also mushroomed in the community.
Now, let’s talk about the conversation with the big shot.
After the ice breaking session, the conversation began over a cup of tea and biscuits.
The big shot expressed his desire to start an edition of his Hindi paper in Okhla. “I run a paper in Hindi in another State but now I want to start an edition in Okhla,” he said.
Well then what is stopping you, the OT asked. “I want your help as I find interesting coverage about Okhla in your portal,” he said.
The OT told him that go ahead and carry our reports and give us the credit. He said: “No, we want you to write for my paper. Are you willing to pay?”
The big shot said: “Initially we won’t pay you anything. You just start filing reports and when we get money we will look into it.
“Do you know that I with my driver bring out a Hindi newspaper. I dictate him and he types and I pay him extra Rs 3,000 for this work. If you are interested then do tell me,” he said.
To the question from where does he bring reports, he said: “It is everywhere. I just translate it and put my opinion in it.”
I was left gobsmacked and thought what crap this big shot was talking. The big shot is well respected man and he even holds big positions in a Muslim organisation. However, for the last few months, I have not heard about him.
These days if you move around among Muslims, you see many people talking about media power and starting a national-level daily like TheWire, Scroll, News Laundary but they don’t understand that running a quality portal needs a huge investment and it is not a cakewalk.
That is why you see lack of quality papers among Muslims as many self proclaimed editors strongly believe in parasitic journalism. Interestingly, some even have been successful despite getting any proper journalistic training by raising emotional issues and successfully doing cut and paste job.
A journalist, who came to know about this story, said there are many madcaps moving around who want to take out quality paper by spending nothing. Actually there is no respect and price for human resource in our community and people think that journalism is the most easy thing in the world whereas even writing quality snippets take time and energy, he said, adding that they are just after funds in the name of Muslim media and some have even succeeded by making their name by publishing trash and raising funds.
