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Sunday, June 17, 2007

Media's web of torture


Websites, to believe firang papers and fellow websites (primarily the latter, for Subject being a print journalist has little money to buy the former), are the future of media . Future a capital F and all that jazz. But does,seriously, anyone think even once, forget twice, before putting a webpage to bed? Chew a few random samplings:
expressindia.com: "I'll not be a rubber stamp president: Patil
(THAT'S THE POOR WOMAN'S FAULT, NOT THE SITE 'MANAGERS'. HAS ANYONE IN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC AND WHATEVER OF INDIA EXPECTED A PRESIDENT TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A RUBBER STAMP WHO LIVES IN A 34-ACRE OR WHATEVER ESTATE, GOES ON 15 FOREIGN JAUNTS AND ATTENDS 500 RIBBON-CUTTING OPENING CEREMONIES IN 5 YEARS?)
Anyway, here's the supposed catchline that apparently attempts to draw in a reader:
"Pratibha Patil, whose loyalty to Nehru-Gandhi family was widely perceived to be a major factor in her nomination as Prez candidate, said that she'll have 'own independent thinking'.
(OWN INDEPENDENT THINKING? JUST WONDERING: CAN THINKING BE IN SHARED DOMAIN? )

from indiatimes.com:
"Can a woman be effective as India's President? "
(LONG BEFORE SHARAD PAWAR FORMED NCP AND WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE, AT A TIME WHEN DINOSAURS USED TO ROAM AROUND ON DELHI'S RING ROAD, THERE WAS A WORD CALLED "MCP"// GUESS SOMEONE OF THAT ILK WROTE THIS HEADLINE//)
Anyway, read on:
"If Patil wins, she will be India's first woman President." (THANKS; JUST THAT THE NEWS IS 48 HOURS TOO LATE. BUT WILL DO.) A historic decision, according to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. (SO, SONIA G IS TELLING US WHAT THE FIRST SENTENCE SAID ANYWAY. WILL DO... PERHAPS.) And a decision that is being lauded by women groups across the country. (WOMEN GROUP? HAVE THEY STOPPED WRITING APOSTROPHEs AND Ss IN GURGAON?)
First three sentences, and kiss your reader goodbye and goodnight. Thanks for the enlightenment, folks.


from mid-day.com:
Sorry folks, today is not rain day
(REALLY? IF IT DIDN'T RAIN I DIDN'T SEE IT. IF IT DID, I FELT IT. NO NEED TO TELL ME THE OBVIOUS, FOLKS.
Anyway, the three para copy (it's an agency copy, but shows just how callous staffers on payroll are) goes:
"
Today was the Indian Meteorological Department department’s official rain day. (THE SECOND DEPARTMENT IS NOT A TYPO BY DESKTOP DIARIST; IT'S A STRAIGHT CUT-AND-PASTE JOB.)
Small, silly mistake, but it pisses a reader enough to check out of the site. We in the newspaper industry give a go-through to each copy before it is flown on page. Can someone please do the same for websites, and make us journos look a little less silly?

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