‘Communicate in the language of the layman, the reader’

 It was quite a scintillating speech by R. Prasannan, resident editor, The Week and Malayala Manorama, New Delhi. He was speaking as special guest at the PII-ICRC Awards programme held at the India International Centre and he had the audience hooked. Prasannan referred to the power journalists wield in their pens or keyboards. Use that power for making people more aware, talk in their language, write in their language, he urged the prize-winning journalists (photographers included). He said he often found a flaw in the reporting in recent years – journalists talking the language of the expert. He stressed that a journalist’s job is not only to simplify and interpret, but also bring in the human touch to reporting, something the expert does not do. Communicate in the language of the layman, the reader, he said. I have reproduced his speech in this issue as the lead piece. There are several pertinent points he makes, which journalists must take note of.

 

Prasannan’s speech reminded me about what my mentor and professor in journalism school (veteran editor and author S. Muthiah) would often say. A journalist should have knowledge that is comprehensive and reasonably deep: you are expected to report on a wide gamut of subjects, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and you need to be genuinely knowledgeable to be able to do so. A journalist has an important role in society and one of it is being responsible. Also, in today’s mad scramble for news and bytes, ‘checking’, ‘condensing’ and ‘clarifying’ (the 3 Cs) have taken a back seat. How many young reporters today thoroughly know the subject they are covering, or even make an honest attempt to understand it? How many have the patience for legwork and the desire to put in hard hours of work to get to the bottom of a story, rather than ‘Googling’ up information or using the mobile phone to network and put together a hastily written piece?

 

Accuracy, fairness and balance have taken a beating. Often the main points made at the event are missing.  Facts are often randomly selected for inclusion, the main points made at an event are missing, facts are rarely presented with the context necessary for a reader to make sense of them, direct quotes attributed to speakers are often not correct and sometimes even attributed to the wrong speaker. Little value seems to be attached to the crucial function of sub-editing (or copy editing). Suggestions: reading, writing especially précis writing, listening attentively, taking notes, doing background research, and asking questions concisely and precisely. The skills required for and acquired through précis writing are essential for accurate, meaningful reporting.  If students today don’t learn them earlier in the educational process, perhaps they would be worth teaching in media schools. 

 

A journalist must be able to understand the subject well, empathise, and bring the human element into the story. A journalist’s success, to me, is defined by the principles or rules you follow, the sensitivity you show and the sense of inclusion you have. It is about giving, not taking. It is one of the highest possible callings.