Letters modern-day authors no longer write

From the superb blog Letters of Note, a dream letter from the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov that every editor would love to dream of.

Visit the blog: Letters of Note

Will India’s greatest questioner raise his hand?

Stephen J. Dubner, the journalist who co-authored Freakonomics with the economist Steven D. Levitt, writes on his blog that the most interesting question thrown in the run-up to their new book, SuperFreakonomics, has come from an (unnamed) Indian journalist.

In fact, the blog post is titled: “The greatest question ever asked?”

The question:

“You state that your book is based on one fundamental assumption about human nature: people respond to incentives. Which is another way of saying that people are basically selfish. Take someone like Jesus Christ. What was his “incentive” to go on the cross?”

Read the full post here: The greatest question ever asked?

A house for Mr & Mrs Roy for Rs 270,000,000

From The Insider column in the Indian edition of Forbes:

“We hear that that grand old titan [of Indian steel], Russi Mody, is selling his two-storied bungalow on Calcutta’s tony Belvedere Road. Apparently he has a lifetime interest in the property, and it will change hands only after he passes on.

“One of our avian friends tells us that the Roys of NDTV are close to finalising a deal, for around Rs 27 crore.

“Prannoy Roy doesn’t have much of a connection with the City aside from his Bengaliness, but Radhika Roy grew up there. Perhaps that will be their retirement home? Not that we’re expecting them to be putting up their feet anytime soon. After all Mr. Mody, despite the legendary 16-egg breakfasts, is in robust health. Prannoyda, we’re sure you’ll join us in wishing you a long wait!”

For the record, Forbes India is published by Raghav Bahl’s Network 18 which competes with NDTV’s news, business and lifestyle channels.

Photograph: courtesy Queen Mary University of London

Also read: 26% of India’s most powerful are media barons

The 11 habits of India’s most powerful media pros

‘The endgame is near for both NDTV and TV18′

An ‘A List’ most A-listers don’t want to be a part of

India’s best editors, wiser than rest together?

Via Twitter, CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, names the “most outstanding election analysts across channels” on counting day, October 22. His verdict: Kumar Ketkar, editor of the Marathi daily Loksatta, and Palagummi Sainath, rural affairs editor of The Hindu, both of whom were on CNN-IBN.

“Wiser than all Delhi editors put together,” says Sardesai, whose own election show had the usual sprinkling of said “Delhi editors”, who also appeared on CNN-IBN.

Ahem.

Also read: Don’t ask me, ask her. Don’t ask me, ask him

It ain’t over till the fat lady & the slim boy sing

The latest round of State elections has ended with a clear victor in each State, but the bragging rights has only just begun.

CNN-IBN, quoting Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings, claims it was “India’s most watched English news channel across audience groups across India on polling day. The channel was the leader in all-India market across target groups (TGs).”

Times Now, citing data released by aMap, says it recorded more viewers than its nearest competitors put together.

The claims of NDTV 24×7 are eagerly awaited.

Also read: Never let facts come in the way of a good story

Iran to China, Newsweek has the story covered

More wisdom from the all-seeing, all-knowing editors of Newsweek*.

On the left, the cover of the June 1, 2009 issue. Coverline: “Everything you think you know about Iran is wrong“.

On the right, the cover of the October 26, 2009 issue. Coverline: “Everything you know about China is wrong“.

Also read: Who, why, when, how, where, what, what the…

How a slumdweller became a Newsweek reporter

*Disclosures apply

Sting camera that Amitabh Bachchan didn’t see

The BBC’s “star of the millennium”, Amitabh Bachchan, has always had a hate-hate relationship with the media, except when he has had to love it to push a product or push himself, which is usually the same thing.

In the first week of his 67th year in the solar system (birthday: October 11),  Mr Bachchan has got his long legs entangled in a classic multimedia landmine.

This time with the Bombay tabloid MiD-DaY.

The paper’s executive editor Abhijit Majumder had sought an interview with the actor to mark his birthday, his 40 years in Bollywood, and the launch of BiggBoss 3. Bachchan, says he was initially willing to do an interview only by email, but relented to give a face-to-face interview.

The interview was published and, not surprisingly, as is usual with celebrities who think an interview is an advertisement, Bachchan complains on his blog that “it did not do justice to the responses I had given”.

What was surprising, says Bachchan, is that a video clip of the interview appeared on MiD-DaY’s website.

Writes he:

“I had never expected either the paper or any one else to have posted something which I would be unaware of. [And] now realize why Mr Majumdar wanted a personal meeting. He had placed a small “sting” camera on the table in front of me, without informing me that the interview was being video taped as well. He never told me that they had a video net facility in operation and that the recorded interview would find a place there.”

Bachchan accuses the editor of dishonesty and says the reason he had sought a one-on-one interview was with the “mala fide intent of recording the interview to be used as a live input on a video electronic facility medium that your paper runs.”

Video electronic facility medium, indeed.

But Majumder has hit back in the paper, printing a photograph of the actor sitting comfortably in front of the “sting” camera, and charging the actor of introducing a new word into journalism: a “sting of one’s own legitimate interview“.

Majumder says he had mentioned to Bachchan in the presence of the paper’s photographer and two unknown gentlemen who also seemed to be videotaping it, that the interview would be recorded on audio and video; that he had asked the actor’s secretary if he could bring along a photographer and somebody to video-record the interview.

“Either you are lying or I am. I would like to believe it is neither; it’s just your memory playing tricks at twilight.”

Of course, it is possible for a 67-year-old to have not spotted the device in front of him. Maybe he thought it was a simple tape-recorder like in the good ol’ days.

But an actor who fails to see a camera lens?

Photograph: courtesy Pradeep Dhivar/ MiD-Day

Link via Anamika Sengupta

Shashi Tharoor ain’t the only Tweetiya in town

Indian minister Shashi Tharoor isn’t the only one getting into trouble with his Twitter updates.

Indian-born journalist Raju Narisetti too is.

The former editor of the business daily Mint, now a managing editor at The Washington Post looking after features and its website, has fallen foul of the paper’s ombudsman Andrew Alexander for his tweets about the US health care debate and an age limit on politicians (he is in favour of both).

Result: Narisetti made a decision to stop tweeting and shut down his Twitter account.

“He now realises that his tweets, although intended for a private audience of about 90 friends and associates, were unwise.”

One more result: The Post issued new guidelines for its employees on social media which, net-net, said it was problematic for an editor to be seen to have an opinion, in case it gave “ammunition” to those who believe the Post to be biased.

Read the full story: Clipping the wings of journo tweeters

Watch your mouth

Also read: ‘Good journalists, poor journalism, zero standards’

Pseudonymous author spells finis to Mint editor?

For some journos, acting is second string in bow

It looks like it is the season for small screen stars to graduate to the big screen.

Sashi Kumar (top frame, left), the Doordarshan newsreader of pre-satellite television days, stars with the Malayalam superstar Mammooty in the new release Loud Speaker. In the movie, Sashi, who now runs the Asian College of Journalism in Madras, plays a US-returned astrophysicist.

In Bangalore, Ranganath Bharadwaj, an anchor at the 24×7 news channel TV9, is set to put on the greasepaint for the lead role in the slightly less scientific Kannada flick, Cheluvina Gelathi. Predictably, Bharadwaj who is happily married to co-anchor Radhika Rani, will run around trees and sing a few ditties.

Kannada print journalists are not known to squirm from movie and television roles.

Ravi Belagere, the editor of the tabloid Hi! Bangalore, has starred in several films, including the controversial Mukhya Mantri I Love You. And a host of them, including the film critic R.G. Vijayasarathy and photo editor Saggere Ramaswamy have appeared in a number of movies and TV shows.

Also read: Finally, Karnataka gets an acting chief minister

‘Newspaper men meet such interesting people’

American folk music singer, the legendary Pete Seeger, sings an ode to newspapermen.

Link via Vadiraj Hombal