This Thursday Times of India and Rajasthan Patrika had carried photo stories about the Karpoor Chandra Kulish Award. Patrika has instituted the Award in the memory of its founder, a great entrepreneur journalist. Patrika report tells that the first international Award has been jointly given to Dawn of Pakistan and India's Hindustan Times . Great for fostering bonehomie among people of India and Pakistan. It mentions what all former President Kalam said about journalism and the big guns of the media present at the function held in Delhi on Wednesday evening. Nothing else about the Award and others who were given the Award.
TOI here had a photograph of Rajasthan Chief Minister with TOI special Correspondent Radha Sharma who was given international merit award. After reading Patrika one wonders what kind of this award is.TOI report tells that another staffer a senior correspondent Prashant Rupera and illustrator Sameer Mahoolkar were also presented certificates at the function for their role in Radha's work. The photo caption ends with TOIs committment for the save girl child for which the Award was given to Radha and others. Poor Radha. Earlier an advertising Agency had claimed the credit of the campaign. The front page story had nothing about the Dawn of Pakistan and India's Hindustan Times and what else happened at the ceremony.
So friends hell with the Cardinal principle of Five W's and H of journalism. Even if it costs one's own brand image. Patrika had news about its own award. It had been trying to publicise it lot for last couple of months.But its report itself did not have much about the persons whom it honoured with the Award. In the case of TOI, there is another interesting chapter. There is no mention of the Award in its own Ahmedabad Mirror.It is supplied as a seperate midloid along with the TOI. Both have many stories with common theme these days. But poor Radha was missing even in her own group's publication.
An insider explained the situation of TOI something like this.At the time of the launch of the Mirror, the management had told the editors and the staff of TOI and Mirror that the two should treat each other as rivals. Do not discuss stories even when you meet, this was the diktat. Whether it is the spirit of rivalry between the two or Mirror missing the Radha story, the fact is that Radha is missing in Mirror. Certainly it must be quite embarrasing for the lady who is being honoured for save the girl child campaign. Certainly, TOI must not have thought of such a shabby treatment to its own girl running its crusade of Save the Girl Child!!!! Or its all just a corporate style Social Responsibility concept of lip service.
On Friday Patrika here had full page supplement about the Award function. It also had photographs of Radha getting award and award to a Saurashtra publication. The full page had photograph of Radha getting award from the Rajasthan Chief Minister.It said Radha of Times getting Award !!!! Who Radha ? Why Radha? God knows!!!!
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