Sunday, March 05, 2006

Boo hoo!!

I’m not made for journalism. It’s a frightening thought, but after 3 years of trying to survive in this field, I have realized I’m not cut out to be a journalist. Fine time to think of that!! This last semester has been especially gruesome. In our freshman year, we thought we’ll have a fantastic, relaxed last semester. It’s only the project and internship…no exams! Vo to ho hi jayega! Sigh… Now I’m actually wishing that we had exams instead.

It all started sometime in October, when The Monster (refer: The teacher from hell) told us to think of a topic for our final semester project. We did. We came up with brilliant topics…none of which, however, appealed to her. Then, after much ‘soul-searching’ we told her to suggest one that does appeal to her. Big mistake. I soon found myself stuck with ‘Development issues in Jharkhand’. Jesus, that’s the last thing I wanted! I have searched high and low for some kind of sources that could give me some kind information so I can prepare some kind of project! Until now, the internet has been a darling! But unfortunately, my darling cannot get me interviews. And I have to put at least 3 of them. Whoop-de-doo.

And then there’s the internship. Somehow managed to get into Doordarshan and is it great or what! I have been, for some unknown reason, placed under the Sports beat. Two days, I have watched the India vs. England test match so closely, recording it on tape, logging every four runs, every six runs, every wicket and every mis-field. For 4 and a half hours at a stretch. By the time I got home, I hated TV and I hated cricket.

And the best part is, that my internship clashes with the period in which I have to prepare my project. And they say I’m lucky to get into DD and some even say I’m lucky to get such an ‘interesting’ topic for my project. If this is luck, give me disaster! And even after all this, I am so pig headed that I’m sitting here, blogging about it!! I gotta go....!

34 comments:

Kaala Kavva said...

hahaha
hahaha
go go
enzoy projects and jharkhand!
(sorry for being such an ass! but haha)

Random said...

jharkhand and cricket...well thats gotta be easy enough. do a thing abt dhoni!

Nikhil said...

I am from Jharkhand and cricket is my life. I would have loved the topics given to me.

There are a lots of development issues in Jhr specially with the new proposed Steel plants by Mittal and Jindal who are facing problems with land requisition from the tribals. The Goverment on one hand wants development and on the other wants to retain it's vote base. You could interview people from these two companies and ask about the problems they are facing. Nxalites and coal mafia in Dhanbad mines are two other major issues I can think of.

But, then, you might already be knowing this. Could have helped more if I was back home. Sorry but both these topics get me all serious :D

All the best, at least if India played well you might have enjoyed.

VM said...

Ahh.. I guess you don't need advice about your projects.. I'm very sure you can handle those yourself.

As for doing an internship at DD, I am thankful to you for not doing it at Star News, or else your post would've been aptly titled "Breaking News" :D

Arun Gopalan said...

And let me tell you... this is just the beginning!!

Do come back to this post after 3-4 years of experience :)

Arun

desperado said...

dont worry u'll get over it
initially it always appears hectic but then u'll get used to it...even if u dont want to..u'll have to :)

Mirage said...

@zeexaggeratorr: >:[. Haso haso... ek din mera bhi ayega!!

@rash: hey now there's an idea!

@nikhil: Wow! I had no clue were from jkhand! Thnx fr all dat info man...will get bak to u fr sure!

@bhim: lol! maybe...but wudve at least been 'news'!

@Arun: :D I guess the present is always a pain! I hope it gets better, tho! :/

@dhruv: Hmm...have to! :)

R said...

POOR YOU!

Even I'm supposed to be interning with electronic media at the end of this semester.. and I don't know how I will be doing it! That's cos I suck at video camera.. And the whole bloody semester depends on its technicalities! Damn.

Journalism.. I always knew I can't do it. I chose what I am doing for other stuff. And almost the full first two semesters were full of print journalism.. Eew. I hated it.

All my seniors who have interned with DD have had terrible experiences to share. After reading here, I'm sure of one thing: Project report or not, I'm not going to DD at all!

Relax. Look for stuff in national magazines.. you might find stuff in snippets or short stories. Formulate any bloody interview.. Or whatever. Try it. It might work.

Mahdi said...

:DD
Nice Monster,
;)
eee 4 and a half hours watching tvvv!!my commiserations.

radiohead said...

chillax ....

in d end sab theek hoga !! jst keep moving . yet best of luk .

D'yer Mak'er said...

some even say ‘interesting’ topic..
....oops!!!

p.s. saw the single quotes ‘ ’... bigger OOPS!!!... oops!!!oops!!!oops!!!oops!!!

hope and love said...

hey..! u will get used to it.. no professional field is what you see from the outside..
:))

Mirage said...

@rohit: Hmm...actually the ppl at DD arnt bad... and besides the DD certificate matters a lot! So dont completely rule it out!

@MS: Thanks....at least some1 understands!

@anuj: Thnx yaar...will need a lotta that!

@dyer maker: Quit 'ooops'ing! >:[

@hope and love: I guess its all dirty work, unless ur a pig! ;)

[Amod] said...

haha! Comeone Mirage! Enjoy last days of your grad, will these days comeback??ask yourself! DO you wanna spoil them by feeling 'boo hoo'??ask yourself! btw, I'm from Jharkhand and you can ask me anything about that frustrating place. Though I'm away since last four years but I can tell you about people, culture, naxalite, civic life etc. - A first hand experience!! Tell me what exactly do you need in your project, I'll be more than glad to help you out. And that test match was so boring??how did u watch it?hehe!enjoyyyy!

Keshi said...

WC to the world of assignments and internship! I know exactly what u mean :) Good luck babez, u'll do just fine!

Keshi.

Jayant said...

Wow! Congrats on getting into DD! Really awesome! I didn't know you were doing journalism. Sad about the cricket part though. And yes, the topic for your project does a sound a bit dry but I guess it should be fun. So, are you supposed to interview ppl yourself or just maaro some off the net just like that?

the Monk said...

ouch...it'll get over some time, I guess...projects are generally not fun while they're going on...remember mine? ;)

Anjalika said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anjalika said...

journalist bache..dn't worry..hum sab ka yehi haal ho raha hai....

but my reasons turned out to be a lil diff..remember i called u tht day tellin about this reporter who's neck got chucked out in a brutual manner by this terrorist..i think the terrorist wanted to be a butcher...hahaha

thnk god,i have overcome tht fear,but now i'm feelin the same
what u r feelin about this course..
reasons:
post grauation,n my dreams to get into documentary filmmakin..looks like a total fiasco to me..n i am imaging myself only sleepin,drinkin coffee,music,readin and sleep again..

my project is vast...n tht sucks too man...bapre,pickin up "indian documentary and censorship"..is so big yet i feel i have collected very lil material...

inspite of all of this,i still have ample amount of time to laze around...pataa nahin kya hoga mera..yaroon!!

D'yer Mak'er said...

i wonder why i always say the wrong things in the wrong times.... my sense of timin' has gone bizarre!!...damn!!!!!

Mirage said...

@amod: wow! u too! why didnt i post this earlier...got so many ppl from j'khand willing to help! Will surely get bk to u man

@keshi: Thnx hny...tho i wish i knew where i was going!

@Jay: Naah man we gotta actually go n interview ppl...which is why dis is gettin on my nerves!

@varun: Sure do! N i remember ur 'sighs of relief' too, when it got over! Gosh, when will I be able to breathe easy!???

@nika: seriously yaar...we're goin to the dogs...literally!

@dyer maker: Really? I didnt knw u even had a sense of timing! ;)

cherubic_chipmunk said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
D'yer Mak'er said...

haan haan mere paas toh kuch bhi nahin hai......

johney said...

If you call for disaster, disaster you shall have. Kidding.

And I mut agree with your friends. It is not everyday that one gets to work with doordarshan, and that too with the most celebrated sport in the whole country!! What more you can ask? You have the cake and you ate it too!!

I don't know why you are complaining at all. If I had my way, I would stare at the idiot box from day up to day down, just for the sheer pleasure of it. But ofcourse if I had my way, it would not be doordarshan.

cherubic_chipmunk said...

Same story evrywher madame-reminds me of an adage in my mothertongue-a crude translation wud b "de other side of de bank always appears greener"...so jus keep de flow n u'll definitely scale great heights som day...very soon

: M : said...

aw..i sympathise. i find it hard to force writing out; didn't last too long as a copywriter (sigh, sigh!) and with my masters too, find it hard sometimes to have to submit portfolios of writing rather than sit for exams. of course that means you don't make as many last min nervousness blunders too! mixed blessing, eh?

cheerz n thanks fer droppin by my blog- although i'm not sure when you didand when i saw the comment.

Mirage said...

@d'yer mak'er: nahi kuchh to hai, jo mere paas nahi hai...;)!

@johney: hehe...DD it is unfortunately!! bt its ok...m kinda havin fun these days! ;)

@arvind: Sigh...sure wish this project wud get over!

@caffeine addict: Thnx fr dropping by! N thnx fr all d moral support...bt i need more! so keep up d good work! ;)

R said...

I know! But the experiences my seniors had to share... weren't as encouraging!

Pilli said...

and the best part of your post was at the end when u said that even after all that stuff you were sitting n blogging about it!!!

haha this one rocks... most of the bloggers write posts/comments when they are supposed to be doing something else...
same applies to me :-)

Yuppie said...

DD is quite dull eh..Anyways if DD has a job for auto jurno type let me know would like to be lik Jeremy Clarkson of India...I share his likes for good food and of course the cars wouldn't i luv his hob ... Anyways just kiddin i suppose DD wouldn't allow such stuff rite...

zxcv said...

arre i'm a jharkhandi, and thanx to the recent interviews for mgmt schools i did a lil bit research on jharkhand + the background gives me some insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the state.
so if u need any help, i'm all urs!!!

Abhishek Upadhyay said...

Take it easy Mirage...
Development issues in Jharkhand wasnt too tough topic....aneways I enjoyed your blog....you know how to make readers stick to your page.
Best of luck for future.

Mirage said...

@rohit: :/

@Pills: Lol! This always happens man! When I'm upto my eyebrows in work, its almost as if I need an outlet...blogging!

@Yuppie: Even if it did, I wud nevr want u to slog ur ass there!! Neway, thnx fr visiting my page! :)

@zxcv: Arre i didnt knw u too were a jharkhandi! But thnx anyway man, the project is over for good! Whew!

@abhishek: I'm just glad its over! Thnx for dropping by man! Lets see how long u last on my page...! ;)

DewdropDream said...

Hey there... I don't suppose you really want sympathy, but i know what ur going through.. my last sem sucked too... i had this LOSER handing out obscure projects which had nothing to with the subject, we had to do scientific paprs on them and it was AWFUL to be doing something on Abedkar after i'd vowed to never look at him ever again after 10th ended... sigh.. life is unfair..

but i;ll tell you what, journalism isn't such a bad thing... i dont think tere's anything else i'd rather do.. i guess you just need to find your niche in it.. i'm happy being in science journalism.

sorry for the long post.. All the best