Crimes against stories
The writer in me does not want to write news stories. It wants to write something to which I an lend 'my' touch. Now I have often been criticised for being obsessed with 'my' self but well, there are some things we can't do anything about. So, now when I look at people who are happy with getting a byline and their salary, the halo of my happiness gets disturbed.
I can't fathom how can they be happy about their stories being brutally mangled and changed. The fault is not with the people at the desk. Ok may be to an extent. And that too of only those who think of themselves belonging to a superior breed. Reporters don not know how to write. Largely they are not concerned about writing a story. They simply get the facts and like a postman deliver them at the doorsteps of the subbies.
I have been a sub and was very unhappy in the job because of my obsession with 'my'. While editing those copies I could not get myself to feel proud of the improvements I would make. The fact that one teacher at the university I studied from kept referring to subs as the unsung heroes would come to haunt me more often than I liked. I did not much like the fact that I would also be reminded of the teacher.
Well, so I had to quit and I did just that as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Yes it did. I don't think I can attribute it to anything else but my luck
So then I became an editor; I would have hated it as well (I mean if I disliked being a sub-ed, how could i like being an ed!). The saving grace are the two words before editor in my designation - in charge.
To cut a long story short, as the in charge editor of Quest, I have done stories and edited many more, some by free-lancers and some by my staff. I tried to teach them all to lend their 'my' to their work but the know-alls are not bothered. I was bugged by it for a while when I realised that I can't be unforgiving as the in charge editor. To those poor stories that comprise of smart sentences copy pasted from the Internet I lend 'my' touch.
I forgive all those who commit crimes against stories of all sorts and don't handle them with care.
I can't fathom how can they be happy about their stories being brutally mangled and changed. The fault is not with the people at the desk. Ok may be to an extent. And that too of only those who think of themselves belonging to a superior breed. Reporters don not know how to write. Largely they are not concerned about writing a story. They simply get the facts and like a postman deliver them at the doorsteps of the subbies.
I have been a sub and was very unhappy in the job because of my obsession with 'my'. While editing those copies I could not get myself to feel proud of the improvements I would make. The fact that one teacher at the university I studied from kept referring to subs as the unsung heroes would come to haunt me more often than I liked. I did not much like the fact that I would also be reminded of the teacher.
Well, so I had to quit and I did just that as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Yes it did. I don't think I can attribute it to anything else but my luck
So then I became an editor; I would have hated it as well (I mean if I disliked being a sub-ed, how could i like being an ed!). The saving grace are the two words before editor in my designation - in charge.
To cut a long story short, as the in charge editor of Quest, I have done stories and edited many more, some by free-lancers and some by my staff. I tried to teach them all to lend their 'my' to their work but the know-alls are not bothered. I was bugged by it for a while when I realised that I can't be unforgiving as the in charge editor. To those poor stories that comprise of smart sentences copy pasted from the Internet I lend 'my' touch.
I forgive all those who commit crimes against stories of all sorts and don't handle them with care.
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