Tabloids Journalism- a different charm

Today I saw the status message written by Vikram Chandra which read: Too much tabloid material? Too much “judge jury and executioner" activism? Falling credibility? Bias? Or is the media doing just fine?

This was quite hilarious to read. We have two types of newspapers, one broadsheet and the other tabloid. Tabloid newspapers are those having pages half the size of those of a standard newspaper, typically popular in style and conquered by headlines, photographs, and sensational stories. In the sense that is light, quick and often amusing. However, it’s full of gossips. Tabloid journalism requires humor and special skills to analyze the story. Actually the broadsheet newspapers get published early in the mid night and reach the stalls in the morning, whereas most of the tabloids reach stalls during the time of tea break. Generally most of the news is published in broadsheet newspapers and hence the readers expect some follow ups of the stories or something light to read during tea time with puzzles, crosswords, sudoku, columns and juicy news. I remember when I switched my job from Free Press Journal (broadsheet paper) to Afternoon (tabloid). It was every day’s challenge for me to create news looking at them in different fashion. In India we have thousands of journalists working at broad sheet desks but it’s rare to have skills potential as Tabloid culture. I feel blessed because I could get an opportunity to work at both the sides, but to be honest; working for tabloid was a real tough job.

When I was working at Afternoon Despatch and Courier as a journalist, my senior asked me to make a lead story on Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Maharashtra. I made news as she visited the place, met all ministers and blah-blah-blah...My editor Mobin rejected the story and gave me a good lecture. Finally he understood my problem that I was not well versed with the tabloid culture. He walked out of the office to smoke. The deadline for submitting the lead story was nearing and hence there was loads of pressure among all of us and even Mobin. Although he was tensed, at the same he was relaxed. I have a habit that whenever if anyone rejects my work or are not satisfied with my duties, then I make it a point to learn and understand from the aging confidence of my seniors. And for that no matter how much humiliation and hierarchy I have to face. We all need reason to love something and no reason to hate anything and everything. This is what the biggest setback of human nature. There are many journalists chocked due to lack of guidance at premature level, many grown out of nothing and few fought the odd and made their way to peak.

Anyways I went out to him and asked, “Sir tell me how to make interesting lead when there is nothing beyond what I have written.” He was enjoying puffs. Looking at me he asked, “Where was this minister? Where was that officer?” We had a very funny conversation and while talking I just told him, “Sir today CM went to Spa and groomed himself because Madam was visiting them. Everyone was looking good, groomed and well dressed.” And then there was a spark in Mobin’s eyes. He just tapped on my head and said let’s make the lead. I was surprised to see his reaction, and followed him to desk. He made the story and gave a big headline “Ministers Visited Spa and parlors to impress Madam” and a nice cartoon was prepared representing madam standing with all hunks around trying to impress her.

Oh my god, it was such a hilarious story and made everyone laugh. Entire desk was happy and I was very joyful as it was my by line on front page. I was amazed. My happiness knew no boundaries at that time. Then he explained me the art of tabloid journalism and writing. Basic thumb rule of this journalism is to give a story out of actual story but maintaining its authentication.

Next Day I went to the court because Sadhvi Pragya Singh and Maria Susairaj were supposed to be brought for trial. That day my way of looking at stories was completely different. Every news headline had the same story about they been brought to court and what was judge’s verdict and defence statements. The news started flashing on news channels. There was no angle remained to flash.

I reached desk, analyzed the entire situation and recollected the scenario. When they both were brought to court, that time Maria and Sadhvi Pragya Singh were smiling and they were escorted by so many police officers. Both were looking gorgeous and relaxed. I asked for pictures to my camera man, made head line “laughing at law” and gave big happy picture of them on front. My editor was very happy; his reaction to my story was like an award to me. Next day we got lots of feedback, my stories got noticed, people started reading my work and I got acknowledged. For one long year from 2008 to 2009, I ruled the front page with my by lines. However, this displeased many of my peers. Since to be on front page is a dream of every reporter, they were unhappy that somewhere I surpassed them. Comparatively, I could learn the basics of tabloid culture a little faster then others. I got promoted, got handsome pay package. With lots of liking form readers, I became the favourite of management and senior editor. I used to feel special, and that’s the reason when I was promoted as City Editor at such young age, many old Sub Editors were due for promotion started going against me. They blogged, complained, wrote anonymous letters to management, gossiped about me. I don’t blame them; they did it out of insecurity and frustration. When they blogged against me, I would have gone legal but my granny told me keep this as example, channelize your anger in right direction. Leave them, at their old age they have no other option to attack your integrity, you have long way to go. She was right I just neglected it and walked my way.

Anyways today I own same name and banner Afternoon, and that too is a tabloid. Today, I can even boast saying that we are the only parallel media house. There is no substitute to sincere efforts, and it’s not necessary that people will always praise you. This is competitive world; if one encourage you then ten will be standing to chop your legs. You have to balance in odd and even. Media has equal amount of fame and defame.

The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Daily Star, blitz on Sunday, Mumbai Mirror, Mid day are few famous tabloids across the globe, which has fascinated me the most. Good tabloid editors expand upon small news items that appear in the back pages of broadsheet newspapers. In fact, one of the notable differences between a tabloid newsdesk and one at a serious newspaper is that tabloid journalists don't go much outside the office on field. Once a desk finds a story that can be twisted, he calls his sources family members or authorities involved with the story to get quotes. Using those quotes, the writer can make headline out the story and make it more about the people involved than the events themselves. This is a feature of the tabloid writing style. Celebrity news is a tack of the tabloids, and sources are the vital factor of this side journalism. Each tabloid journalist maintains an army of sources, including police Havaldar, informers,security guards,stylists, PRO,personal drivers and even corporate officers who will call the writer whenever they have new information to flash. Some times these informants are paid various amounts for their information, depending on the quality of the news and which celebrity it involves.

Coming to Tabloid journalism, earlier it was called yellow Journalism. But gradually, while the society became more permissive and paparazzi started ruling, it gained legitimacy and got the new term as Tabloid Journalism. It can be anything, from a rape to murder, to celebrity to politician to anything and everything. However, it has strong rules and regulations over ethics and morality.

Let me reply Vikram Chandra’s status message: Too much tabloid material? YES now even electronic media is very much believing in Tabloid culture because viewers enjoy something beyond news value. If you want to read follow ups and don’t want to be bothered too much over news, news and news; then Tabloid is the best solution and time pass material for you.

THis is How Attrition was Hacked

One fine morning Some “James Attrition” reached my inbox with some pastebin link, as usual the link was about plagiarism in the book and it was also about cautioning Indian hackers against me. Being a hacker he was caring for his community and warning them against me, anyways it dosent make any difference, but no issues.. It just hurts.

I have 5011 friends in my “Cattechie” FB account, and 3500 on my public profile, another 1500 in my “Catz” group. I have maximum enemies in friends list, if given a chance they might even cut me in to hundred peaces and erase my even remote existence. But few of them are my real fans, my kids, brothers and real friends too. With them I feel life is really blessed.

When this James started attacking me, some of my fans and friends went on abusing him, he also took them for ride by calling them Cat fake and so on, I have seen one common practice here, if someone strongly stands by me then people call that profile is my fake, and even if my fake comes and abuse me (though I don’t have) they will become fan of that abuser. Abusing me, being Cat critic and Cat enemy is fashion here, and that has become way of my life, I generally don’t visit others walls or groups, I have limited myself to my own group and wall. During these James Attrition days my fan Dnyaneshwar sent me message:

Hi di......i just wanna to tell u something that is......

if u have 3 fake FB accounts and id of victims u can hack the victims ac easily.... so think about responding ur friend request....and make ur ac secure.....i think u r well known about it...

Your biggest fan dnyaneshwar

my pleasure ...to guiding u di...

My eyes were wide open to his message, I was making plans of hack, and obviously none other than James Attrition .. But as you all know my condition ….hacking ..vacking mai kya janu re? a biggest noob in hackers community :P

I answered his message by asking him method of doing it..

He promptly replied saying

- First make three facebook accounts and add your slave (he must accept)

- then go to this fallowing link

http://www.facebook.com/recover.php/

There put the slave's email and fill the captcha then it will ask you to enter a new email where you put your email (not the one used on an existing account but a new one)

- it will then ask you the security question ( if you know it very well then just put it and the account is hacked )
But if you do not know the answer just keep entering random words until the limit is exceeded

- Once the limit is exceeded it will ask you to choose three trusted friends

There you put the three accounts you made and added your slave

- It will then send all three accounts the security code

And you go login all three and get the security code and just put it

- Hacked , enjoy now good night

This is how he explained me how to hack account, I was very much excited and went to Attrition’s account to see in log in mail and got very much upset because that was not visible. If you see Gaurav Singh’s wall, he made a post on June 25the at 7.29pm

i*********s@r*********.com guess :P

After few seconds one of his friend, answered there with proper email address.

That’s how the mission Attrition started, we fallowed all those instructions one by one and got stuck when we were asked to select three friends to receive recovery code for that account..

Except one, the two other friends were not known to me much.. But as I said it was team effort.

Finally we chose three guys and started chasing them, one was not in friends list of anyone of us, but his Cell number was on his profile, we called him and requested saying please friend help me with the code that you received to recover my hacked account, he went out of his way gave us access to his e mail and face account, same way even other friend gave us access to only Gmail but not to Face Book account, we changed his FB account Password and any how got second code, and third one was known to us so without making much fuss and queries he gave us the code..

To gather these codes we spent 23 hours and it was instruction from face book to get those codes and enter in 24 hours, my blood pressure went low, everyone was nerves but at eleventh hour, we filled that form and provided them Alternet email, recovery codes and everything..

We received message, “log on to account after24 hours with new email and password, those 24 hours was real tension.

We thought suppose if this attrition logs in, the whole efforts in vain. Second tension, if we get caught then he might tighten the security options and then there won’t be any chance… (See how little provocations make you do crime and you happily violet all rules and reach your target)

Exactly after 24 hours, I logged in and got access to his mail, my defacement page was ready, the 24 hours long waiting periods I was just planning all stupid thing to express my pain, grief, sorrow and anger..

Oh, my god..Finally I was in his account..

First changed all security options, and removed his post and all that the content which was hurting me..

We all were screaming and hauling like mad people.. Monitored all his activities, I really lost faith in humanity and especially this community… his inbox was flooded with all shit, everyone was trying to build relation with him , all were curious to know who he is? But this smart fellow, answered saying mail me, and add more friends to create awareness against her. All top guns of community were on task against me..

Hummm! mean but ok…chalta hai

One thing he forgot to remove during all this drama, his log in IP logs, which made me, reach the exact person, I tagged that defaced page to them, and as I perfectly guessed, he was the only one to give very filthy comment by abusing FUCK U CAT…

I can understand his aggression, I can even understand his frustration, he was flopped and I gave another name there CAT SLAVE.. That must have really pissed him,

All I can say Sorry, friend my intention was not to hurt you, I just wanted to solace myself from the pain of humiliations and abuses. You may call me Drama Queen as you have mentioned this on twitter also.

that time they bee lined at James profile with screen shots, links, and so on and now they are running towards attrition.org… 

I really feel powerful or sometimes a Big ghost, that so many people rushing to bang and fatak..

30 long hours on twitter, only one name and many master to abuse, Cat techie, Naidehi NBC and that is none other than me..

I vaidehi Sachin aka Cat Techi, most loved and hated creature here..

God bless you all with lots of happiness

Keep abusing, keep exposing,

As long as you all keep chanting my name I am Happy for you all

For Investgative Journalists, politicians, police, underworld, and subject of reserch are an inevitable evil in today's situation

J Dey’s death was a very shocking incident. I was restless and paranoid about the appalling conditions faced by journalists while discharging their duties. I was Dey’s great fan as a crime correspondent. I always tried to be as good as he was. I used to compete with Mid-day two years back when I was working with ADC. Whenever there used to be crime story by J Dey, our editor Mobin Pandit used to point out saying look at this. If you have to be a good crime correspondent, you will have to be well resourced and researched. Often, I used to follow Dey’s stories and provide a new angle to it by adding more research and that’s how, we became better reporters. It’s sad to notice ones senior’s death like this. His reporting encouraged hundreds of journalists like me, but his death stole our confidence and faith in this government. Brother of journalism fraternity has passed away. Fraternity; unfortunately is not strong enough to attract common man’s sympathy.
Journalists, politicians, police and underworld is an inevitable evil in today's situation. The current scenario has been prevailing since last three decades. The circular talks of the founding rot in the city police; such as the orderlies of senior officials being parallel establishment. These officials have business partnership with the illegal dens like matka and boot legging. CP says that these parallel power centers sms their parallel paymasters alerting about the possible police raid. To talk of Dey's most recent endeavour into the fortress of oil-mafia; one may recall some lead stories in an English morninger in 2008 and again in 2010 stating how two suspected terrorists who had carried out a murder of an oil adulterator for the benefit of another adulterator were handed over to Indonesian embassy by Mumbai police. The duo was nabbed as their local guide panicked and informed the city cops that their satellite phone usage was worrying.

The IB and crime branch sleuths were aghast to know that after carrying out the murder operation for a city based oil-mafia don; they were doing rekey of the sea shore as their colleagues were to land from Indonesia for carrying out an attack on US embassy in Mumbai. The duo was handed over to the embassy of Indonesia. The attack did take place, what world is this we are living in where our Chief of City Police has to detail out such scenario in a warning circular to the same very people who are beneficiaries of this parallel policing. Wiki leaks have relayed a cable sent by Mumbai Consulate of USA to Washington in which we read an essay on city cops working for Dawood Ibrahim. How can some unidentified persons kill such seasoned reporter for such proximity? And still not traced? The Maharashtra government failed to protect the journalist to hunt down the murderers. Dey’s reporting on the underworld made him a respected byline, but it was his passion for wildlife that drew him to journalism. He authored two books on the operations of the mafia and was on the hit-list of several mafia dons and on numerous occasions received threatening calls.

Despite being aware about the threat to Dey’s life, Police failed to protect him. His stories about government departments and land scams created ripples in the state legislature. He recently exposed a Rs 10,000-crore oil-mafia scam. In crime reporting, the passion to get breaking news sometimes demands a very heavy price, and eminent crime reporter J Dey paid the ultimate one, raising the question whether a journalist is really free to write against anti-social elements. The attack on media persons is not new to this city. Journalists have always been targeted by the underworld, political goons and sometimes even the police. In 1997, known crime reporter Baljeet Parmar was shot at Antop Hill. The firing was believed to be carried out by the underworld gangster Chhota Rajan. Earlier, in 1982, AK Narayan a Ulhasnagar journalist working with Blitz was hacked to death by one Maruti Yadav at the behest of the underworld which was unhappy with his exposes connecting local politicians to them.
Narayan’s body was packed into two metal boxes and left at his own doorstep. Though

Yadav was nabbed, no underworld connection could be established. In June 2009, four media-persons were manhandled in Parel by men allegedly owing allegiance to the Bahujan Samaj Party. Television journalist Amit Joshi was brutally assaulted by local goons with sticks and rods while he was covering an incident in August last year. To get hard and authentic news, an investigative reporter has to build sources within the police, as well as among the anti-social element groups. The more we get into this, more the risk. We are not only watched by the police, but also the underworld. Though the risk of being shot or assaulted is an integral part of a crime reporter’s life, it is his family which has to live in the constant fear of losing him. People often advice me to get out of crime reporting and opt for another beat. A sustained campaign against the underworld has often resulted in a death threat to journalists.

The CID isn’t headed by a Commissioner, this is the elite’ wing of the State police. Their website talks of its job profile. The Commissioner of this wing issued a statement a week after Mumbai attacks that CID is not concerned with terror related intelligence. This man was awarded the post of police commissioner Mumbai and later DGP of State. Hasan Gafur; then CP of Mumbai who took to streets while his colleagues preferred to comply with vows given to their wives that they would not leave control room; was shunted out for his rave act. The architects of the miss-communication, fraudulent communication on wireless leading to the death of many police officers and men were considered to be reliable witnesses by the Pradhan commission led an Ex-MLC.

Dey’s demise has given a last alert; and if we do not wipe out the evils in seats of power now; we will not have another alert. Anyone of us can be the next target.
my tribute to J' Day..I lost one of my senior journalist

Investigative Journalists are soft targets

After J Dey’s death, silent moments, pain and tears and whispers are visible. 24 hours have already passed since Dey’s departure, yet the police are clueless about his death. Dey's funeral was an emotional farewell. So many questions around, so much of grief, insecurity, pain was in ambience. Shameless police and politicians marked their presence by facing media cameras but there was no hitch of regret on their face. Condolence messages kept pouring from media house to media house. There was competition in sending fax and smses to media. Finally, a journalist’s death too was encashed by these hypocrites for their own publicity. None of them is worried about the police and home department that is clueless about the crime. It was difficult to believe that their buddy left this world forever. He was shot from close distance and police are still clue less about the unknown assailants. How can this government and police department can just let go such issue? Now they think that journalists should be provided with security but what about the past? Who will compensate for J Dey’s death? A large number of media persons had turned up to pay their last respects to the senior journalist. Dey is survived by his wife Shubha Sharma and mother. Looking at his family I had experienced pain in my ribs. I started wondering that this could happen to my family too for bringing out the truth. A journalist is always a soft target.

In broad daylight city like Mumbai where we boast about better law and order, anyone can take anybody’s life and escape clueless. The Maharashtra government swung into action, ordering special police teams to probe Dey’s death. Will they be really investigating the issue? Do you thing can we ever get to know the real criminal? Despite being compared with Scotland Yard police, the Mumbai police continue to be clueless about the crime. State Home Minister R R Patil, Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order) Rajnish Seth and several senior government officers should be answerable for this incidence. Our dumb Chief Minister directed Patnaik to arrest the culprits involved in Mr Dey’s murder but where can the murderer be nabbed? He also has failed to mention whom to be held responsible for this case? Always an eye wash, god knows for how long?

J Dey had been receiving death threats and police were aware about it. How come Chief Minister failed to provide police protection for Dey? The government has provided security to Dey’s family at a time when it has lost it bread winner. It very unfortunate, the Home Minister could have acted and provided security to the crime journalist before he was gunned down. Now what is the use of plan for journalists' protection? Senior NCP leader and PWD Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that it was very important to get the culprits behind bars. It’s true Mr Bhujbal but how can we put the accused behind bars? Just by giving mere political statements to media or by exercising your powers to really nab a culprit? How can you all ministers become so shameless to come in front of camera and still talk big. The manner in which bullets were pumped into Dey’s body, no law could have helped him at that time. The relevant department will look into it. But whatever happened is sad, bad.

The police, meanwhile, are examining the CCTV footage of Crisil House, which is located opposite the scene of the crime. The footage, though, isn't very clear because it was raining heavily at the time of the journalist's murder. So now is there any other way? Or any other excuse for media? The post-mortem report of Dey shows that five bullets were pumped into his body and one bullet that hit his shoulder did not come out. He died due to the bullet injury. Five bullets were pumped into his body and there was no noise? The attack on J Dey was undoubtedly an attack on the media. The police say they can’t establish a motive. Well, Dey had been covering the underworld for years; he’d written on the diesel mafia. Two leads for you, Commissioner Arup Patnaik. But we’re not surprised. The police force is flabby, too busy with rallies and subordinates’ cell phones. It, therefore, came as no surprise at all that in recent cases like the Kurar murders, the local officers did not even want to take down a complaint. Is the Mumbai police inept, poorly led, or just plain corrupt? Difficult to say.

J Dey was killed in a centrally-connected neighbourhood, in broad daylight and within walking distance of a police station. It adds up to one conclusion: in Mumbai, no one is safe. And when a citizen’s physical security cannot be guaranteed by the State, then that State has forfeited its right to govern. Bullet riddled bodies don’t make a crime reporter cringe. When I looked at J Day’s dead body I was scared, because all these days even I was doing investigative journalism, now also i am doing my reserch on Hackers, they do defametary blogging,they abuse and some times even make calls to me and threatn.

If you want to reach the fact and fight odd, then your destiny is death. It was an association that lasted right unto his death. Those were the years when J. Dey was still trying to find his footing in journalism. Enough is enough. Things need to get back on track, and we can start with the enactment of stringent provisions against those who attack the media. Or we can be one of those banana republics where dead journalists are commonplace.