Murtaza Razvi: A former colleague remembers
As I told probably a dozen people yesterday, I met Murtaza (or ‘Sunny’ to his close friends) the day he came to Dawn – as assistant editor, from an advertising company, where he had been in a senior position. Saleem Asmi was the editor of the paper at that time and asked me if Murtaza could share my room while his was being prepared. I am glad I said ‘yes’ because the next four to five years, while we were both editorial writers at the paper, developed into a mutually cordial and respectful friendship. Murtaza, along with, the now, senior editor ...
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Print is dead, long live news
In case you missed the story, the media world is changing, and print news is dying. Given that I work in English print in a country where even the last English TV channel standing was forced to shut down, this should be a terrifying thought. I’m not the only one who is scared however – so is the New York Times (NYT). Watching Page One: Inside the New York Times, a documentary focusing on the NYT’s struggle to stay relevant and adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape is like a glimpse into ...
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The Pakistan Jinnah envisioned
I have been reading the Dawn newspaper since I was a child and it helped form a clear, balanced image of the founder of Pakistan in my mind. This year as I read an article by Jinnah expert Shariful Mujahid article, entitled return to Jinnah’s Pakistan’ I saw with dismay and pessimism , a picture so grey and small. Gone were the beautiful bright colours of the people of Sindh, Baluchistan , Frontier and Punjab. Gone were the dreams and promises. The style in which he has addressed the readers shows how hopeless and petty our issues have become. How ...
Read Full PostDon’t blame Ali Azmat, blame marketing
If you’ve worked in broadcast media, chances are high that you have been part of the manic decision making process which goes into determining what story or issue should run as headline news or lead in a program. The journalistic credo to cover issues in a timely, responsible manner is the driving force behind this high-tension coordination, but the marketing aim to gather the maximum number of eyeballs and maintain their interest is always at the back of every broadcast journalist’s mind. Which story will sell? What would the audience buy? The ‘business’ of reporting the news is built into ...
Read Full PostHow do such headlines get through?
What should I make of the following headline in Dawn, Images, June 27 for a movie review on The A-Team? Their regular reviewer (he seems to be writing for a number of years, though mostly forgettable reviews) Mohammad Kamran Jawaid wrote the piece, and I am assuming that he gave the headline which is: Man-on-man action and explosions (Incidentally, Mr Jawaid’s movie reviews invariably have a ‘Second opinion’ by someone by the name of Farheen Jawaid – and even if the two aren’t related I wonder why would you need a ‘second opinion’ to a movie reviews, especially by someone not very well known). Now ...
Read Full PostMaking editorial pages from scratch
My last job was at The News where I edited their editorial pages for more than three and a half years. It was an interesting time at the paper and there was a tug-of-war between various sections of the publication. For instance, the Karachi edition was run by the thoroughly professional and sensible Talat Aslam (who had prior to that edited Herald for a number of years) and its front page was decidedly saner than its counterparts in Islamabad and Karachi. The organisation, editorially, at The News was different. Each city edition has its own editor and each edition ...
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