Pranay Principles of Journalism

Mahesh Vijapurkar is a veteran journalist belonging to my generation. He has begun reading my new book Newspaper English. He has sent me the following which I missed when he wrote it first years ago. I would have included these tips in the book for the benefit of the new generation of journalists.

He wrote today: 

Pranay Gupte who worked with the NYT and later other papers, probably one in the Gulf, has the following tips which may interest you. Much of it, needless to say, are what you and I and probably a depleting number of journalist, hold dear,

"In December 2004, I wrote “The Pranay Principles of Journalism,” intended as pointers for young journalists. From time to time, I repost these principles for the benefit of novice or middle-level journalists in the belief they might benefit from the hard lessons I learned over five decades in international journalism.

Here are these principles:

1. You have only one constituency in journalism: your readers.

2. Never forget who signs your paycheck: Your publisher. It is his / her newspaper.

3. A journalist is, above all, a storyteller.

4. Write simply and clearly.

5. Use verbs liberally.

6. Use adjectives sparingly.

7. Don't just tell: show and tell.

8. Use short sentences.

9. Make that extra phone call on your story before you write it.

10. Read your own story before sending it to your editors.

11. Journalism should be fun. If it isn't fun for you, then get a job in some other field -- like coal mining.

12. All news institutions have their flaws, just like humans do. Instead of just grumbling, make specific suggestions for positive change.

13. The purpose of newspapers is to educate, inform and entertain readers.

14. Get the following right: names of individuals and institutions; ages; titles; revenues of institutions, and the number of employees.

15. Instead of gossiping, read a book.

16. Sex is OK: in the bedroom, not at the workplace.

17. Take your job and your editor seriously, not yourself.

18. In the journalism business, you've got to be ambitious. If you don't want to be famous, then join an ashram and meditate on your navel.

19. Newsrooms should be a no-smoking zone.

20. Always be polite to people, even if you think that you're smarter than them.

21. Smart journalists always smile -- sincerely.

22. Listen carefully to people: you will get some great stories that way.

23. Always be fair to those you write about. How would you like to see yourself maligned in print for the entire world to see?

24. Avoid anonymous quotes, especially “attack quotes.”

25. Give as many details as you can in your stories: colors, smells, sizes, shapes, flora and fauna. Stories should be word pictures; they should transport the reader to where you, the reporter, have been.

26. No matter how smart you are, it must show in your work. How else are people going to know how smart you are?

27. Being professional means never making excuses.

28. Always meet deadlines.

29. Explain, explain, and explain.

30. Always give context and background in your story. Don't assume that the reader knows.

31. Smart journalism means that you acknowledge your mistakes and quickly rectify them.

32. You've got to be sensitive to people’s cultures, customs and traditions. Just because they pray differently or eat different foods doesn’t make them inferior to you.

33. When in doubt, ask. An inquiring attitude never hurts a journalist.

34. A successful newspaper is the result of disciplined teamwork.

35. Working together doesn’t have to mean shelving your ambitions. It means channeling them better.

36. There's little point in shouting at people. Better to sweet-talk others into doing what you want them to do.

37. It’s essential to cultivate a sense of humor. A well-timed joke often defuses a tense situation.

38. Make others feel good about themselves after they've talked with you.

39. Never put others down, especially in public.

40. Believe in yourself.

41. Don't try and teach your grandmother how to suck eggs.

42. If you feel like saying something nasty on paper, don’t. It will always come back to haunt you.

43. Love your employer but not too much: Never forget that once you've outlived your usefulness, you will be tossed out.

44. If you are over 40 years old, prepare an exit strategy. Mainstream journalism is increasingly for 20-and-30-somethings, not the least because their salary expectations aren’t budget busters. Regardless of your experience and wisdom, your news institution will want you to make a graceful departure once you hit your 40s. (See Point 43 above.) But what about the long years you put into building your news institution’s reputation? Well, who said life was fair?

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