Diversifying
So PT has decided to diversify themselves into reporting action from the sports arena buy roping in a new guest writer: Mandira Bedi. Ms. Bedi, the mascot of the SET MAX circus leaves no chance to let everyone know about her interest in playing with the boys (no pun intended). But can we expect some worthwhile stuff rather than fashion trends in the Indian cricket team? Not to forget that the article appears on the 3rd page...
posted by Salil at 5:03 AM
8 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Have you guys thought of a different colour scheme for the blog pages ? The dark background and low contrast font colour makes it *really* difficult to read. I have to highlight text in my browser window to be able to read anything without squinting up till my eyes water...
Better UI design please !
Jakob Nielsen Wannabe
It ain't their fault. I feel totally and completely sorry for the staff of Pune Times. I have been there and been one of them for what looked like an excruciating long time. The problem with Times is that it is completely formula driven. If you have noticed, the quality of main Times has risen many notches recently. PT's, on the other hand, has declined.
The formula: One newspaper of quality + One suppliment dedicated totally for commercial purposes = Great Product.
Therefore, Pune Times is a product that makes money for the group while Times of India makes all the goodwill. No matter how much one hates PT, there are many in this city who can't do without the main edition. And remember, PT is free. As long as people don't pay for it, people are not going to say no to it. Times of India's main edition still remains the best designed and presented newspaper anywhere in the country.
But having said that, I agree that there is no excuse for poor quality. That, I guess, comes with poor recruiting. The PT editor, for example, has been chucked out of at least two newspapers (Don't agree with the reason though. Everyone has a right to a sex life at work, with office boys) before he joined the Jain gang. They accepted him with open arms for all they needed was a brainless coordinator, not an editor. His decision making skills run into negatives. His personality—well, no comments. A complete 'Yes Minister', Pradeep Thakur (I almost forgot to mention his name), is sugary as hell when one meets him for the first time but 'fucks' one's brains up with his sheer dumbness and never ending hunger for petty office politics (Pardon me for my crudeness—He brings out the worst in me ;)
15 quality journalist have left Pune Times and a few others will leave soon. Some have lost all hope in journalism as it doesn't get any better than Times in this country—they have switched professions. Others have joined Express and Maharashtra Herald. The one's left are the ones waiting for other, bigger, things to happen. Like Chief Reporter 'cum' editor, Michelle Mendonca. She runs the show these days. And definitely remains the best PT has. Fashion reporter Pallavi Kharade—Her copies are written in a language she calls English and have to be completely re-written. She is going to write a book someday: Is on the look out for a typist with good command over English language.
I guess I am being vindictive but what the hell. Isn't the blog about thrashing Times?
Parting shot: None of the Times products, excluding Maharashtra Times will have a Punekar as Editor as it's a company decision to keep Puneries away from the top spot. So forget this blog, forget everything you plan to make Pune Times a better, readable product. It won't happen. Just switch to a better paper. Expres for nes and Maharashtra Herald for Pune.
It ain't their fault. I feel totally and completely sorry for the staff of Pune Times. I have been there and been one of them for what looked like an excruciatingly long time. The problem with Times is that it is completely formula driven. If you have noticed, the quality of main Times has risen many notches recently. PT's, on the other hand, has declined.
The formula: One newspaper of quality + One suppliment dedicated totally for commercial purposes = Great Product.
Therefore, Pune Times is a product that makes money for the group while Times of India makes all the goodwill. No matter how much one hates PT, there are many in this city who can't do without the main edition. And remember, PT is free. As long as people don't pay for it, people are not going to say no to it. Times of India's main edition still remains the best designed and presented newspaper anywhere in the country.
But having said that, I agree that there is no excuse for poor quality. That, I guess, comes with poor recruiting. The PT editor, for example, has been chucked out of at least two newspapers (Don't agree with the reason though. Everyone has a right to a sex life at work, with office boys) before he joined the Jain gang. They accepted him with open arms for all they needed was a brainless coordinator, not an editor. His decision making skills run into negatives. His personality—well, no comments. A complete 'Yes Minister', Pradeep Thakur (I almost forgot to mention his name), is sugary as hell when one meets him for the first time but 'fucks' one's brains up with his sheer dumbness and never ending hunger for petty office politics (Pardon me for my crudeness—He brings out the worst in me ;)
15 quality journalist have left Pune Times and a few others will leave soon. Some have lost all hope in journalism as it doesn't get any better than Times in this country—they have switched professions. Others have joined Express and Maharashtra Herald. The one's left are the ones waiting for other, bigger, things to happen. Like Chief Reporter 'cum' editor, Michelle Mendonca. She runs the show these days. And definitely remains the best PT has. Fashion reporter Pallavi Kharade—Her copies are written in a language she calls English and have to be completely re-written. She is going to write a book someday: Is on the look out for a typist with good command over English language.
I guess I am being vindictive but what the hell. Isn't the blog about thrashing Times?
Parting shot: None of the Times products, excluding Maharashtra Times will have a Punekar as Editor as it's a company decision to keep Puneries away from the top spot. So forget this blog, forget everything you plan, to make Pune Times a better, readable product. It won't happen. Just switch to a better paper. Express for news and Maharashtra Herald for city stuff.
Hey Anonymous, that was an enlightening comment on a few aspects of PT, I was SO unaware of ... :|
Wish you all the best with your life outside Pune times. Oh and Michelle definitely is one of the best. She deserves better. :)
Awesome , finally a blog against the Pune times ...
God answered my prayers..
'Twas nice to read about the internals of Pune's pulse as they would rather put it.
However I feel that we should express a little restraint in our acerbic against this yellow journalism. So junta, please try and avoid the expletives, on the blog at least. I know I am famous for being a firebrand myself but I certainly wouldn't want this blog to stoop to sensationalism to gain popularity.
After Sherna Gandhy left, the paper's (if u can call it a paper) quality has been doing a stonefall.
It's just become a sleaze mag.
Zero content. Zero writing quality. Zero soul.
A full 10 on titillation though.
Post a Comment
<< Home