Today, Indians are a force to be reckoned with. They have made their presence felt in every field. When we talk of the Indian press during media training, we see that Indian reporters have a significant influence, especially in business media.
A large number of business reporters with Indian roots are internationally prominent. Consider CNN’s Senior International Correspondent Satinder Bindra based out of New Delhi. He is responsible for the Network’s coverage of India, and the South Asian region; Tunku Varadarajan is currently editorial features editor at The Wall Street Journal. He is a former chief TV and media critic for the paper and columnist for OpinionJournal.com, a WSJ sister site. And many more.
So, what is it that makes the Indian Reporter tick? How can we strike a chord with Indian reporters? Here are skills it would be wise to practice in media training.
Tips on Dealing With Indian Reporters
- Honesty really is the best policy in this context. Be straightforward and factual. Indian reporters are a professional lot, aggressive and know how to find the underlying cause of an issue.
- Getting an Indian reporter to trust you can be a tough job. Confidence, authenticity and being down-to-earth work a lot better than false pretenses with the India media. Never make up an answer! They will check your assertions.
- It is quite all right to address the Indian reporter by his or her first name. There is no need to be excessively formal.
- There is no such thing as telling a reporter something off the record. (If you are not already aware of this, it will be drilled into you during media training.) Indian reporters are no different. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want to see in print or have aired on television! For a typical Indian, the most preferred source of information is television, newspapers, radio, and news magazines, in that order.
- Treat the Indian media with respect and friendliness.
Indian journalists reflect a tough work ethic; they are comfortable with the English language and adjust comfortably with the western culture. They do not hesitate to go the extra mile to get their information. With their theoretical thinking and analytical mind, Indians have a global presence. They are patient by tradition, good listeners and sharp witted.
The Indian Press has the reputation of being among the best in the world, which is evident by the professionalism exhibited by the Indian journalists. The people of India are media savvy and have exposure to various forms of media. Investigative reporting has become quite prominent in India.
One such example is the sensational and controversial “Tehelka” issue where investigative journalist Aniruddha Bahal and his partner Mathew Samuel spent seven months posing as arms dealers and exposed top Indian officials and army officers taking bribes.
In an operation unparalleled in Indian journalism, Bahal paid bribes exceeding 21000 USD to India’s top ruling politicians and senior army officers to push for non-existent arms, secretly videotaping every transaction. This is probably why journalists play such an important role in influencing public opinion on vital issues – they believe that public opinion and interest are more important.