Hello everybody! The eighteenth video on ‘Spinning into Career’ deals with journalism.
A renowned finance expert discusses inflation, foreign revenue, debt, generation of revenue and tax system in depth. Many seminars are held. Well known journalists and public relations officers are invited to give talks about journalism as a profession. For the benefit of the students of journalism, a session is arranged by a German media man, Dr. Wagner, a reputed man in the field of broadcasting. The students are invited to speak. Simon Smith speaks awkwardly with fear. Ruchi does not have the nerve to go on the stage as she stammers. She sees her other classmates doing well on the stage. She misses the opportunity to make her dream come true.
Ruchi is very friendly with Pervez Pathanki, a Parsi girl. She is an editor of a house journal and works for a multinational company. Ruchi takes her notebook to copy some notes from her. At home, Mahesh writes in Pervez’s notebook, “Ruchi, the great journalist.” Ruchi is embarrassed. What will she tell her friend? She manages to say a kid has scribbled on her notebook. She gets carried away by the thought that she will become a public relations officer. She learns how to write articles on current affairs and various other topics. Students of journalism are given an interesting exercise. They are asked to observe a video on oral cancer and write about what they have observed. The best articles will be picked and sent to the Scientific Institute of Research. Ruchi’s article gets selected. She is asked to expand it. She visits the Scientific Institute of Research. She feels nice visiting the library as it provides an opportunity for silent reading. She is paid for her work.
Journalism and her job keep her busy from 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. She returns home by 9.00 p.m. via local. A few tired ladies have a soothing nap traveling from St. Thomas Gate to Bhimpoli. Ruchi manages with a meager meal and batata vada or patties in the evening. The journalism class arranges a party at Navy Nagar near the Sharanai seashore. Chairs are planted on lawns. Dishes are served. Patanjali Sethi who teaches reporting serves some bhajis or fritters. Someone informs him that Ruchi is a vegetarian. He comes running and takes the plate from her to replace it with vegetarian bhajis. It is a nice evening that Ruchi cherishes.
Her journalism internship commences at the National News. Editing is tedious. She prefers reporting to editing. Mr. Kumar, a reporter from the National News, explains to Ruchi how to perform reporting feats. Ruchi is sent for reporting to Sangeet Academy in Sharanai where she gets a chance to meet Mr. and Mrs. Jeet Sinha. Jeet Sinha has hairy hands and Preeti Sinha has an emotional face loaded with make up. Jeet Sinha is of the opinion that a person from the South cannot sing ghazals. He performs programs abroad. Jeet Sinha wants to be in the limelight. He wants the National News to carry an article about him. Patanjali Sethi is an investigative journalist. He relates how he has dressed himself as a beggar and wandered in Sharanai locales. Folks have been kind enough to drop some money in his bowl. By the end of the day he has discovered, he has made a good deal of money which is tax free. Ruchi continues with her training in the National News for a month.
Ruchi faints on her way to the office. Mr. Wadekar, her office colleague spots her and crosses the railway tracks to give her a cool drink of palm nectar. It is refreshing. From then on, Ruchi is careful not to faint. She avoids spicy and fried foods. The university declares her B.A. exam results. To her surprise, her number is not included in the list of successful candidates. Her colleague Beena checks it twice. Ruchi feels terribly frustrated and defeated. She goes to the Bhilai university and searches her number. Clouds of dark frustration gather in her mind because of her failure.
Thank you for listening. In the next video, we shall watch Ruchi’s response to failure. Till then, goodbye!
Video can be viewed on You Tube by typing, ‘Spinning into Career’ by Usha Raman.
