Journalism is not something that everybody understands, not even young journalists who enthusiastically jumped into the field to “change the world”. But, somewhere between failing at their first reporting assignments, and drowning in coffee and hateful comments on social media, they learn the tricks of the trade. And once they do, everything changes.
You see, there are some things people should know about a journalist before they start existing around them. We are always four things- busy, sleep-deprived, hungry, and broke as hell. So, while the rest of you enjoy your high-paid jobs following those MBA degrees and stuff, our mental stability glides weakly on wafer thin ice.
Hence, there are some dos and don’ts for you if anyone in your circle happens to be a journalist. No, we are not giving you directives, but it would be nice if you made life a bit easier for us ’cause, boy, do we get enough distress from PR guys already!
1. “Let’s catch up this weekend. Sunday sound good?”
Weekends? What do you mean? Haven’t you heard? The news never sleeps, even on a holiday. So, we are sorry, but we really have no time to socialise. Please try and understand our #MannKiBaat.
2. “We should take a trip to Europe!”
It might surprise you, but journalism isn’t exactly a well-paying profession. So, forget about even finding the time for an international trip. We can hardly even afford an outing to Connaught Place.
3. “So, when are you going to come on TV?”
Let’s just clear this up once and for all… Not every journalist works in broadcast. There’s also print and online. So, to answer your question… Probably never.
4. “Let’s grab a quick lunch at *insert bloody-expensive restaurant name*“
Again, we don’t earn enough money. If you really wanna go out for lunch, feed us. Believe me, if it weren’t about the money, we would never turn down food. EVER.
5. “You’re a journalist, right? You would know this…”
As opposed to popular belief, journalists aren’t know-it-alls who can answer any question thrown at them with lightning speed. We know our domain. Ask us anything beyond that and you might find us as witless as the next person.
6. “You’re a journalist! Wow!”
Dude! As much as you would like for journalism to be a glamorous job, it is not. You might think we’re changing the world here by exposing political scandals and crimes against the masses, but most of us end up covering stories like what some celebrity wore to an awards ceremony or which X city Modi is visiting.
7. “Hey! You should write about this…”
You think you’re the first person to suggest a story? Literally, anything that you can tell us has been done to death already. So, no. I am not writing about corruption in politics. I’m gonna write this listicle instead. (*crying internally*)
8. “Journalism is dying.”
We know, alright?! Stop saying it already!
9. “Can you help me with this write-up?”
Just because it is our job to write doesn’t mean you can exploit us for your own personal benefits. Give us a break! Wait, did you just confuse ‘who’ and ‘whom’ again? Ugh! Hand me that…
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