Notes from the newsroom

I am already almost half way through my time at work - how time flies.

On the most part I am averaging about one story a day. Usually Rasheed, my chief reporter, sends me out to cover some event - usually a fairly minor event, which I'm sure all the other reporters have already refused to do. So off I toddle to a quiz, or apple fair, or book launch. It's not the greatest test of my reporting skills - but I couldn't report on much else here without having a mild panic attack. Everything is that much more complex here, on the most part just because of the sheer number of people - and I am struggling to get my head around anything more complex than a school gala. Although the stories themselves might seem like a bit of nonsense, I really enjoy covering these events, mainly for the journey there and back. Every time I get to see a different part of Bangalore - a part I probably would not have otherwise seen.

Yesterday, however, was probably the first time I felt in over my head, and wanted to retreat back to the apple fair. I was sent off on the newly opened Metro (five years in the making, opened last Thursday, massive for Bangalore) to talk to people about connecting the existing train system with the Metro, and thus opening up more opportunities to travel from out of town and then around town - sounds simple enough, but like everything here, it's not. I didn't know where the preexisting train network ran, or who would want to use a connecting system like that. It basically resulted in me picking out young people who were more likely to speak English and asking them a few basic questions, which Rasheed had sent me off with. I had very little idea where the story was going.

But through this blind madness an interesting point was made. I wanted to talk to a ticket master, so found one, only he very quickly said he couldn't talk to me about facts. I desperately wanted comment from a ticket master so probed him, asking him if he could at least give me his opinion.

"Of course, as a citizen of India I can say what I think," he replied.

He was very open with me, and the most interesting person to talk to. It got me thinking though, in New Zealand so often, as reporters, we are shrugged off and told to talk to someone who deals with the media. In India I can imagine the consequences of speaking out of line are more severe, yet here, everyone is happy, and almost wants to, talk to the media - to exercise their rights as an Indian citizen. New Zealanders could learn a thing or two. As a democratic country, surely we all have the rights to speak our minds - so why is everyone so scared to?

I have also become the "expat" reporter. If there is not much going on in the newsroom I am sent out to talk to "expats" about various topics - auto drivers, the opening of the Metro or Diwali celebrations. Initially I sighed, and thought "just because I'm white, seriously do I need to tap into that field", but after my first time out pounding the pavement looking for 'white' people I realised I enjoyed it. It gave me a chance to talk to tourists. Because of where I am staying and working I have really only been communicating with Indians (which has been fantastic in so many respects, and means I have learnt a whole heap about the Indian culture and life I never would have had I been staying in a hostel) but sometimes it's nice to talk to other travellers. Usually I hit them up with my questions, then spend the next ten minutes talking to them about other things.