B G Verghese

This has to be told; it could mean something to the newspapers of these days. I know the television, given its DNA, would not give a damn about the sage counsel from B G Verghese, the doyen of responsible journalism.

It was 1972 winter and as students of journalism from Osmania University, we called on B G Verghese, then the editor of Hindustan Times in his office. He talked to us in his soft tones about what the game of journalism was all about. And then came to the point.

"You would have been taught about the need to answer the W's and H when writing a news story. The what, where, when, why, who and how. But after these are answered, ask one more question: so what?"

"Once you ask and respond to that, half the muck that appears in the newspapers would disappear. People would get something useful to read because more space would open up for better stuff."

That guided my journalism for three decades and more. I try to tell younger ones when I get to mentor them but newspapers don't much care for that; it is visible when you turn the pages. Information which titillates, not inform. For instance, if a new bus service is introduced, the newspapers don't tell you about the actual route, the frequency, the timings. Not reader-friendly at all.

Now Verghese has written a book but it is likely to be autobiographical, in is impeccable English, toungue firmly in cheek, subtle humour. A friend's blog has a piece by another journalist, TJS George on the gentleman-journalist which I'd like to share. Here is the tribute to the man who has a deep mind with a straight face and stands tall.

You can't find such journalists these days.