The concern if at all ought to be whether there are "good journalists," as opposed to "good writers" and those who write well. Although a journalist writes, there is a difference between the two forms, which further get divided. Writing, does not make anyone a writer in the sense of say, a Jose Saramago! Some journalists have great skills/ are superlative, but the operative word is some. [Escrita, não faz qualquer um escritor no sentido de, digamos, um José Saramago! Alguns jornalistas têm grandes habilidades / são superlativos, mas a palavra operativa é alguma. :), :), :) ]
The botheration is palpable, so I thought I’d have a say (as an artist laborer, ot to do!), which is further supported below. On a instructive (or edifying) note, see: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/25/writing.journalism "Journalism is basically a simple game. It is about finding things out and telling other people about them. The finding out requires a variety of skills because those in power often prefer that we know only so much. Journalism is about holding such people to account, exposing their humbug and hypocrisy, the abuse of their power. This includes the control it gives them over the flow of information, the ability to bury the bad news, to spin and obfuscate. Good journalists must ask the awkward questions and question the answers, must dig to unearth and then explain, making comprehensible that which authority, by intent or verbal inadequacy, has left confused, incomplete or plain mendacious. Incomprehensible journalism is quite simply bad journalism, and therefore pointless." Now here is some serious clarity, of course, for all of us! "So journalistic writing is different from creative writing. Many young people think they would like to be journalists because they have "always loved writing" or started writing poems when they were eight. It is certainly not enough and may well be a barrier to success in journalism. The late Nicholas Tomalin famously wrote that "the only qualities essential for real success in journalism are rat-like cunning, a plausible manner, and a little literary ability." He included writing, but he placed it third and prefaced it with a diminutive. The writing matters; but don't think of it as art. Think of it as working writing, writing doing a job, writing that puts across information in a way that makes readers want to absorb it." + + + The points above are noteworthy, although we of the 5,000 year and counting civilization usually happen to know better! Avois! Best. Venantius J Pinto On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 9:55 PM, Stephen Dias <[email protected]> wrote: > -------Dear Editors in Goa, > > I wonder that there are no new good writers in Goa? What I see is that all > the time writers like Adelmo, A.P Nazareth, Pachu Menon, Michael Vaz etc., > are seen publishing their letters in the Letters to the Editor column, > mostly in all the daily papers in Goa, and others writers names rarely > appears. What could be the reason? > Goa also needs views from other good writers and not the same guys. I am > not against them as they also write well, but I feel all are equally to > be accommodated in their column of Letters to the Editor to get different > kind of views. > Will the Editors agree my suggestion? It is fine with me if my letter does > not appear at all , but I want others good writers who write well as none > of their letters are seen for publication. We need all kind of news from > Goa from all the corners. > Sometimes we have to use here also influence to get into the writing. How > many times this will do. Couple of days back, I used my influence and a > particular Editor published with the pressure. > About publishing articles is an another stupidity. I have seen many times > and just recently an article written in one paper appearing in another > paper and that too from a writer who writes from abroad and does not even > know the ground reality in Goa. > Is there also corruption in journalism? > > Stephen Dias > Dona > > Paula-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- +++++++++++++ Venantius J Pinto
