London Olympics 2012 - Lessons in covering sports holistically

(Images courtesy -http://www.robladin.com/sports/2012/03/06/olympics-organisers-to-hit-fundraising-target.html/london-2012-olympics-logo and http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/london-olympics-2012-indian-athletes/1/185102.html)

The London Olympics 2012 is a little over a month away. Yet various aspects relating to the games have been covered diligently over the last four years, ever since the announcement was made that London would host the 2012 Olympics.

Almost everything from who constitutes the managing committee, how they were appointed and what role they will play, how much of the taxpayer’s money will go towards the games, the role of corporates in the games, opening ceremony plans, update on local players preparing for the games, tourist and other infrastructure development around the games, marketing channels used for the games, bidding process, recruitment of volunteers and even the food at the Olympics venue has been covered more or less in an unbiased manner.

Compare that with the coverage of the Delhi commonwealth Games 2010. The first set of reports on the games appeared when we bagged the contract to host the games. After that there was a near six year lull before reports started appearing of how some of the construction work was behind schedule or how some of the structures coming up would damage the ecological balance of the locality. About four months before the games were to commence, news broke of a possible scam in procurements. That was followed up by reportage that was in some way related to this alleged scam – poor quality of housing for athletes, incomplete infrastructure for the games, disturbance to commuters in Delhi owing to frequent diversions and no permanent solutions to traffic snarls etc. Once the games started, the coverage focused mainly on athlete victories. Post the games the government appointed the V.K. Shunglu committee to look into the irregularities and the media reported news of the investigation report being submitted.

While this coverage is commendable, it missed out on several vital aspects. These include timely reportage on how the CWG committee was formed, the experience of the committee in handling games of this magnitude, information exchange on building any capabilities we did not have, the committee’s functioning, progress of the projects (not just glaring lapses that resulted in lag in completion), bidding process for various items and other decision making by the executive committee.

Had such information been periodically reported, it could have helped identify irregularities early on and embark on course correction. This could have also avoided the reputation loss to the country and the bipartisan stand the media was forced to take.

This is not the only case of narrow piece meal sports reporting. The IPL coverage under the Lalit Modi regime too chose to focus on obvious facts – victories, defeats and team strategies for upcoming games. When the scam broke out, the focus remained primarily on the then proposed Kochi team and Shashi Tharoor and Lalit Modi and his dubious modus operandi. No details other than the amounts of money recovered by the Income Tax department or the fact that NRI money was used to fund the teams were disclosed. If the same dubious sources and modus operandi had funded an industry such as banking, information technology or manufacturing, the reportage would have been far more comprehensive bordering on being investigative.

Why is it important to cover sports holistically?

Sports is increasingly seen as the only option for success for many talented youngsters from under developed states/ underprivileged families. Spurred by recent successes, the nation is serious about grooming talent beyond cricket and nurturing smaller, less popular sports such as badminton, tennis, archery, rifle shooting, hockey, football and wrestling. For many readers, keen to follow these sports, there is little reportage on how these games are run by the respective apex governing bodies, player selections, sources of funding for the sport, training, rankings (regional or international) and challenges faced by players.

A case in point is the recent reportage of the tussle between players and the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for sending teams to the London Olympics 2012. Keen followers of the game would know that this was yet another ego issue and this time the players triumphed. It is public knowledge that players and tennis associations have had a rocky relationship across many countries and for many decades. Tennis was banned from the Olympics for close to 50 years till 1988, when the ATP and the International Olympic Association reconciled by putting aside their differences.

Had such background information been shared (or perhaps known to tennis reporters), the current AITA tussle could have been comprehensively (and knowledgeably) reported, instead of reporting it as a “Crisis in Indian tennis.”

Media scrutiny into the above mentioned aspects will not only give readers a wealth of knowledge, but also go a long way in improving the functioning of these apex bodies, boost sources of funding, bring more knowledgeable persons on the board and have meaningful outcomes. In an era where good governance is stressed upon for good outcomes, it is necessary that the media reports incisively and holistically on sports.

(I wrote this piece for the Hoot. For more details, read it here)

Office-Office: Scapegoat

Well, that is what General V.K. Singh seems to have become, with the Defense Minister and Prime Minister throwing up their hands in the leaked letters case. While it appears that this species is rare in the armed forces, it is quite common to find scapegoats in corporate India. What is more, anyone can become one if careless or unlucky.


Consider this. You have put together a marketing plan post some discussions with the team and your boss. Your boss changes it to his satisfaction (and in keeping with vision, or the lack of it) and immediately passes it on to his boss, without any mention of you or the team in his email. But god is great (or so you think) when the super boss does not see any diamonds or other treasure the plan and promptly trashes your boss for sending sub-standard stuff. (That, super bosses see stellar stuff all the time is a myth. They are after all former scapegoats who have got lucky and risen to power.)

While you are grinning with glee imagining the boss’s expression, you get a bomber – an email from the boss to the super boss marking you in CC that reads: “Dear (Super boss’s name) . (Your name) worked on this plan. Will share the feedback and get (Your name) to re-work accordingly. Sincerely, (Boss’s name)”. Scroll down the mail trail and you will see the super boss using the choicest of expletives describing your boss’ work. There, you have just been made scapegoat.

Sounds familiar? So how do you avoid becoming the next V.K Singh?

For starters, do not aspire to spearhead or contribute to any game changing initiatives for your employer. These only increase your chances and frequency of becoming the scapegoat. You might even be considered for a Scapegoat of the Year award.

If you do end up getting roped in to such initiatives, ensure your contribution is restricted to just listening to the discussion. (Take a leaf from the boss) and making notes. You can volunteer to organize for tea and snacks, as little can go wrong in placing such orders from the canteen (Unless your luck is down and out and the snacks vendor has been changed).

If asked to work on any presentations/ plans, ensure you send the final version including your comments on email. If a repeat of the above example happens, you can do a “Reply All” to the mail by attaching your email discussion on the subject and CCing the rest of the team by asking for their opinion on how to improvise further. That way, you divide your chances of becoming a scapegoat by the number of other people marked on the mail.

If you don’t have the heart (more likely the spine) to do this, find a scapegoat and do to him/her what your boss did to you. Or divert attention to more pressing issues, like someone has done to take the heat off Gen. V.K. Singh by exposing the Army’s attempt of a possible coup.

Earful!: Attempting to be Mallya

(Image Source: http://www.kaipullai.com/)


The problem with larger than life figures is that people can never see them any other way. For instance, can you believe Vijay Mallya is poor? All media reports say he is unable to pay his employees. But take one look at him and the diamond ear rings and gold chains continue to dazzle your eye balls. He arrives in a designer suit and a snazzy car and asks for donation (sorry bail out) from the government. You, like the budding punk in my neighborhood, will be tempted to believe, the good times are just around the corner.


Well, who doesn’t want to be publicly poor, but privately rich? If that is your dream, then this post should help you fulfill it. Remember, you need to be rich to begin with.

1. Divide and conquer – Split your kitty into smaller chunks and make the world believe they are separate sources of funding cut off from one another. When money in one fund gets spent, you seek bail because “the complex nature of investments and conflicts of interests prevent you from borrowing internally”. Of course in reality, it is like cutting a chocolate cake into pieces and eating one piece every hour. As long as you are the solo cake-eater, you will end up eating the entire cake by nightfall. Who cares if you had one extra slice in the afternoon?

2. Confuse, don’t convince – We deal with pesky people all the time. More so, when one starts getting rich. Intermix and liberally use terms like “breath through”, “new segment”, “good times,” “World class”, “customer delight” and “Innovation” repeatedly in your conversations. Make people feel grateful for your existence. During bad times (of course you must never use the words in public), you can always pin the blame on “jealous competitors”, “regressive government policy” or “sectorial crisis”.

3. Get others to tow your line – After all, how long can you say the same thing? For a change, let others in your business circles speak the same jargon. As long as you are having a good time at their expense, how does it matter?

4. Travel by your private jet– Isn’t that cheaper than renting an A380? See, you are already saving money and consequently your company from bankruptcy. You have a moral conscience.

5. Party – Show up at all major parties or throw some yourself. Don’t you need exposure (and funds) to like-minded people? Additionally, you (and others) are having good times, thanks to mugs of your beer being downed by the crowds.

6. Keep your private yacht docked in the most prominent bay – See how poor you have become? You can’t even afford to take off on a cruise. It is another matter that renting that part of the bay will cost you more than the cruise itself.

7. Stay cooped up in your bungalow – Look how depressed he has become, the public will say. Only you know that no one serves food on gilded cutlery in this country, except your household staff comprising smart young people who don’t care much about salary but are here for the “experience”. If any pesky journalist questions you on the opulence, you can always say you have only tomato soup for dinner.

If these seven steps don’t help you, try acting in movies. Not only will you get more money, you will also learn the requisite emotions that come with playing the part of a publicly poor person.

FDI in retail: Reportage and the Bill seem to be heading no where

Since the issue on allowing 51% FDI in retail was announced early this month, there has been a bipolar view of the issue with the media making no efforts to explore alternatives. In a bid to remain unbiased, the media seems to be reporting on the FDI issue without realising how the reportage is adding little value to the readers/ viewers.

My piece in The Hoot highlights this. It is reproduced below.

The Indian media seems to have made it a habit to promote cacophony and frenzy in emerging political situations with little attempt to independently analyse the scenario. The FDI in retail issue is no different. While one heard positive things about it last week, this week has begun on a negative note with parties doing an about turn and retail entities voicing “concerns” over the initiative. Amidst this yo-yo-ing, does the common man have scope to discover the real dangers (and potential benefits) of this executive decision? Not if the manner of reporting on this issue continues.

There are three fundamental gaps in the media’s coverage of the issue. For starters, there is no independent analysis of the various opinions shared by politicians, industry bodies and private parties. Almost every story is carefully crafted to include an opinion followed by three key reasons substantiating that opinion. The journalist fraternity seems to have been so busy collecting and appending these opinions that they did not have the time to question some of these points to elicit a reaction. If they did, those portions seem to have been too insignificant to include in the report. As a result most stories now read like school essays containing a “Pros” and “Cons” section followed by a conclusion which is so generic that it could have been avoided. Some of the smarter reports have stopped with just propagating one opinion.

Is FDI in retail a new topic? No. Is there dearth of international material on what have been the consequences of such a move in other countries? No. A google search on ‘FDI in retail China’ showed that there has been positive impact of opening up retail in China. There are several other documents such as this presentation that indicates how FDI in retail in India can be introduced in phases and how it will benefits all stakeholders. When there is such a wealth of information available, why are journalists sticking to cliché’s and not exploring possibilities?

Is FDI in retail a black and white issue? Do we have only two options – to accept it or reject it? Is there no third perspective that can suggest if this decision can be modified to suit the interests of all stakeholders? While political parties may foist their straight-jacketed views upon journalists, do journalists not get curious and seek a third alternative?

This is the second gap in reportage – The absence of a third view that seeks to consider all interests. If the government or any other entity has such a view, it has not been sought by the media. In a democracy there are multiple solutions to every issue as was evident by the Supreme Court’s decision on the Ayodhya case, which left just about everyone stumped. I am sure finding alternate solutions to FDI in retail (considering that this is hitherto untainted by religious color) would be simpler. Talking to some retailers on how they want to tackle these fears of monopoly could have generated good ideas. Some suggestions on how the decision can be amended can include – retailers tying up with Indian/ foreign infrastructure players to build the back end supply chain infrastructure; setting development benchmarks for the regions from where procurement happens (this will ensure that farmers are not cheated out of their produce); limiting retail outlets to those parts of cities and towns with relatively less development (so as to grow that region); retailers to hire and train locals; and incentives for retailers supporting green practices.

The third gap noticed in coverage was the absence of a Vox-Populi (people’s voice). Reports have hardly sought people’s opinions to develop an independent perspective on the issue. While I read about Anju from Jammu and how she is comfortable with the existing retail system, I did not read about how the current stand will impact (if at all) her retail experience. Her opinion on the issue is cursorily sought and tied to a common sentiment - “if something is working, why tear it apart?” What about talking to the urban Indian who has experienced malls and hypermarkets? Or those who have shopped abroad at Wal-Mart? That will perhaps bring out three perspectives – The urban Indians want FDI; those in towns perhaps don’t care; and villagers fear job and loss of income if FDI is passed. Each of these perspectives can be explored to holistically build the pros and cons of FDI in retail and suggest possible amendments to the current executive decision.

A classic example of sensitizing people to the woes (and benefits) of a situation is by following P. Sainath’s work on farmer suicides. Similar stories across the retail supply chain can sensitise people to the pros and cons of the FDI in retail.

India is known as a country of shopkeepers. An issue impacting their livelihoods needs more definitive coverage.

Earful! : The runaway Baba – Learning for those planning a political marathon

It is not often that scandals of substance come by. My last post in the Earful! series was on IPL gate. Since then, there has not been a single scandal worth digging the nose into. Until now.

Baba Ramdev's actions in recent times have definitely left even the believers dumbstruck. Baba meant good, yet his "camp"aign earned only lathi charges, tears and borrowed clothes. Where did he go wrong? (Aspiring campaigners, this one is for you).

1. There are Babas aplenty but there can only be one Anna:     Get a cool name that is easy to pronounce and understand across India. Ram is sensitive in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh political circles. Dev becomes Deb in the Odisha-West Bengal belt and "Dave" in the North East… Anna on the other hand is tamper-proof (even using software). Its 4 letters and a palindrome.
2. White is timeless, Saffron is seasonal:     Aspiring news makers need to keep track of fashion but blindly copying it will see you experience several baba moments.  Baba gathered intel on color trends this spring and seemed happy that Orange was in. (So is white incidentally). What he forgot to note was that saffron needs to be offset with accessories of a different color.  And that is precisely where Anna got the better of him. By topping the clean cut white outfit with a humble white Topi, he reinstated the timelessness and relevance of white and earned many cheers.
3. You can no longer be taken seriously if you are half clothed:     This is why one must peer at the fine print in every fashion photo. Flowing and fluid outfits are in. The modified underwear that covers more than you butt is OUT. Also, if you decide to strip, do so only if you have a movie star body and a full body wax. There are enough of us worrying about our pudginess and hair to take note of your nasties.
4. Desi is cool but Phoren maal is a necessity:     Classic case of misplaced priorities. While the fight was against corruption, why do a recap of the Swadeshi movement?  If we banned all phoren maal, our manufacturing units would shut down. We would neither have a charkha nor cotton to spin our own orange robes… And no TV to watch Baba either. On another note try making a 5 year old put on a robe. He'd rather go nude than be caught wearing that.
5. Empty your pockets before passing the blame:     In the fight against phoren corrupting influences, did Baba check his bank balance? What proportion of it was greenbacks and other phoren paisa? Was it all white money? – this was the reporter fraternity tearing baba to bits.  Anna on the other hand declared publicly before his fast began that he owned nothing and lived on the charity extended by his fellow villagers.  Looks like Baba missed a technicality there.
6. You are what you project:     Anna looked calm and acted calm. He dressed for the part with old fashioned cheap glasses, the white ensemble and chappals.  He could have been anyone's grandfather. Endearingly he refused to budge from his stand and won over the government. Baba on the other hand was dressed to kill – hair and make-up included. Instead what he did was flee and that too by attempting to change character by doing a Birdcage. Looks like baba's role model was Riteish Deshmukh.
7. Fasting and feasting don't go together:     Ever seen rich people fasting? They end the 4 hour fast with Gatorade, laddu and some home cooked French fries. Intelligently they don't like to test their limits. Baba is a man of affluence and should have tested his fasting abilities in his Scottish island villa. Perhaps he did not get time away from all the phoren maal and good quality dairy products. The result - Not only did his followers outfast him, they are now trying to figure out if the marble at the Haridwar ashram is of Italian origin.
8. Don't race if you are not confident of winning:     Baba's campaign started after Anna's was over. He assumed he would be running a solo race and emerge winner irrespective of time and other brouhaha.  He should have instead spent time in studying the geography and short cut exit routes from the Ram Lila Maidan. That way he could have looked smart even with a duppatta flying behind him.

Hmm..what can baba do now you ask? Take the first flight out of India and do a world tour propagating yoga and slipping in his corruption agenda every now and then. After all Anna didn't tap our overseas Diaspora for support. It might also be a good idea to shake hands with the Sri Sri Ravishankars and Mata Amritanandamayis of the world.

The Wanderer: Grover Vineyards, Doddaballapur, Near Bangalore

If you are thinking grape crushing, dancing, eating, drinking and general leisurely pursuits forget it. This is India and we love Indianizing everything, particularly if we don't understand it.

Our guide for this visit was a French lady who felt much at home. (We were told later by some friends that she grew up in her father's vineyard in France and had come to India for an educational tour to get exposure into the wine brewing business here.) As she laboriously explained the history of the vineyard, types of grapes used for cultivation and when to pick them, I wore a resigned look. When a very beautiful lady animatedly tries to speak English with a French accent, I have to give up since I don't know where to look – at her mascara (Must be fake eyelashes), blush (God! When will they understand that you can only tan in India), outfit (how do they get to be so thin on a diet of chocolate and wine?), or just roll my eyes to heaven requesting god to make her more understandable.

Just as I realized the waste potential of this visit, eureka struck. I jumped into action asking my husband to click some half a dozen pictures of me in various poses near the grapes, touching the vines, standing resignedly in a side profile…..

The factory smelt of sour grapes (I am not sure why I assumed it would be otherwise). There were vats of all shapes, sizes and material inside. In another barely lit room there were barrels full of the wine left for fermenting. As we moved towards the bottling section, it struck me that we were doing a reverse tour of the factory.

We ended at the entrance of the factory where freshly plucked grapes were being loaded into a crushing machine. Yes. That explained the lack of leisurely enthusiasm among the inmates. When a machine replaces a wide bucket of ripe grapes waiting to be crushed, you can forget about barefoot dancing and merrymaking. What you get is "Business as usual" with people in uniforms, shower caps and gloves carefully loading every bunch of fruit. And so with a heavy heart, I moved to the wine sampling session.

6 glasses set beside each seat. This, I felt, was set up to put me to shame. For starters I am no wine connoisseur (in fact, I don't even drink the stuff). Further the French lady consoled me suggesting I smell the stuff instead of tasting it. Big Insult, considering my sense of smell is only marginally better than an earthworm's. The result – Husband happily drank my share of wine, posed a zillion times and got tongue tied trying to pronounce the French names. Thankfully, a child in our group rescued me by bawling his lungs out on being refused to sample wine. That definitely marked the end of the wine tasting and our visit to the vineyard.

Make your trip Jhakaas by:

1. Speaking to the workers on the vineyard. They will give you a de-glamourized version of everything starting with the owner of the place to the plants in the English you will understand. In case you don't, they also speak Hindi, Kannada and Telugu.
2. Once the tour of the factory is over, turn around and repeat the route – this way you will understand all the processes in sequence. Watch out for grapes/ grape juice on the floor.
3. Reading up on the company online. It has many firsts to its credit.
4. Some wine enthusiasts also conduct this tour and the verdict is that they do a better job.

How not to lose your way:

Head North on the way to Bangalore International Airport. At Jakkur Airfield, take the left fork of the road. Cross Angsana Spa and travel about 10 km further until encountering railway line. Take a right from the second railway line. When in doubt, ask the locals for "Grover Wine Factory".

Cost: Rs 500 per head. Includes cost of vineyard visit, factory tour and wine sampling.

Disappointments:

You cannot purchase wine at the factory.  You cannot order for single bottles to be home delivered. The minimum order is for 6 bottles. So, approach the wine tasting session with a motive.