'Shillong Times' finds it difficult to attract the tech-savvy to journalism

Shillong Times office

Patricia Mukhim invites me to visit the office of 'Shillong Times', the newspaper she edits. But I have two hours free on my hands. I locate Madras Cafe in the heart of a bustling shopping-bus station centre of the city where I treat myself to masala dosa and coffee even as a big group of people, obviously from Tamil Nadu chit-chat and gossip loudly, in Thamizh. 

Madras Cafe must be the first destination of travelers from the southern end of the country. I then zip across to what is commonly called Don Bosco Museum - a fantastic work by the Salesians religious where the focus is on the North East's indigenous people, customs, histories, life, art and craft.

You need at least 90 minutes to quickly explore this grand space.

That done we drive across the city, and into what seems to be a Cantonment zone; we negotiate winding roads on the hillside and spot what looks like an independent bungalow.

It isn't.

I am at 'Shillong Times'.

I must take the stairs that leads to the underground offices - the pre-press room is on one side, the printing press on the other and further down, the editorial offices. Only then do I realise all over again that I am in hill country.

A page designer at work

Patricia is at her desk and she takes me to the News Room. The hall is empty save for one designer who is working on a page of the group's Garo newspaper, 'Salantini Janera'.

In a small cabin here, three young women are at work. Two of them edit copy and are about to wind up for the day.

The Desk; sub-editors at work

The third, Nabamita Mitra handles the Sunday magazine pages of the Times. The current issue has a front page feature on the state of Khasi musicians and explores if traditional music is losing out to Western music - which has a huge following in the North-East.

Nabamita is from Kolkata and on a whim, chose to leave behind the Kolkata phase of her career in journalism and get adventurous; that is how she landed in Shillong. In that small, partitioned space for Nabamita and her two colleagues, we spend some time talking about a journalist's job in this state.

They tell me that many people, especially the youths are reticent when it comes to speaking their mind or sharing their views considering the sensitive and fluid atmosphere that has existed in this region. "Nobody would like to go on record or even be seen in a photo," they tell me.

Meghalaya's youths are fixed to their phones and access and use social media a lot but they seem to be less interested in news developments and more keen to get employment. "They banked a lot on jobs in the state sector but that having failed them they now look to go outside to get employed," they tell me.

Patricia tells me that it has been extremely difficult to get young people to work for the newspaper. Nobody wants a desk job and few are keen to invest time and energy in serious journalism. And this does tell on local newspapers like 'Shillong Times'.

Save for posting the daily edition online ( the English and the Garo one) as E-papers, the Times has a very basic website (www.theshillongtimes.com); it has not tapped technology to advance its publishing. The reason - it does not attract tech-savvy people who wish to work at a newspaper.

A small newspaper of 1945 vintage keeps journalism alive: in Meghalaya

Shillong landscape

From my base in Guwahati I make the road trip to Shillong in Meghalaya. The road is pretty good but the multiple hairpin bends negotiated at 90 km/h by my taxi driver unsettles me though I have had an early breakfast and am a roadie-journalist for ages.

It takes about 90 minutes to reach the fringes of Shillong but another 30 minutes to get to the city centre - the narrow roads which also take lorry traffic can only let vehicles crawl their way. So I stare at the little hawker-shops, all of wood and at every corner, fresh pork meat is being sold.

Patricia Mukhim is the editor of the 1945-founded 'Shillong Times' and she has invited me to her home for a quick conversation.

Editor of Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim

Patricia and her newspaper were in the news recently in a rare case in which the Meghalaya High Court slapped a severe fine and a punishment on her; the contempt of court case was slapped because the newspaper reported on a pile of benefits and add-ons that the judges of this court had sought post-retirement, including fancy smartphones for them and their wives. Thankfully, the Supreme Court has given this feisty journalist some relief now.

In her wonderfully-designed house just outside the busy city centre, Patricia tells me that her journalism takes off from the spirit of the newspaper's owner and former editor who allows her the freedom to do what is right, even though the man is now a politician. She admits that the pulls and pressures on journalists in a small state are many and hard but she has managed to deal with them well.

But Patricia has a bigger challenge - the dearth of skilled, trained journalists tells on the quality of journalism that local newspapers offer. "Those who apply for a job are keen only to work at the Desk. They do not want to go out and report because they feel it is tough," she tells me. So she now manages with only two reporters and an enterprising deputy, Jose who often travels the state to file long stories.

Communication lines are much better now and WhatsApp is seen as a useful tool to file stories and send pictures.

However, the website of 'Shillong Times' which was launched some two years ago is primitive, to say the least.

"We just don't get people to work for us," Patricia throws up her hands. And tells me of the political and economic-social trends in Meghalaya this past year.

"I once saw a TV advert on turmeric powder sold by a Tamil Nadu agency and I said - Now here in Meghalaya we have the finest turmeric and all we need is good marketing to help our farmers."