Behind the News: Voices from Goa's Press

ust discovered his roots more deeply (Daryl recently chose to have his wedding in Goa), but also earned for himself a profession. Besides opting for Media Studies back in the UK, he cur

left an indelible mark on my psyche. Having said that, the Herald for me is largely synonymous with India, journalism and leaving home,

encounter of which I stil

originally no more than another faceless backpacker with meagre funds hoping to enjoy the chilled hazy life of a shack-wall

o follow the aimless road back home, I desperately cast the net out wide. An answer to an advert for a 'Person Required for English Public

ng tests and interviews left me feeling like I had been through a whirlwind. The whirlwind moved quickly. That very same

or, but more importantly I was the lowest common denominator litmus test - if the pages didn't stand up to my paltry knowledge of

ounts. Not quite the close separation of duty to which I'd become accustomed. And although their elaborate entries in led

imes to which I was accustomed, rain pretty much randomly came and went. The ferocity of the storms also came as a shock. Days heavily punctuated with storms. The power cuts that ensued, hobbling our much needed compu

eads to three-years incarceration. Falling over the same months, the monsoon season in Goa seems to have a similar effect. The supply of news is low, but the column-inches keep up

hree full-timers bringing out a 24-page tabloid weekly edition). Feeling like a young bird pushed from it's nest way before time I was forced out, between showers, onto the streets of Panjim, to interact with the local populace. Quite ea

to be greeted with the merest slither of a gap with a voice behind it. I could almost smell the fear as the middle-aged housewife exclaimed 'naka, naka', as T tried to negot

amosas were thrust upon us as we sat on the main (and only) sofa in a clean and basic flat. Seems like hospitality begins at the sa

en downpours and sandals. The puddle grows and I feel like my shoes are slowly turning into the source of the Mandovi. I have little option other than to come clean. What followed was an episode with me apologising, receiving a m

the rainy season drew on,

populated their spicy yellow curries. In the areas surrounding the big resorts, blame was laid on the proliferation of hotels with their ever-growing need for the freshest produce. Out at sea, traditional fishermen blamed the trawlers. The Nationa

en't being read. Politicians took sides with either faction. Some framing the fight in favour of the shack-owning under-dogs, others pointing to the

also increased - the mugging of tourists, either on desolate stretches of beach or in their insecure dwellings, became more and more widespread. The hotels brought problems of their own. This being a time of huge growt

affic of Goa's under-age. As the grim facts unfold, including naive support by the Catholic church, the society looks on in repugnance, wanting to distance itse

ghtly publication is that we had the opportunity to experience eac

linary simplicity and elegance on the plate. I am however completely ignorant of the involved process of getting to that stage. An 'expose' on the inner workings of the paddy harvest - the cutting, thrashing, pounding

in search of whatever morsels are on offer. Once again the rains come and Panjim is

ons, it's time fo

ation technology, where I am today. As such, I'm not in the perfect position to be able to compare the practice

ss makeshift. The room does have another feature - low hanging beams at the end and (particularly hazardously) in the middle of the room level out the worst excesses of pomposity with a short sharp shock. I'm not sure if the

eft behind as a Liverpudlian accountant. As the adoption of the computer had come in here at a much later stage, the Herald machines tended to be newer, faster and bigger. There were just fewer of them. Working under such limited resources

connection. As our publication was aimed squarely at the Goan living abroad, this was an excellent resource for finding out what the Goan diaspora was up to and how Goa was perceived on the world stage (especially important in the area of covering tourism). As an aside, it also meant that I no longer had to write all the letters to the editor. Other resources such as the Goacom we

ine in print, it was hard to work out if our columns of verbiage could actually make a positive meaningful diff

arts of the world. As with many stereotypes, the one of the hack at the bar does contain some truth. There is a quite widely held belief that alcohol gets the mind c

ew pegs of rum. Then onto one of the few late night drinking establishments: a seedy corrugated bunker alive with the chatter of civil servants, cops and journalists. Indian rum

he image of older journalists whose idealism had turned to advanced alcoholism

from commercial interests to have articles in their favour. Being asked to give the owner of a prominent luxury hotel a mouthpiece through an extensive interview did give me the sense of being in the pockets of big busines

s own interests. This led to occasional grumbles, back-talk and skirmishes among the editorial team; however they say the best relationships flouri

to reach out to the Goan across the globe was admirable, and I was honoured to be a part of it. The edition has since folded and it is a sham

extent newspapers (like politicians) are merely mirrors of the society they serve. The fact that it has been a part of the Goa