Reporters on the Job
•
Roasting in India: Journalists can often empathize with the old military adage of "hurry up and wait."
On Thursday, staff writer Scott Baldauf went to the press conference in New Delhi featuring the leaders of the US and India
(see story). It was held in the garden outside Hyderabad House, the former residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the richest princes of India under British colonial rule.
The podium, where President Bush and Prime Minister Singh eventually stood, was out in the sun, as were the seats where 100 or so reporters were sitting, deepening their tans. Scott notes that the TV cameras and crews waited underneath a large open-sided tent. "Wimps," sniffed the print reporters as they longed to swap places.
Scott found himself waiting and roasting next to the bureau chief of the Iranian News Agency. "I practiced my poor Farsi, gleaned from all the years of reporting in Afghanistan."
Scott had his questions ready. And the Iranian reporter also was primed. "He wanted to ask, 'Mr. Bush, why don't you come to Iran for a visit, after you are done with India?' "
But after the journalists waited 2-1/2 hours for the event to begin, the leaders only took four questions: two from the White House press corps traveling with the president, and two from the Indian diplomatic press corps.
Scott went home feeling that he had devoted a lot of time to doing little more than play an extra in an event that was as tightly stage-managed as the Westminster Dog Show.
David Clark Scott
World editor
Cultural snapshot
|
|
KOSHER IS BLUE:
Under pressure by Tel Aviv's chief rabbi, two McDonald's outlets changed the color of their trademark signs from red to blue to signal to diners that their burgers and fries are kosher. Of the 111 outlets in Israel, only 12 meet the strict Jewish standards, which include the exclusion of dairy products.
RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS
|
|
Let us hear from you.
Mail to: One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 via e-mail:
World editor
|
RSS feed
