Being a carpenter of words...
Words can be a world of their own in the way they hold so much in so little - history, philosophy, art, emotion, wisdom and beyond; and that world can be intoxicating and enlightening
Any man's life, told truly, is a novel.
- Ernest Hemingway
Aspirations and abilities are often at odds with each other - one of the many colourful cruelties of life; one's passion and profession therefore can often be furthest from the other, but they can also intertwine and rhyme.
Words can be a world of their own in the way they hold so much in so little - history, philosophy, art, emotion, wisdom and beyond; and that world can be intoxicating and enlightening. And this particular proclivity has been my penchant.
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Four years ago, on this day I started working as a journalist in what now has become the country's leading business daily. Being a business school graduate, who studied international business and marketing, and worked in the corporate world, I had no prior knowledge of journalism. Fortunately, I have been enjoying and enduring a metier in the otherwise seemingly macedoine fields.
Hoping to use the anecdotes and accolades gained working in the news industry to pursue my aspirations of becoming a wordsmith – like that of Ernest Hemingway, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Mario Puzo, Sankar and Shafeek Rehman. However, the many depreciations and accruals over that time probably have mended me a merchant of words at best if not just a carpenter of words.
A former teacher of mine from business school who has since been a greater confidante and friend suggested to me - diminished and still recovering from stroke, to go for a career in writing. He insisted that it was my calling and joked about how I might just make a Charles Foster Kane from Citizen Kane (1941).
While it might seem disparate, marketing and journalism often intersect. Ideas and information are commodities. And in being so, the 4Ps of marketing can very well be transliterated and delineated into the 5Ws of journalism and vice-versa; and it all makes for a savoir faire.
Marketing, with its intricate understanding of consumer behaviour and communication strategies, helps to chalk out the groundwork for creating compelling narratives.
A journalist, at its core, is a storyteller, and the insights needed to craft stories that resonate with readers. The discernment of target audiences, an essential component of marketing, now translates into understanding the diverse readership of the newspaper and tailoring content to their preferences. Effective communication is the lifeblood of journalism. It is about news and analysis in an accessible, informative and enjoyable manner.
Understanding consumer psychology, as is imperative in marketing, lends a unique perspective in assessing the pulse of the readership as well.
One's ability to construct sui generis narratives and present them coherently is pivotal and paramount in developing a unique voice as a raconteur - a delicate dance between eloquence and exactness. As much as it is about sentiments, it also requires strategically positioning and promoting their work.
In today's digital age, where personal branding is paramount, having had lessons in integrated marketing communications, helps to forge liaisons and leave succinct and salient marks.
Pedagogical and professional understanding of international markets and cultural differences are invaluable when reporting on global economic issues – allowing one to approach stories with a global mindset, but a domestic view, or the reverse when circumstances accord for it.
In a world dominated by information overload, the role of a sub-editor is like that of a trunnion - discerning the attenuating lines between intelligibility and opaqueness in content.
Knowledge of the intricacies of international markets, trade policies, global economic trends and their subsequent geopolitical and domestic impacts allows for approaching business and political news with a nuanced perspective.
Having studied and worked in business administration, and then carrying on in a career in words, has helped me to delve into a myriad of subjects, from economic trends to socio-political affairs, and to synthesise these diverse experiences into engaging narratives, explore the nuances of language, drawing inspiration from history, culture, and literature, to create prose that is not just informative but also artful…and Inching closer to the aspirations one article at a time.
The author is a journalist at The Business Standard
