MANAGING MEDIA ----------------------------- Indian Navy is funny job. Fighting wars is easy, rest is difficult. These days managing Media is so difficult. I also ”Managed Media” once. Seriously I never had much exposure to Media Bosses. In the Nineteen Seventies the big bosses were only Editors and Correspondents from print media, no Tv those days. There was a big event on my ship INS Mysore, Flag Ship of Indian Navy. As a small Sub Lieut, after noon drinks and lunch, I was assigned the job of “Looking after the Editors of famous Newspapers and the Correspondents” by the President of the Mess Committee (PMC). Those days no free rations. So PMC had also assigned me to go weekly with 2 Sailors to buy vegetables at the Byculla wholesale market and Sassoon docks to bid for auction fish. I was good at bidding. Used to buy best fish white promfrets, prawns, Rawas. Officers Mess Members happy. Then we used to load Taxi and bring all to ship at Jetty. Those days Mess used to charge Officers Rs 4.50 per day. CRAZY PR WORK I was voracious reader of newspapers, Times of India was best. My PMC told me “Make sure they Media Bosses drink drink drink and eat eat eat. I will give you two smart Stewards to keep them happy. All Editors came big shots. Mysore Quarter Deck was big. There was 6 “ x 3 Gun Turret and also wooden flooring. I did as ordered and made sure the big shots happy. I also rigged separate Bar for them Editors. Besides the best imported duty free liquor, 555, Rothmans Cigs, Kraft cheese, Imported sausages, Cigars ….u name it I had rigged it. I tell you our Captain, PMC and even guests like Flag Officers were kissing the asses of these big shot Editors. HAND OUTS To be on safe side, typed hand outs were given to me to give to Editors. These hand outs were what Navy wanted them to publish in Newspapers next day. Even photographs. My ship Mysore had our own Navy Photographers and dark room to process Black and White photos. Even that was given to these big shot Editors. HARD WORK keeping Media happy. But these Editors NOT fools….end of party one Editor, very respected told me. “Young man you have done a great job keeping us HAPPY. This is my Card. Meet me sometime.” His name was KHUSHWANT SINGH. Few years later I DID. Next story actor Raaj Kumar. Hahahaha.... Good night Tommy. If you have laffed approve this.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 18:31:02 +0000
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