Good News, Bad News : A Life In Television | Hardcover

Good News, Bad News: A Life in Television by Maya Sharma is a memoir of more than thirty years in Indian television journalism, tracing the evolution of TV news through the experiences of a reporter, anchor and documentary filmmaker. Beginning with her first live election-results coverage in 1989, the book follows Sharma through decades of political events, elections, natural disasters and stories spanning society, culture and sport.

As a senior reporter with NDTV's Bangalore bureau, Sharma worked away from Delhi's central media establishment and covered an unusually broad range of subjects. Her experience provides an insider's view of television news while also allowing her to examine the profession from outside its main centres of power, including its regional divisions, challenges for women journalists and the tension between journalistic truth and television ratings.

About This Book

Sharma's career coincided with much of the development of private television news in India. Her memoir moves from the early days of live reporting to a changing media environment in which television journalism became an increasingly influential part of public life.

Her work at NDTV's Bangalore bureau exposed her to elections, political developments, natural disasters, civic issues, environmental stories, crime and business, alongside arts, entertainment, sports and human-interest reporting. Working across different beats required her to build a broad network of contacts and areas of expertise.

The memoir also reflects on the structures and pressures within Indian television journalism. Sharma considers the north-south divide, the particular challenges faced by women reporters and the continuing conflict between the pursuit of accurate journalism and the demands of TRPs.

What You'll Discover

• Maya Sharma's first live election-results coverage in 1989.
• More than three decades of television news reporting in India.
• Life as a bureau reporter based in Bangalore rather than Delhi.
• Coverage of elections, politics and major natural disasters.
• Reporting across civic issues, environment, crime and business.
• Stories involving arts, entertainment, sports and human interest.
• The north-south divide within Indian television journalism.
• The tension between journalistic truth and television ratings.

Perfect For

• Readers interested in Indian journalism and television news.
• Readers interested in memoirs of long careers in media.
• Journalism and media students interested in television reporting.
• Readers curious about the evolution of private TV news in India.

Why You'll Love This Book

Good News, Bad News: A Life in Television combines personal memoir with an examination of Indian television journalism across three decades. Through Maya Sharma's experiences in reporting, anchoring and documentary filmmaking, the book offers a perspective on how TV news developed in India and the professional pressures that continue to shape journalism.