Viva JOURNALISM Viva PRESS FREEDOM!

10 seconds... 9 - 8 - 7 heart beating...and you hear the uplifting jingle of the show in your ear! ON AIR! Heart stops, adrenaline levels` graph looks like Euro/Dollar parity as the European Central Bank`s governor speaks. The show flows like a river to the end of the tunnel. You have to grasp and visualise and reflect the news on your face, voice, posture and at your screen presence. You have to look as if you are a guru even though you just got the news, data, information etc. No matter how experienced you are there are always obstacles that you can only tackle with your own general knowledge and common sense. Common sense! That`s the magic word in TV journalism. Either you work off air or you act in front of camera you need to have a sharp attention, confidence and common sense. During my short journey in tv journalism (or maybe long enough to write this as I was interviewing guests at home when I was only 5 year old!), I met so many people who had to be sent to room 101!!!

** I met presenters who pronounced the same name in 5 different forms in 2 hours time. ** I met presenters who turn up for mic-up 1 minute before the live show! ** I met presenters who pronounced French finance minister`s name as Moscowsky and made him sound like a Russian oligarch instead... (by the way his name is Pierre Moscovici) ** I met presenters who heard the name Massachusetts for the first time in their lives. ** I met presenters who don`t know who Adele is. ** I met presenters who ask director what to ask during a live interview with a scientists after the strongest Japan earth quake in history! ** I met presenters who are unaware of what`s happening in the world because it is Monday morning! ** I met reporters who can`t speak or write in their mother tongue. ** I met reporters who can`t ask questions or who are proud of themselves because they were able to ask questions(!) ** I met media managers who have no idea what news is, what an editor, producer, director and reporter does... ** I met journalists who ask what to ask before an interview. ** I met managers who think media should be the voice of the party in power and should be integrated to the state! ** I met chief editors who think editorial meetings are scrutinised by the government... I met producers who don`t want to update the bulletins because they feel too lazy! Yes I met all those people and I`m still proud not to be one of them and still feel proud to be a journalist! ****************************************************************************************************************************************************** Viva JOURNALISM viva PRESS FREEDOM! ******************************************************************************************