As RevSportz grows and people realise that it is a platform for aspiring journalists, the number of applications that come to me for jobs has grown exponentially. A number of these applicants write to me saying they would love to be on tour and contribute. That’s where things go wrong. A number of people feel that being on tour is all about travel and food and partying at night. For some, it is the glamour. And only for a handful, it is about hard work. The truth is, it is only about hard work and nothing else.
During a Test match, our day starts at 6am. We work to India time, and by then, it is 1030am in India and things have started to move. The morning beat is on, and you need to send in your copies and start planning your shows. Prime time is 12 noon, a very important show. Once you finish that, it is already 8am in the UK and almost time to go to the ground. And central London is treacherous for traffic. It takes at least 30-45 minutes to navigate the rush, and by then, you are close to showtime at Lord’s. Thereafter, it is the match routine and the day ends no earlier than 8pm. In fact, by then you are exhausted and, on occasion, you still have a column to finish and plans to make for the next day.
On non-match days, it is more challenging. Match days have their own routine and shows fall in place automatically. Non-match days, like between July 17 and 22, are hugely challenging. How do you keep the audience engaged? What can you offer from Manchester that people are keen on? How do you move away from routine cricket coverage and showcase diverse things? What about food and culture and tourism? Why not a visit to Manchester City or United, and do something different?
The truth is, once you have your viewer engaged, it is your job to keep him or her with you. The viewer has multiple options, and unless you come up with compelling programming, he or she will move away.
In sum, it is hard work. At times, the pressure gets too much and you need a break. To think that it is all glamour is an entirely mistaken assumption. If you want to do well as a journalist and make a career, you need to sacrifice a lot. Be ready for the hard yards and hardly any social life for weeks. It is a choice you make. No one has asked us to make this choice, and it is indeed a voluntary decision.
It is eventually about how much you want to push the bar. The hunger for excellence and the desire to be different. I keep telling young people in my team that this is the time. Make the most of the opportunities that are coming your way. When my generation was growing up, opportunities were few and far between. Now with RevSportz, there are these chances that have presented themselves. Either you use them and grow, or someone else is waiting in the wings to take it away from you. The decision is yours, to shine or stay behind.
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