Reading Between the Lines: The art of journalism

It would be an understatement to say that Robin Roy or fondly called Rob Roy as he is by some, is a seasoned journalist. Anyone who reads newspapers or is associated with the newspaper world will vouch for this. What is also true of Roy is that he is an incredible writer, an attribute whose glimmers have so far only shone through the chinks of his newspaper articles, which are at best limiting in their scope and at worst, not read! Intellectual romance with newspapers is a thing of the past now.

Robin Roy is but one of those old school scholars who still delve deep into the cloistered recesses of the socio-political narrative with astute passion and spin out magical ‘stories’ with panache. How to weave a Page 1 story from nuggets of scanty information minutes before the sacrosanct deadline with just one subeditor in the office? How to prod a reporter and find a new peg of an otherwise invisible story and make it the most read one the next morning? How to redraw page design and play up a story at the death, beating the competition in the best possible way by contriving some ingenious way that the world outside would never know, or how the play of headlines – of which Roy is a master – changes the whole tack of a story. If one is interested to know any of these, welcome to Robin Roy’s new book Between the Lines.

The wit, the tenacity, the command over language, the nerves of steel, the patience, perseverance, a tinge of humour with a pinch of salt and above all, objectivity – all that go into the making of a good journalist have been touched upon and their value in journalism expatiated in Between the Lines. Written in terse caustic wit Between the Lines can be called an ultimate handbook for all journalists, especially people who are on the desk. Perhaps there is no relevant book near at hand which describes the ordeals and adventures of an editorial job in such brevity as Between the Lines does. Any youngster who wants to make a mark in journalism and if or she is especially aiming to take the editorial job a notch higher, this has to be on his/her mustread list.

In the short simple exposition, Roy has laid bare all the ifs and buts, pros and cons and the challenges and rewards of a desk job and what it needs to be a successful editorial hand. Yes, a desk job is a boring graveyard shift through the mill, with little professional interaction with the outer world. The glamour that has come to be associated with journalism these days is washed away in the sweat and grime of intellectual churning that goes into the backroom cubbyholes. No one knows them outside, a decided advantage a reporter has, and what kind of struggle to produce the best for the reader goes inside, away from the limelight, is a little known story which Roy has brought to the fore and driven home the point how vital desk role is in delivering a good product that stands out and rewards its readers for their trust reposed on it. I can’t remember having read any book that deals in such empathetic details the littlest nuances of newsmaking.

As a double-edged sword, the book not only succeeds in providing a template for newbies in the line to navigate and become successful but it also warns frail-hearts to think twice before taking the plunge because of the qualities that make a good deskie are acquired through lots of reading, understanding and practise. It is the devotion and the honesty with which one dedicates himself to the task that is the sign of his success – Roy himself being an example of the same . That’s what  the book describes. Between the Lines is an interesting read also for the fact that Robin Roy has intercepted his tale of boardroom secrets with interesting anecdotes from his personal experiences as a handler of the editorial responsibilities – how things are managed under the pressure of tight schedule and with scant resources in the dead of night. Between the Lines is not a ‘story’ of stories, it is the hardcore truth of the game straight from the mouth of the bruised soldier manning the frontier in the cold, away from the glare of the world. It is also a tribute to those millions of journalists, especially the desk nerds around the globe, who spend their whole lives painstakingly curating news poring into the words to read Between the Lines and spread the light of knowledge.

The book is delightful to read from the very first page. The wordplay is addictive and sparkling in subtle homespun humour that speaks volumes about Roy’s mastery over the art of journalistic writing. Whenever the chips are down or the mind is in a fix, a journalist can always go back to this one book and draw his inspiration from it. A right piece of wisdom at the right time!