Goa Paid News Story Followup: Hoot, Mediahive, Statesman talk about 'Goa's Paid Piper' story

Hi...
Here's a few updates in the Goa's 'paid news story'.

Barring two newspaper Gomantak Times, Lokmat and the (brace yourself) Sanatan Prabhat, no other news paper in Goa published the press note issued by the Goa Union of Journalists which has also demanded a probe by the Press Council of India, into the 'paid news' story featuring the Herald newspaper. (The Navhind Times carried part of the statement; apols for missing it out earlier -- Mayabhushan) . 
Basically, the story was largely blacked out by the media here.

Two media websites the Hoot and mediahive and a national newspaper mentioned the Goa 'paid news'story in its editorial piece.So did Rajan Narayan's Goan Observer.

Please find links to the stories here.

Action demanded in Goa paid news case -- The Hoot


Paid political interview in Goa's newspaper for Rs 84,000  -- Mediahive


SLIPPERY SLOPE -- Difficult times for mass media   -- Statesman


As mentioned earlier, today (Monday Oct 31, 2011) I have filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) vis a vis the same story. I have send across a copy to the ECI, Nirvachan bhavan, New Delhi by email as well as by hard copy.

Thanks for listening in...

Mayabhushan

FOLLOW UP OF GOA'S PAID NEWS STORY: Goa Union of Journalists endorses 'public interest' sting; demands PCI, ECI probe

Hi guys,

An update to share...

The Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ), which represents over 200 working journalists in Goa during an extraordinary meeting of its committee Saturday endorsed the ‘paid news’ sting operation, exposing the unethical and corrupt phenomenon at the ‘Herald’, one of Goa’s leading newspaper.  

Please find below a press statement issued by the GUJ general secretary Vithaldas Hegde, where GUJ has also decided to write to the PCI to investigate the complaint and has directed the union’s ethics committee to conduct its own probe expeditiously.

GUJ has also asked the Goa Editor’s Guild to step up and “take appropriate action”. 

Will keep updating the blog as and when developments happen…

Regards

Mayabhushan

 GUJ PRESS STATEMENT

Following an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee held at its office here on Saturday, the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has appealed to its members as well as other journalists in Goa to report to its Ethics Committee, any unethical demands if made on them by their management of newspapers and news channels in the course of their professional duties. This precaution is needed especially in view of the fast approaching Goa Assembly elections.

The GUJ executive met to discuss a complaint forwarded to it for action by journalist and GUJ member Mayabhushan Nagvekar pertaining to a complaint of "paid news" he had lodged with Press Council of India (PCI) against local newspaper Herald last week.

The GUJ executive discussed the issue and noted in its resolution that the complaint about "paid news" was a serious issue as it pertains to ethics of the profession and accepted Mayabhushan Nagvekar’s contention that the sting was undertaken in public interest and in the interest of the professional ethics.

The GUJ also noted that the malpractice of "paid news" had taken place rampantly in Goa during the 2007 Assembly elections and as reader/viewer continues to be unorganised there is no possibility of public check on the same. Therefore, it is the duty of the journalists and GUJ members to stand up against any such practices that will damage the credibility of the profession. This is the part of self-regulation.

As has been its practice pertaining to complaints of breach of professional ethics, the GUJ Executive decided to immediately handover the complaint to Ethics Committee of the GUJ to thoroughly probe the same and report to the Executive. Secondly, on its part the Executive decided to write to Press Council of India to investigate the complaint speedily. A copy of the same will also be forwarded to the Election Commission. It also decided to forward the complaint to Goa Editors’ Guild to take appropriate action.

GUJ executive noted with concern complaints presently informally coming from GUJ members regarding unethical demands from some organisations, for instance, reporters being asked to collect advertisements for their paper, which eventually compromises a
journalist’s professional integrity. These practices are equally dangerous as the ‘paid news.’ Therefore, while appealing and encouraging members and other journalists to approach Ethics Committee for any unethical demands on them, the executive has asked the Ethics Committee headed by Ashley do Rosario to probe such complaints for prima facie case and immediately take them up with the Press Council of India (PCI) and the Election Commission of India if a complaint also pertains to election-related coverage. The Ethics Committee will protect the identity/confidentiality of the complainants.

As has been its practice, the GUJ executive has decided to fully back its member over the complaint done in public interest and in the interest of the profession without passing any judgement over the allegation till it is investigated.

The GUJ has also appealed to Goa Editors’ Guild to stand up to any attempts from any management to compromise professional integrity by unethical demands to be part of “paid news” during the forthcoming elections and otherwise also. The GUJ has extended its full support to Goa Editors’ Guild in this endeavour.


Vithaldas Hegde,
General Secretary,
Goa Union of Journalists

GOA'S PAID NEWS STORY: FOLLOWING UP THE GOA'S PAID PIPER STORY

Hi,

Thanks to all those guys who wrote back in support and appreciation of the story GOA'S PAID PIPER -- Paid political interview in Goa's Herald newspaper for Rs 86,400' . 

Thanks specifically to my senior colleagues in the media like P Sainath who promised to take up this paid news case on the national forum and to noted media critic Pradyuman Maheshwari for running it on his newly launched media portal  and to Outlook editor Krishna Prasad for featuring it on his blog  (a url I have frequented in earnest often over the years).

Incidentally, only Goa related web portals like goanet, targetgoa nizgoenkar and goachronicle ran the story; a fact that I really appreciate, considering the fact that no print newspaper has done so. Perhaps… I should have paid for publishing this story … Joking of course… 

Nevertheless… Herald editor Sujay Gupta has issued a written statement on the subject to www.mxmindia.com which I am taking the liberty of reproducing here. Please find my response to it below.

 Sujay's statement

This is with reference to the complaint to the Press Council of India, by our esteemed and senior colleague in the profession for many years, Mayabhushan Nagvekar. (Para 1)

Since the matter concerns issues of editorial and journalistic propriety even though the conversations and interactions Mayabhushan, posing as one Bernard, has with our marketing Manager Tulsidas Desai, I have chosen to respond to this. (Para 2)

Firstly, I wish to emphatically deny that any editorial content which has appeared in the Herald, without the “advertorial” tag line has been paid for. In his complaint, the complainant has attached newspaper clippings of several interviews we have conducted as part of our kins and kinship series of prospective new candidates in the fray. (Para 3)

The only exception was that of Somnath Zuwarkar, whose interview we carried after his return to politics. To even suggest that these interviews were part of a paid news package is hugely defamatory. Herald will respond to these allegations urgently and appropriately in a proper forum. (Para 4)

I wish to emphasize that I have been informed by my management that Desai’s remarks, (as heard on the audio) file in relation to any assurances given to “Bernard” for disguised editorial favours is absolutely incorrect. (Para 5)

As Editor, my stated position both within and outside the organisation has been that paid content cannot be disguised as news. Whenever politicians have sent out messages, statements of their achievements and other such information, through a paid route, we have prominently stated that they are advertorials. A case in point is the birthday of Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho where there were more than 2 pages of “news” items about Mauvin’s career and achievements. (Para 6)

Recently there was a four page advertorial supplement Vision 2015 where the Chief Minister’s interview was carried along with information on other departments. However, Herald has not softened its attack on this government on several issues, making a clear distinction between advertisements/advertorials and editorial. (Para 7)

Herald is the only newspaper which used the tag “advertorial” on top of their news pages so that the difference between editorial and advertorial is clearly established. (Para 8)

Coming to the proposed interview of the fictitious “Bernard” in HCN, our marketing team confirms that that such interviews are conducted with clear supers entitled “SPONSORED, indicating that its an advertorial. (Para 9)

The letter/email sent by Tulsidas Desai to the fictitious Bernard also clearly states that the rates were for advertising /advertorial rates. The marketing department is within its purview of seeking advertisements and advertorials with a clear understanding that they would be treated like any paid advertisement. (Para10)

Lastly and most significantly, Editorial was not in the know of any such negotiations or discussions the marketing had with any candidate or anyone else. The stray remark that “editos people” would be in the know of any interview to HCN is also incorrect. (Para 11)

I am also clear that ultimately issues of newspaper ethics need to be addressed by the Editor directly since he is the custodian of content. At no given point of time have I allowed disguised and paid news to slip through as genuine editorial content. (Para 12)

However, it is imperative to ask if the media in Goa has done a serious introspection on whether we try hard enough to eliminate the ghost of paid news slipping through as genuine news. (Para13)

In the present case, too, it is naive to expect that the said Bernard’s interview would have been carried in any form. The final decision to run a story or not rests with me and my senior editorial colleagues so a clear distinction needs to be made between news and advertorials. The two cannot and don’t mix in The Herald. (Para 14)

If the complainant had indeed wanted to test Heralds mettle and transparency in these matters he should have tried paying the amount and getting his interview published as news and then taken us to task. (Para 15)

However, I agree that with elections around the corner, we need to be more vigilant and watchful to ensure that the media continues to function as a neutral and independent watcher and not an interested part. (Para 16) 

MY RESPONSE

Para 3: I am not on the point that “any editorial content” which has appeared in the Herald, without the ‘advertorial’ tag has been paid for. The point I am trying to make is specific. That a fictitious proposition made by me for carrying my political paid news interview in the paper, has been accepted by a senior representative of your newspaper for a price after consulting with his editorial colleagues.

The representative, Herald’s marketing manager Tulsidas Desai has also told me that Raymond D’Sa’s interview (which was published as a news interview and not as an advertorial) which was published on Oct 20 in the Herald had been paid for. It is on the basis of this information, which I have confirmed in course of the story, that I am saying that several from series of political interviews – some of which I have uploaded on the blog seem dubious and could have been published as ‘paid news’ in lieu of money.

Kins and Kinship: The choice of candidates according to the Editor is part of the newspaper’s series on ‘kins and kinship’. My question is, how do guys like Raymond D’Sa, Michael Lobo, Glenn Ticlo (whose press clipping I did not manage to locate, if any of you guys have Glenn Ticlo’s interview cutting pls do scan and send it across), Somnath Zuwarkar, Sankalp Amonkar, fit this bracket. The only two who could pass off in a series defined under ‘kin and kinship’ are Tulio de Souza and Sameer Salgaonkar, who have kin in politics namely Dr Wilfred de Souza and Anil Salgaonkar. Whose kin are the rest?

Para 4: Sujay Gupta has threatened me with defamation. I trust him to do it. The last defamation suit which Sujoy Gupta had filed was a Rs 5 billion one in 2009 in the Kolkata High court against a Goa based green blogger. Sujay was then vice president corporate communication at the Fomento Group of Industries, which operates several mines in Goa. The case he had filed in the ‘Kolkata high court’ was against Sebastian Rodrigues, an anti-mining activist, who had written about excesses of the mining company, which Sujay represented then.

Sujay had earlier tried to slip in stories in local newspapers including the Gomantak Times (GT). He had telephonically called GT's chief reporter Vithaldas Hegde -- an instance I am aware of because I was with Hegde on the other end of the phone, along with other staffers of the GT – which falsely projected Seby as a ‘naxalite’ who was whipping up unrest in the mining affected areas. The then executive editor of GT Derek Almeida and then deputy news editor Ashley do Rosario are aware of this incident as they were present when it happened.

Interestingly, Herald, the newspaper he now edits, had this to say about the entire episode.

Like in the Seby case (where attempts were made to brand him as a naxal), an attack on my credibility is something I expect now. I am only wondering how creative these guys are gonna be!

Para 6,7,8,9: If there were mechanisms existing in the Herald to route paid content as advertorials, then why does Tulsidas Desai, Herald’s marketing manager agree to shed the ‘advertorial’ tag as can be heard in the conversation with him in Tape III? Tulsidas is not some bottom rung marketing executive? He is a marketing manager and that’s a position of some responsibility. He assures me that the advertorial tag will be dropped. He also knows it is the wrong thing to do, when he says later in another conversation that he cannot put things like this categorically on paper.

(Tape III excerpts; interview with Herald marketing manager Tulsidas Desai)

Me: In interview form.. I want in interview form so that people know no...
Tulsidas: Right... In that format only, how it has appeared today no
Me: And no advertorial no?
Tulsidas: Ah?
Me: No advertorial no
Tulsidas: Advertorial only
Me: But you are not going to say advertorial no?
Tulsidas: No... Today how nothing is mentioned no? Like that only...
Me: Ok ok.. and whom should I make payments and how much?

Para 10: Precisely my point. Herald’s marketing manager Tulsidas Desai already knows that paid news is not a kosher thing. He tells me in Tape IV that he cannot put down the exact quotation for the ‘paid news interview’ on paper in the way I have asked him. He knows he is in the wrong. He is selling me a paid news slot for my ‘political campaign’ and not a slot for a paid advertisement.

Please see transcripts below.

 (Tape IV excerpts; interview with Herald marketing manager Tulsidas Desai)

 Me: On Herald. Two interviews for the same price that you mentioned. So that 86 (000) four hundred no?
Tulsidas: 86,400 right
Me: Into two.
Tulsidas: Ya ok
Me: But I want them
Tulsidas: Monday you are coming no?
Me: Ya but can you just send me a quotation? A rough quotation?
Tulsidas: No.. Actually this kind of this no... this is like a editorial kind of things no, I cant mention on the paper you know
Me: Something yaar... so that I also have to show that somewhere no?
Tulsidas: Ok I'll do that
Me: Take my email address

Para 11: Once again I would like to remind Sujay about the fact that Tulsidas here is a marketing manager not a foot-soldier salesman of the Herald. How can you disqualify his statement made during a sales pitch that the editorial people were in the know? Do Herald reps fib during their sales pitches to their clients? If the editorial was not in the know of any such negotiations, then how did Tulsidas come back to me with a price? Whose were the people he consulted in between Tape I and Tape II and Tape III before he came back to me with his final quote of Rs 86,400? He has consulted people back in the office. Who were these people with whom he talked about the rates with? Who were these guys with whom he discussed and confirmed (and later communicated to me in Tape III and Tape IV), that an interview would be carried in the newspaper as well as the cable news channel operated by Herald. You guys need to track these guys down? If you do not know, Tulsidas certainly will.

Para 12: If you have not Sujay, then someone else has. Your marketing manager himself says so.

Para 13: Point taken, but the scourge of ‘paid news’ can be tackled, if you first acknowledge that it exists in the first place. By denying its existence, in face of an admission by a senior marketing professional of the newspaper, is allowing paid news another lease of life.

Para 14: According to Tulsidas Desai, the twain have mixed. His clear reference to the fact that the Raymond D’sa interview has been paid for and published on October 20 without the ‘advertorial’ tag is testimony to the fact.

Para 15: This is sheer gall. If I had a whopping sum of Rs 86,400 bucks to shell out Sujay, it is more likely Sujay that I would have been dealing in paid news myself!!!. Establishing a senior Herald official’s intent in publishing a paid news story in return for a few phone calls, a few photo copies and CD writing expenses (hard copies submitted to the Press Council of India and the Goa Union of Journalists) is good enough for me.

GOA'S PAID PIPER -- Paid political interview in Goa's Herald newspaper for Rs 86,400

“The phenomenon of ‘paid news’ has acquired serious dimensions. Today, it goes beyond the corruption of individual journalists and media companies and has become pervasive, structured and highly organized. In the process, it is undermining democracy in India.”

By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar
These are the grave opening remarks of the Press Council of India’s (PCI) report on paid news in the Indian media, in July last year. The report compiled by the PCI was based on the findings of its sub committee which pored through evidence, in form of published articles in newspapers both vernacular and English, which were suspected as ‘paid news’ content.

The four audio files and transcripts below go a step ahead. The conversations in these audio files with the marketing manager for both Herald newspaper, Goa’s leading English daily and Herald Cable Network (HCN) a cable news channel owned by the same media group, lays bare how a typical political paid news deal is struck, especially with elections around the corner. Many in the media and other informed sections of society, would already know that piety pouting newspapers across the country have been brazenly cracking ‘editorial content for cash’ deals, but these conversations show how easy it really is to crack a paid news deal in the Indian -- and case in point here -- the media in Goa.

Buying editorial space in a newspaper is almost as easy as walking up to a store counter and buying a change of underwear.

Here we have a reputed Goan media house welcoming paid news content and dishing out a rate chart for paid political interviews, both on behalf of its English daily news paper ‘Herald’ and for its sister concern, a local cable news channel, Herald Cable Newtork (HCN). 

It is necessary to mention here, that although I am a journalist by profession, I have undertaken this ‘paid news buster’ exercise, solely as a reader of the newspaper, which I subscribe to at home. That is one of the reasons why I chose this newspaper.

The other reason being that, Herald over the last few weeks has been running dubious interview after interview of ‘potential’ candidates for the forthcoming state assembly elections which are scheduled to happen sometime next year.

A source in the Herald informed me that money was being exchanged by the newspaper’s employees – both editorial and marketing – for publishing the political interviews.

I called up the Herald boardline on October 20 posing as Bernard Costa, a fictitious person wanting to contest assembly elections from the Velim assembly constituency in south Goa. On the same day, Herald had carried another dubious and suspected paid political interview of Raymond D’Sa, who had claimed that he vying for a Congress ticket for the Cortalim assembly seat and had wanted to “serve the poor and needy” (sic).

The receptionist at the Herald gave me the number to Tulsidas Desai 9822568376 – a marketing manager at the Herald. What unfolded between Tulsidas and ‘Bernard’ (i.e. me) is represented below in form of four audio files. They are unedited phone conversations, transcripts for which are also available. Here's audio file number 2. http://youtu.be/JjhIhQSCkTw

I have already dispatched a complaint to the Press Council of India, Election Commission of India, Goa Union of Journalists as well as several media blogs, journalists and concerned civil society persons, in order to put the information I had in the public domain and with the relevant authorities.

Tulsidas Desai

Keeping the current example in context, Herald is not the only news paper which has been institutionally allowing paid news content in Goa at the moment, but I put forth this case because I could establish a connection between the editorial content and the price that is to be paid for it. There are a couple of other vernacular newspaper published from outside Goa, who have already cracked deals with a young Congress minister and it is showing in the content. The newspaper’s editor and the vernacular newspaper’s very special correspondent is involved in this particular deal.

In the Herald case too, it would be naive to believe that a marketing manager, in this case Tulsidas, can push a deal like this without the consent, tacit or otherwise, of the editorial leadership of the newspaper.

Here in the case before you, the deal Tulsidas cracked with me was to publish my interview in the Herald for Rs 86,400 (for a fifteen inch and eight column spread) and on HCN, a half an hour interview thrice a day.(audio file number 3) http://youtu.be/8U8YBT7Tv6M

And the gall of these guys to tell the interviewee to drop by with a questionnaire himself!!!!

 

 

The things to look out for in this story are:

We are not just talking about paid news in the air here. When Tulsidas is asked about the rates for political paid interviews, he mentioned the Raymond D’sa interview published in the Herald on Oct 20 and the nearabouts price the newspaper got paid for it. Tulsidas is no novice intern at the Herald, he is a marketing manager and obviously knows the paid news rate card set by the newspaper.

Raymond’s was not the only published paid political interview in print. There are several other dubious article which have been publised by the Herald earlier, which should be looked into by the Press Council of India and the newspaper’s readers. Interestingly most of these interviews were carried in the same slot, on Page four top deck.

 

There was an interview of Sankalp Amonkar, a potential Congress candidate published on October 3 also carrying the same byline.

 There was Somnath Zuwarkar, another potential Congress candidate’s interview published on September 19

Another political hopeful Sameer Salgaonkar was interviewed on September 12.

Michael Lobo who is a potential BJP candidate from Calangute constituency has been interviewed on August 15

Tulio de Souza, son in law of former deputy chief minsiter Wilfred de Souza and also a potential election candidate from the Saligao constituency has already been positioned as a winner, in perhaps one of the most lopsided ‘constituency analysis’ segment.

Not too surprising, that all the potential candidates here have one thing common other than the fact that they have featured in Herald’s suspected paid news interviews. All of them are extremely rich folks.  

How the silver earned in exchange for the paid news interviews was shared, is anybodys' guess! 


P.S. If any media persons wants to run a story on this revelation, I could send across a zip file containing all the relevant details. I am on mayabhushan@gmail.com
P.P.S. Readers, who believe the paid news needs to be addressed can spread the story and the audio files around on mail and social networking sites. 
P.P.S. If you guy wish to take up the paid news issue with Herald and want to register your protest, feel free to contact the 'people's paper' and its reps on:

Board numbers
0091-832-2224202, 2224460, 2228083/ info@oheraldo.in

Editor in chief and owner Raul Fernandes 0091 9822100188
Editor Sujay Gupta 0091 9923057937
General Manager Michael Pereira 9822122304
Marketing Manager Tulsidas Desai 9822568376


ODDS AND ENDS: 
Youtube links to four unedited paids news audio files with transcripts if you click the "Show More" scroll: 

Paid News I
Paid News II
Paid News III
Paid News IV




Paid News quotation sent to me by Herald's marketing manager Tulsidas Desai from his official email ID (Please read bottom up)


from Bernard Costa bennygoa15@gmail.com
to TULSHIDAS DESAI <td@herald-goa.com>
date Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 1:04 PM
subject Re: Advertisement Proposal from H C N &
HERALD
mailedby
gmail.com
hide details Oct 22 (3 days
ago)
 
Ok ok I will come with the cash on Monday or Tuesday
- Hide quoted text -
 
On Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 1:02 PM, TULSHIDAS DESAI <td@herald-goa.com> wrote:
once we meet in our office will discuss on this.
 
On 22 October 2011 12:48, Bernard Costa <bennygoa15@gmail.com> wrote:
I got it Tulsidas. Thank you. I am happy with the rate you have quoted.
Just for clarity sake, I do not want it published like an advertisement or advertorial but
like a news interview so that your readers know it is news and not an ad.
Please revert on this point
and thank you again
Bernard
Viva Velim!
 
On Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 11:51 AM, TULSHIDAS DESAI <td@herald-goa.com> wrote:
To,
Dear Bernard,
with reference to our telephonic conversation about your projection as a part of your
election campaign first instance we will arrange to shoot your 30 minutes one to one
interview & will telecast 3 times within one particular day & will announce it on Herald
as a press note to drive peoples attention. We will bill you Rs. 50,000/- for the same as a
production & telecasting charges.
Besides as a part of same campaign we will arrange a space of 15 c.m. x 8 col. color advt
of your interview on page no. 2 on HERALD @ Rs.86,400/-. Payment to be issued in
advance.
--
TULSHIDAS DESAI
Manager - Marketing
HERALD & H C N
Mob : 9822568376
E-mail : td@herald-goa.com

TRANSCRIPTS I to IV

Paid News I - First Call

Transcript

Conversation with Tulsidas Desai, marketing manager Herald

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Phone contacted: 9822568376

Me: Hello

Tulsidas: Ya…

Me: Err… Mr Tulsidas

Tulsidas: Right

Me: My name is Bernard Costa, I am calling from Velim

Tulsidas: Velim ya…

Me: I am contesting elections from Velim… I want to and your office gave me your number

Tulsidas: Ok

Me: Er… I want an interview in the Herald.

Tulsidas: On Herald? Or HCN channel?

Me: On Herald… Herald…

Tulsidas:  Ok

Me: So how do I go about it?

Tulsidas: What kind of interview, because there are two types of interviews. If it a paid one editorial… advertorial interview can come.

Me: Ok how much will it cost me?

Tulsidas: If it is a quarter page in black and white it will be 36000 (rupees)

Me: Ok

Tulsidas: And if it is colour then it is double.

Me: Thirty six and double… Any discounts I can get?

Tulsidas: No.. 36000 is the net you have to give for black and white

Me: For an interview?

Tulsidas: For an interview

Me: And how do I make the payment, where do I make the payment?

Tulsidas: You can make the payment on Herald publications private limited

Me: Ok ok.. and this is a paid interview no? I can give you the questions?

Tulsidas: Ya ya you can give me questions.

Me: Ok ok

Tulsidas: This will be like a advertorial, advertising come editorial…

Me: No no like today you have interview no of er… my friend from Cortalim Raymond

Tulsidas: Ah Raymond D’Sa

Me: Like that I want an interview. Money is not a problem yaar, but how do we do it?

Tulsidas: Ok I’ll just I’ll just speak with my concerned people and get back to you on this

Me: ok fine ya ya..

Tulsidas: Bye

Paid News II - Second Call

Transcript

Conversation with Tulsidas Desai, marketing manager Herald

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Phone contacted: 9822568376

(phone Ringing)

Tulsidas: Hello

Me: Mr Tulsidas…

Tulsidas: Ya

Me: Bernard

Tulsidas: Ya tell me.

Me: I spoke to you today morning.

Tulsidas: Ya right what happened no… Time being I think it is very much costlier kind of thing which I got to know you know

Me: Ok

Tulsidas: It is in terms of more than lakhs of rupees kind of

Me: For one interview?

Tulsidas: Vhoi.. ya. That is what I heard, so I thought not to take kind of this thing. What I can help is that within a limited this thing... I can take a half an hour interview which will be shown three times on the TV

Me: No… on HCN no HCN is not very powerful, Herald is powerful no…

Tulsidas: But when your news will come on Herald that watch HCN today at so and so time for the one to one interview of your candidature.

Me: Actually money is not a problem, can you tell me how much so that I can prepare myself?

Tulsidas: No they are telling a huge amount that is what I am really thing this

Me: Approximate. Tell me approximate how much approximate na. If I am willing then I can might as well go ahead with it.

Tulsidas:  Best thing know they were saying is approximately two lakh (rupees).

Me: So Raymond’s interview was two lakh (rupees).

Tulsidas: Ya ya ya ya ya…

Me: Ok ok ok… Actually one interview I would not mind spending that much.

Tulsidas: Ok I will just check with them.

Me: Ya ya ya

Tulsidas: I’ll just get back to you…

Me: Ya ya ya ya.

Paid News III - Third Call

Transcript

Conversation with Tulsidas Desai, marketing manager Herald

Date: Oct 20, 2011

Phone contacted: 9822568376

Tulsidas: Hello

Me: Hello

Tulsidas: Ya Bernard

Me: Tulsidas I was traveling, I am sorry I missed you. Ya tell me.

Tulsidas: Ok.. This is what we decided no. What we can plan like you know. First we’ll do one to one interview on TV on HCN TV and after that episode next week, we can carry the same kind of write up… how it is appeared today no…

Me: In interview form.. I want in interview form so that people know no…

Tulsidas: Right… In that format only, how it has appeared today no

Me: And no advertorial no?

Tulsidas: Ah?

Me: No advertorial no

Tulsidas: Advertorial only

Me: But you are not going to say advertorial no?

Tulsidas: No… Today how nothing is mentioned no? Like that only…

Me: Ok ok.. and whom should I make payments and how much?

Tulsidas: See the HCN thing you have to make a payment of 50,000 thousand (rupees)

Me: Ok

Tulsidas: And this particular size for Herald, it will be 86,400 (rupees).

Me: 86400 for half page like it has appeared today.

Tulsidas: Actually it is not half page, it is fifteen centimeter height eight columns.

Me: I don’t know… its seemed like half page…

Tulsidas: No no no no

Me: It will be more than half page.

Tulsidas: No this is little lesser than half page… Todays… todays.

Me: Ok ok. And whom should I contact for the interview?

Tulsidas: No… if you come to… first you can prepare yourself with the questionnaire and all

Me: Ok ok

Tulsidas: And then we’ll fix up your interview in our studio in Panjim

Me: Ok.. hanh

Tulsidas: Ok HCN studio

Me: Yes

Tulsidas: And once that interview is taken with that only we can get question and answers positively for you benefit

Me: Ok ok

Tulsidas: and that will appear as a… your interview on paper

Me: Ok ok… and when can I make an appointment for this?

Tulsidas: This you can tomorrow…

Me: Sometime… I might be a little out over the weekend. So Monday maybe? Monday… Tuesday?

Tulsidas: No problem we’ll fix it on Monday Tuesday… no problem.

Me: And I will get to meet the editor and all with this no, so that I can also tell him what I am doing for this?

Tulsidas: No… that is what when your interview… one to one interview will be taken on the HCN channel, so that is from our editorial people only no?

Me: Ok ok ok ok

Tulsidas: Only you have to prepare from side which kind of questions you will like to answer comfortably

Me: I will come with a list of questions which will help project my image better for elections.

Tulsidas: No that is the reason. Monday you ring me up and I will fix up appointment for interview within a couple of days and before you come down here, you have to send me a soft copy of the questions

Me: So then Monday we do it for HCN and Tuesday Wednesday we can do it for Herald.

Tulsidas: Herald we’ll keep one four five days gap.

Me: Ya ya because it is not good immediately.

Tulsidas: It should not hammer the this thing no

Me: So I’ll get in touch with you on Monday or Tuesday

Tulsidas: No better you do one thing. Monday personally you come to my office

Me: Monday I will come to Panaji… You have been most helpful.

Tulsidas: Panjim Panjim… Our office is in Campal trade centre

Me: Ya ya I know, I came to meet somebody one day it is shifted I think now.

Tulsidas: Ya Campal trade centre it is

Me: Ya I will see you there. Thank you so much

Tulsidas: Ya…welcome bye

Me: Bye

Paid News IV Fourth Call

Transcript

Conversation with Tulsidas Desai, marketing manager Herald

Date: Oct 22, 2011

Phone contacted: 9822568376

Tulsidas: Hello

Me: Tulsidas

Tulsidas: Ya.

Me: Bernard

Tulsidas: Ya Bernard.

Me: How are you man

Tulsidas: Fine Fine

Me: Ok see I spoke to my campaign manager yesterday and he said he wants two interviews, one maybe this week… next week and one maybe four to five weeks later

Tulsidas: Interview

Me: On Herald. Two interviews for the same price that you mentioned. So that 86 (000) four hundred no?

Tulsidas: 86,400 right

Me: Into two.

Tulsidas: Ya ok         

Me: But I want them

Tulsidas: Monday you are coming no?

Me: Ya but can you just send me a quotation? A rough quotation?

Tulsidas: No.. Actually this kind of this no… this is like a editorial kind of things no, I cant mention on the paper you know

Me: Something yaar... so that I also have to show that somewhere no?

Tulsidas: Ok I’ll do that

Me: Take my email address

Tulsidas: You text me on this because I am driving.

Me: And er… listen how do I make the payment?

Tulsidas: You can make the cheque payment... that is no problem

Me: Cash is ok… because it is election expenditure and stuff like that

Tulsidas: No problem… no problem

Me: Cash I’ll come with cash

Tulsidas: Election expenditure you cannot put now no because election expenditure start in the code of conduct

Me: I have to make it my books also no somewhere?

Tulsidas: Ok ok

Me: I will come with cash on Monday… Monday or Tuesday. I’ll give you a call ya

Tulsidas: Ok

Me: I will just message you the email

Tulsidas: Ok ok

Glossary

Me: Mayabhushan Nagvenkar… Herald reader

Tulsidas Desai: Tulsidas Desai is a senior marketing executive who represents Herald newspaper and the Herald Cable Network

HCN: Herald Cable Network, a local cable news channel operating in Goa.

Herald: Goa’s leading English language daily

Bernard Costa: Mayabhushan posing as a fictitious individual who wants to contest elections from the Velim assembly constituency in south Goa.

Raymond D’Sa: A politician from the Cortalim assembly constituency who is lobbying for a Congress ticket and whose interview was published in the Herald on October 20.

Campal Trade Centre: A building complex located in central Panaji which houses the Herald office.