Broken News by Amrita Tripathi

I picked the book "Broken News" from Landmark after checking that the author Amrita Tripathi was a broadcast journalist. So, I hoped she will  give a true picture of the television media. I was a tad bored reading classics and picked Broken News for some excitement and spice. And i liked my choice.

Amrita talks about booze, cigars, one-night stands, pot, low-cleavage dresses, and extra-marital affairs as if it was day-to-day news. Of course, she mentions some studs who drink only tea or coffee. In TV media you need to put in close to 18 hours of work per day. But you get shares and cars with just four to six years of work experience. That's the catch and glamor.

The story is told in two parts ~ pre-breakdown and post-breakdown. Pre-breakdown is about the pressure and competition in TV media. Post-breakdown involves a suicide and brings in a blend of cut-throat relationships, therapy, abortions, forced resignations, and cover ups. Amritha winds up the story with the usual work-life balance mantra. She also suggests to not get carried away by glamor and drive of any work one does.

Amritha's writing style was a bit odd for me to catch up with. It was midway between crisp language and sms lingo. However, i got used to the style as i continued reading the story.A nice read.