Outside Politics

16th August 1998

Bully pulpit

The post-cabinet press briefing which was supposed to be in candid press conference mode now has suddenly turned into bully pulpit.

The scribe belonging to a fellow newspaper wanted to ask a question on Hermaphrodites et al from our genial Media Minister.

But he didn't lend his ears to the question. So the intrepid scribe went as far forward as possible and asked the same question. This time the Media boss turned the question around, and pointed to another scribe. In other instances, journalists who asked questions were given curt answers but they weren't given a chance to ask questions arising from the answer. So is this a free media world, a bully pulpit or a return to didactic ivory tower days? We don't know. Ask Professori.

No noise is good news

The Editor of a daily noisepaper has been relieved of his post. Actually, one fine morning when he went for work, he found out he was no longer the boss. An ambassador from super power country (there is only one these days ) had apparently complained that the man had taken them on, on one too many occasions in his editorials. "Not even Yasser Arafat's brand of people had referred to us in those terms,'' he complained, and next thing you know noisy scribe was out silenced!

Professori's practical push

A recently appointed political organiser for a Colombo district PA electorate, seems to have gone from being Professori to being assertive political animal.

Professori, the slightly nerdy academic man that he was, given to mouthing long drawn-out academic theories, now has his mug shot in posters all over the show. And just hear this, a giant cutout of himself has appeared in somebody else's political turf in the Colombo district. This can be a dangerous game even among fellow party members in the turf warfare of electoral politics , but professori (ex) is not courting popularity among party members. After all his latest catchword is: "politicians are practical people". That's his slogan heard loud and clear last week, so out goes nerd, in comes political godzilla(...and was the cutout meant for the be-wigged variety of gentlemen on the hill?...)

Jungle Telegraph

Editorial/Opinion Contents