What does one say when top officials of companies subtly play games, harass, make sexual advances in a paternalistic manner & puts the female staff & juniors under immense pressure? There is a top official of a media company who never knew how to sell newspapers or has anything to do with media. He in fact disassociates himself from the newspaper he is the top boss of.

This top official doesn’t mind getting tipsy at official parties, directly coming on editorial floor & bullying female reporters. Sadly, he has not been put in his place…all fear for their jobs. The official is known to take frequent smoke breaks, talk loudly & actually tell juniors who speak or laugh aloud to maintain silence. He sneaks upto journalists’ computers and question if someone tries to play solitaire, chat or do something legal, for a small break.

A few days ago this official sneaked upto a senior journalist & told her “wow you have time to play cards.” So she asked “Why have i broken any rules?” No no he shouted aloud and came to her desk, “I only wish i had so much of time.” SHe mustered courage & said that she had filed the story & then said v casually & lightly, “Well sir you take frequent smoke breaks while i’m playing this only after i’ve finished my work.” Now he laughed it off but we knew he would not take this lightly.

Within a few days that journalist wrote an article of her foreign assignment. She received SMSz from even colleagues from rival newspapers. She got good feedback fm within the paper too. She was pleased people read gossip about people & events pertaining to another language. Suddenly her happiness was brought to a rude halt by the official. Now in between the top 2 editors of the paper had informed the whole team & team heads that NO ONE will directly speak to that Top official, it has to be through those 2 editors.

So when last week the top official called upon the female journalist, she spoke to the bureau head abt it, he told her its ok go & check. This man took off on a tirade against her. He pulled out the paper put spit on his fingers to turn over the pages (eeks) & questioned her about that article. She was brave enough to say what’s wrong. “Ita tongue-in-cheek, I’ve not maligned anyone, what’s the problem?” He smirked & snapped at her saying, “What tongue in cheek ha…you go out on this event, get entertained, have fun & write all this…” so she was baffled..he continued, “We sent you on this mission, there were few others too from marketing, what is this you write.” “Who do you report to? Who are your bosses? how did they sanction this?”

So she said “yes pl speak to my bosses. You said there were others, Who were the others? there were only us 2 women.” Moreso, she pointed out to him that the organisers infact that put up even women journos in shady red-light kind of area & in fact he shld be concerned abt his females staff. She even asked him to go on his PC & read blogs of internatinal women on that hotel. She then questioned him, “The office didn’t send us 2 women. ALso there weren’t any other person besides the 2 of us,” she said.

The official continued lambasting. He had NOT even read the copy correctly. It was a literary event, while he was at bay completely. He called out to his secretary who then told him the sales staff had gone on a business trip. The female reporter snapped at him & said, “see I was telling you. I hadn’t gone on this trip, pl read the article.”

This narration can give anyone sensible an idea of the affairs going on at that work place. The daily problems of finding good, exclusive news apart, the staff-especially women journos – have to deal with abso lunatic officials. Who do NOT read their own papers, do NOT bother to cross check before lambasting their juniors. Imagine the environment & pressure the staff must be working under.

The lady stuck her neck out. She promptly went & told the 2 editors. They told her its ok, don’t worry. They said not to take that official seriously & they will tackle it.