Reporter's Diary: When the ping of WhatsApp dictates your day

Consequently, scribes are a part of atleast half a dozen ‘news’ groups. Often, these groups are life-savers. We thrive on information and fellow journalists are generous enough to share details and press releases. Thanks to  the coordiantion, we are always well informed. 

However, there are times we are forced to keep certain WhatsApp alerts on groups on mute. First, the same information is shared multiple times. Besides, every group has that one overenthusiastic person who excels in forwarding messages – the ‘good nights’ and the ‘good mornings’, the rumours and even jokes! Now imagine going through the ordeal in every group. You cannot ignore them because it could be something important or ‘breaking’. There are days when you eagerly wait for information, and all you get is a photo of a bouquet saying ‘happy evening’. Often, these messages can’t be ignored either, as most bosses are also in these groups, so every bit of information reaches all the way up the ladder.

Reporters are left with no option but to try and verify obscure details or chase random leads, only because everyone is in the loop. — Vipasha Sinha, Chennai