After fifteen years of directing the pulse of live news, she chose silence over chaos, reflection over routine. Moving from the bright lights of newsroom in Delhi-NCR, where we shared a co-working team, to a serene farm in Belgaum, Karnataka Ninay Desai rediscovered her voice through words. Tamed by the Fox became not just a blog but an urge for me to know her…..her prowess beyond news! Every article or book review she pens has been proving that reinvention isn’t about starting over, but about returning to what truly makes one alive! And this interview with her is being presented, with an intention to help you align the Universal energy and synergy with your passion…asserting that is never too late to reinvent and follow your passion. After all, even The Think Pot, is a work of passion! Now take a read, about what Ninay had to share at Visionary Voices this week…
What inspired your transition from a newsroom to the world of blogging and book reviews?
I was a producer and live news director for more than 15 years and wanted a change from the routine. Also, the news media has changed a great deal in the last few years and there is a stagnation of ideas which I found rather trying. In fact, I would often joke with friends that I could feel my brain rusting from a lack of use.
My initial plan was to take a break from working and move out of Delhi to my parents’ farm in Belgaum, Karnataka. It was only after a year or so that the idea of creating my own website came to me.
What’s more intense—handling a live news broadcast or researching a topic for a blog or dissecting a complex novel?
Well, I think they use almost entirely different mental muscles. A live news broadcast, especially in a breaking news situation, requires one to be able to plan, react to new information, rework the plan and communicate to one’s team at what would seem like a frenetic pace to anyone outside the television news space. Mahima, as you well know, the experience of being in the Production Control Room is hard to explain and its pace requires one to operate very fast without losing sight of the bigger picture.
Compared to that, researching a topic or writing a review are much slower paced, of course, but intensive in their own way. My intention with both blog posts and reviews is to leave my readers with something to think about. It is my belief that I must offer my readers some value in exchange for their time. That said, I would say that most of the dissecting I indulge in for a novel, stays in my notes because I steadfastly avoid spoilers in my reviews so as to not to ruin a future reader’s experience.
Do you miss the adrenaline of the newsroom?
I do, at times, because the high of a well-produced show or directing a live news situation with a great team is unmatched. Unfortunately, like I said earlier, the over-riding focus in television news nowadays is no longer on chasing stories of national interest and importance and so, I’m not tempted to return.
How do deadlines differ between newsrooms and writing for a website?
Massively. Especially as a director of live news, every minute brings its own deadline. I recall a senior director, during my time at NDTV, telling me that hitting black on air reflected a director’s failure to keep up with the news as it unfolds. Live news is quite an unforgiving space.
That said, running my own website single-handedly has challenged me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I’m not the most tech-savvy person so designing a site from scratch, keeping it updated, managing search engine optimization has all been part of a fairly steep learning curve for me but it’s also been very rewarding.
Also, television is about team work and one has the support of people with very specific and finely-tuned expertise handling different aspects of a show while at Tamed by the Fox, yours truly is the intern, researcher, graphic designer, writer, editor, social media manager, tech support and everything in between!
Which skills from your time as a studio director help you today as a blogger?
The ability to organize ideas effectively and communicate them engagingly to the viewer is a skill that a director learns on the job and I believe it serves me very well as a blogger. As does having an eye for detail and the ability to spot errors.
Furthermore, the ability to think visually has been helpful too when it came to designing my website, clicking photographs for posts or even creating infographics.
What kind of blog topics and books do you gravitate towards and why?
In terms of blogs, I enjoy writing about behavioral economics, human psychology, social trends and the little things we all share as humans. At Tamed by the Fox, you’ll come across blogs about the 2008 recession, learning to knit and drive (not at the same time!), workplace tips, synchronicity and the charms of whimsy all sharing space.
As for books, I enjoy literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction but I’m willing to dip my toes into almost any genre if the book holds my attention.
Any recent reads that surprised you?
Just off the top of my head, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. It’s her debut novel about a young woman who takes up a babysitting job. Reid subtly weaves in themes of race, politics and versions of the truth into the narrative. Another is Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun. It’s a historical fantasy which reimagines, with a twist, the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty. I relished the atmospheric writing, the characterizations and the themes explored in the novel.
In the non-fiction space, I thoroughly enjoyed Orienting: An Indian in Japan by Pallavi Aiyar. It’s a great blend of her personal experience as a Nipponophile as well as a journalist exploring lesser-known aspects of Japan. Another book on my list of surprisingly good books is Talking to My Daughter about the Economy by Yanis Varoufakis. He’s an economist and a politician, so my hopes weren’t high! His book is a charming introduction to how capitalism, debt and labour markets came about. Varoufakis tosses in a fair amount of Greek mythology and pop-culture references from The Matrix to Star Trek to keep things interesting.
How do you think the media landscape and literary culture intersect today?
Across the board, I see very few people reading nowadays and unfortunately, it shows in their articulation and thought process. Besides exposing us to information, ideas and making us more empathetic, reading improves focus and the ability to think things through. Show me one field that doesn’t need more of that, especially the media. Most newspapers no longer have a robust books section in their weekend editions nor have I seen any television channel, in recent years, with a show about books. However, digital media gives me hope.
Are book reviews becoming more visual and digital because of platforms like YouTube and Instagram?
Booktok and Bookstagram have made reviewers a real force to reckon with. The number of sponsored reviews as well as Advance Reader Copies being offered to social media reviewers are proof positive of publishers and writers having woken up to their influence.
However, many of them act almost solely as identifiers of tropes or hand out quick ratings and whatever else fits into a 30-second reel. But even more importantly, most social media reviewers review only the latest books which, I believe, ignores a vital truth. Good books are as relevant today as they were in the year they were published. After all, they’ve survived the most brutal of all critics—Time.
What would you say to other journalists wanting to explore their literary side?
I think most journalists are readers. At least the kind one wants to hear from! And quite a few like Daniel Silva, Robert Harris and Maya Angelou have found immense success as writers. On a lighter note, news reports often read like flash fiction. So I don’t think journalists need any advice from me.
Any advice for aspiring book-reviewers who come from a non-literary background?
Read. That’s all. I’ve been a lifelong reader and it’s not like I’ve always read literary or ‘good’ books. Over the years, my tastes have changed but I think that my college degree in English literature certainly set me up. I was very lucky to have excellent professors at Jesus and Mary College in Delhi University. They exposed us to the importance of understanding the socio-political, cultural and economic context of a work. No book stands untouched by the era it is written in. Knowing that deepens one’s understanding and appreciation of a book.
Before you go, how did you come up with the name Tamed by the Fox for your site?
That’s an odd story actually. I hadn’t even begun designing the website at the time so thinking of a name wasn’t really a priority. It just popped into my mind while I was in the shower one day. I checked if the domain was taken. Luckily, it wasn’t. And that was it. I never considered brainstorming any other names.
As for its meaning, I’m a big fan of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince which explores the themes of friendship, love and loss. I have always thought of it as a book for children and smart adults because it requires an open heart and imagination to understand its message! There’s a character in the book called the Fox who speaks of relationships. That resonates a great deal with me. And so, my website’s name is an homage to the Fox and The Little Prince.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the above interview are the personal opinions of the protagonist/protagonists for which The Think Pot is not liable in any manner. To share your views on an apolitical and intense/inspiring subject like this you can reach out to us at mahimaasharma@thethinkpot.in