UAE | Media
'I joined Gulf News at a turning point'
Ex-night editor looks back on his days in the late '70s when the paper changed from a tabloid to a broadsheet.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:10 December 7, 2007
- "One of the first things we had to change was to focus on the quality of the newspaper and not just on the quantity of stories," says Raju Nagarajan, former night editor.
- Image Credit: Gulf News
Dubai: Raju Nagarajan was a freelancer in Iran in the late 1970s for the news agency Press Trust of India but an unexpected turn of events brought him to Dubai where he landed a job as the night editor for Gulf News.
"That was the time when we had the situation of the American hostages, which was coming to a climax," said Nagarajan.
Gulf News covered the hostage crisis, especially events on April 25, 1980, when an attempt by the US to free the hostages in Tehran collapsed with the death of eight soldiers.
Two helicopters went down, and another collided. The crisis marked the lowest point for US President Jimmy Carter and ruined his chances of retaining his residency at the White House. It ushered in the Ronald Reagan presidency.
"There was no press freedom in Iran before the revolution and then the new government started expelling journalists after the US rescue mission. I left shortly afterwards."
Nagarajan was told by the new Iranian government to stop reporting or he would be deported within 24 hours.
It was on his way back home to India that he decided to spend a few days in Dubai while transiting, and by chance met a friend who introduced him to Gulf News editor John McDonald.
Nagarajan worked at the newspaper from late 1979 to mid-1981.
"Even though I didn't stay for a long time I have a lot of memories," he said, as he joined the organisation at a turning point when Gulf News was moving from a tabloid to a broadsheet.
"The challenges of changing the newspaper were very big. One of the first things we had to change was to focus on the quality of the newspaper and not just on the quantity of stories."
His main priority was to ensure that the quality was up to the mark, which included the overall display, layout and especially the editing on the front page.
Significant event
One of the most significant events he encountered was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.
"The first GCC summit was inaugurated in Abu Dhabi and I remember it well because we gave it special coverage and remember thinking that it was another European Union in the formation."
The important issue for readers at the start of the 1980s evolved around Opec (the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) because the price of oil was always under the microscope, he said.
The newsroom had a good mix of nationalities back then. Reflecting on how the newspaper has evolved over the past three decades, he said a great deal of local content had been generated, which was not previously possible due to the lack of resources that amounted to a maximum of eight reporters.
"In terms of local content, the number of pages has increased. Today it is a very respectable newspaper and very strong."
Nagarajan has since moved on to work for local television networks and is currently the managing director of a business news publication.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Racing towards a new future
Racing towards a new future
-
Gulf News Readers speak
Gulf News Readers speak
-
The games people play to relax
The games people play to relax
-
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
-
From the pages of Gulf News dated December 2 to 7, 1978
From the pages of Gulf News dated December 2 to 7, 1978
Popular in UAE
Latest news
- Pleasant holiday weather predicted
- UAE residents offer Eid morning prayers
- UAE rejects Israeli colonies
- Teens smoking secretly, unchecked
- Right cut for diabetes respite
- Eid Al Adha: Duty and sacrifice
- Hospital's diabetes awareness programme extended
- Khalifa receives greetings on Eid
- Court acquits maid of theft charge
- Teenager jailed after having sex with minor
- Transit passenger jailed for drug smuggling
- Slew of celebration plans
- No decision on ex-Syrian intelligence officer
- Ex-Syrian intelligence officer won't be extradited
- Films about Palestine life dominate festival shortlist
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week
Community Reports
-
Munching on a health hazard
Residents must be careful about consuming snacks and sandwiches prepared along the roadside as they attract dirt and bacteria
-
Faded signage fails to guide visitors
Reader seeks better upkeep of signboards in green areas
-
Noise pollution must be regulated
Residents are finding it difficult to sleep well at night owing to ongoing construction work
-
Protect our children's health
Dust and dirt from a nearby road are causing problems to those frequenting Al Nasseriya park, Sharjah.
