For a journalist's wife, trouble and strife

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 June 2012 |  Ramesh Prabhu

The article explores the struggles faced by journalists' wives, emphasizing their sacrifices and the unique challenges they endure. It reflects on personal experiences related to balancing family life with a journalist's demanding schedule.

Summary

It can be exciting to be a journalist. But to be a journalist's wife? To have to wait up till all odd hours for your husband to return from work? To know that he can be called out on duty even in the midst of celebrations for your anniversary or for your child's birthday? To have to attend office get-togethers where all your husband's colleagues insist on talking shop and boring you to tears?

That can't be much fun. And it isn't. I was reminded of what it means to be a journalist's wife (I can't speak for journalists' husbands) when I read Stephen Manuel's heart-felt tribute to "our better halves" on JournalismPakistan.com.

Steve, who was my colleague at the Khaleej Times in Dubai many years ago, and who is now the chief editor of JournalismPakistan.com, which he co-founded, begins his post on journalist's wives with a humorous reference to an incident narrated by another Khaleej Times colleague, Asif Ullah Khan, who hails from Jaipur and who is now the editor of Brunei Times.

Steve then gets to the crux of the issue: “Looking back now I realize just how hard those times were for us that worked on the night shift at the Khaleej Times and just how much harder it must have been on our wives. I can certainly recall mine waiting up till 3.30 am for me, heating my "late dinner" and giving me a good cup of tea. She didn't have to, but she did.

“ Night duty is not easy on a journalist's family, Steve writes.

“They [the wives] have to take the kids to school, get in household supplies, take care of the utility bills, cook, and even put up patiently with the office stories their husbands bring home.” Spare a thought for journalist's wives, is Steve's fervent plea. ("Dedicated to our better halves") (This story by Ramesh Prabhu was first published on The Reading Room) http://engageentertainenlighten.blogspot.in/2012/06/for-journalists-wife-trouble-and-strife.html

KEY POINTS:

• The demands of a journalist's work affect their family life significantly.
• Wives often wait late hours for their husbands to return home.
• Family responsibilities increase for journalists' wives during night shifts.
• Personal celebrations may be interrupted due to work commitments.
• A plea is made to acknowledge the sacrifices made by journalists' spouses.