Writing on the pad

The humble writing pad has been an indispensable part of a reporter’s accessories for as long as the profession has been around. Who would think it could be a cause for discomfort for the interviewee? But that’s exactly what happened to a Business Standard reporter recently. The head of an IT firm he was interviewing took umbrage at the reporter using a writing pad that bore the logo of his rival and bête noire and refused to speak or let the interviewer take notes. Instead, he called for a pad with his own company’s logo before going ahead with the interview. Just one clue: the logo on the offending pad was Infosys.