Newspaper authorities tend to justify this 'City-Centric Syndrome' by claiming that their readers are concentrated in and around cities and towns and, hence, an urban-based report would generate more interest than a remote village-based story. To accept this argument would be similar to assume that a nutritional and tasty meal is possible merely with a generous portion of rice, minus the curry, vegetables and other side dishes. Reports by rural correspondents add spice, flavour and variety to a newspaper. It is no wonder that the popularity of vernacular papers in Goa has been largely due to the quality and quantity of local stories, both from urban and rural areas. Different standards adopted with rural correspondents can be quite effective to confuse and demoralise them. In one incident, a rural correspondent sent me a report stating that a building constructed by a firm and owned by an MLA, was being built barely metres from a high tension pole. A labourer while at work accidentally came in contact with the live wires and was seriously injured. Though a police complaint was filed against the firm and not the MLA, the correspondent was keen to establish the link since since the MLA was largely responsible for the negligence. However, the editor pulled up the correspondent for attempting to introduce the MLA into the story, when the police complaint did not specify the direct involvement of the MLA. Sometime later, the sister of a minister fatally stabbed her husband to death. Though the minister was not involved as he was abroad at the time of the incident, the same editor called up the news desk, asking them to insert the statement that the alleged murderer is the sister of the minister. The minister's identity was not specified in the police complaint and, yet, the editor wanted to establish the link between the minister and his sister. The problems faced by rural correspondents are fairly common and are not restricted to any one newspaper and it has become a common trend for local correspondents to pool in stories and resources. This in turn has led to the creation of local level associations, commonly known as "Patrakar Sangh" in most talukas of the State. These associations have, in turn, branched out into constituency-level associations. At present, the numerous "Patrakar Sanghs" in Goa include the Sanguem-Quepem Patrakar Sangh, Sanguem Patrakar Sangh, Murgao Patrakar Sangh, Pernem Patrakar Sangh, Mandrem Patrakar Sangh, Bicholim Patrakar Sangh and the Bardez-based Zunzar Gramin Patrakar Sangh. Besides safeguarding the interests of rural correspondents, these associations provide support to its members and also promote interactions with society by organising various contests and cultural programmes.