Having served correspondents across two newspapers for over half a decade, I have grown to appreciate and respect their enthusiasm to the profession, despite the difficulties that engulf them on a regular basis. If my efforts have paid rich dividends, it is largely based on my recipe called T.R.U.S.T, which includes the key ingredients of Talent, Reliability, Usefulness, Sincerity and Tenacity. TALENT: Rural correspondents have often been judged by their talent in the collection of news from their respective areas. It is this talent that has enthused many correspondents to remain in journalism for many years, even though in most cases, monetary benefits have been too meagre to justify their interest. I have often worked with rural correspondents who have little knowledge of English and, yet, they have communicated to me stories which have turned out to be impressive reports. There have been some correspondents who have developed such strong contacts, that they are easily identified by the masses in different parts of the taluka represented by the correspondent. These correspondents are the true representatives of the newspaper in their areas. Correspondents with remarkable talent have always remained the prized possession of a newspaper and, in many cases, have gone on to become full-fledged reporters. RELIABILITY: By and large, rural correspondents have been a reliable lot and have stood by the paper in good times and in bad. These correspondents have sent in their reports all year round, without taking into account their weekly holidays, public holidays or annual leave. In one newspaper, correspondents were not paid for a number of months due to acute financial difficulties and, yet, that didn't retard the flow of their reports and they continued to serve the newspaper with the same level of enthusiasm. This level of commitment and reliability of correspondents will always be an asset to any newspaper. I had a correspondent who happened to fly to Bombay in the morning, but that didn't stop him from sending me a news item over the phone. Beyond doubt, this correspondent, despite his busy schedule in Vasco, has been one of my most enterprising correspondents and a crucial component in my network of correspondents. Correspondents located in remote areas usually cover a huge geographical area and in most cases, travel many kilometres to either collect or send a report to the newspaper. Yet, this rarely deters them from sending their reports. USEFULNESS: While rural correspondents are primarily responsible for covering events in their localities, they are extremely beneficial to newspapers in a number of ways. They can be of invaluable help in the promotion of newspaper, be it circulation, generation of advertisements or other areas of interest to a newspaper. In fact, some correspondents have even started advertising agencies of their own.