India, Sept. 1 -- My recent column on the penury of journalists elicited a surprisingly strong response. Some readers shared their experiences of struggling after retirement, while others sent sympathetic notes. One particular comment caught my attention.

A close friend of mine, a management professional and choir master, admitted that he was shocked by what I had written. He had grown up believing that journalists were a pampered lot-well-connected, influential, and always in the company of decision-makers, whether in Delhi, a state capital, a district town, or even a Taluk headquarters. To him, journalism was a profession to be envied.

My column had punctured that myth. I wrote that most retired journalists receive no pension. And whe...