DISHA – Leadership Series
Mass Communication-Journalism (Print, Television and Radio)
A jam packed auditorium, with students seated even on the aisles, was the overwhelming response to the seminar on ‘Mass Communication-Journalism (Print, Television and Radio)’, held on 9th Aug, 2007 in PHD House, New Delhi. It was the second seminar in the DISHA-Leadership series initiated by AmityCARE.
The speakers on the panel were stalwarts from print, radio and television- Mr. Ranjan Roy-Senior Editor, The Times of India; Ms. Richa Anirudh- News Anchor, IBN 7; Ms. Mandeep Verma- TV and Radio Anchor; Ms. Sudha Sadanand- Programming Head, Big 92.7 FM, Ms. Usha Albuquerque- Career Counsellor and Col. Dargan, Director- ASCO.
Over 350 students from 80 schools of Delhi and NCR were active participants of the seminar, including Tagore International, Ramjas School, Bal Bharti School, Cambridge School, Mt. Carmel and Amity International School.
Ranjan Roy, Senior Editor- The Times of India shared his views on how print journalism can be a very satisfying career, besides being a medium to highlight injustice as in the Jessica Lal case. He elucidated, “The printed word has immense weightage. As it gets printed, it carries a lot of gravitas. That is why the newspaper is the first thing that people reach out to, each morning.” He also highlighted the fact that the one thing most crucial to print journalism is the ability to write well. “One can be a journalist if one has the facility with the pen”, added Roy.
The atmosphere was charged with palpable excitement as Sudha Sadanand, Programming Head, Big 92.7 FM, found an instant connect with the children, what with her lively voice and energy. She brought forth incidents from her own experience as she dispelled the myth that a career in the media is all about glamour. “Being a journalist entails being powerful enough to be able to touch people’s lives. I wanted to be powerful, which is why I took up this profession. But one has to realize that a lot of hard work is required to be successful in this field. There are no holidays as you have to be prepared for anything, at all times.”
Richa Anirudh, News Anchor, IBN 7, narrated an interesting anecdote from her life that inspired her to pursue journalism. She said, “Once, way back in 1996, I saw a huge crowd gathered around a building. I came to know that Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was about to visit, so they had gathered to catch a glimpse of him. Somehow, I did not stay back, instead, decided then and there, that if I was to meet Mr. Bachchan, it will be on a one-to-one basis. Sure enough, in 2004, I got the opportunity to interview him in person.” She pointed out the essence of patience and determination and how they play an important role in journalism.
The value of patience was re-iterated by Mandeep Verma, TV and Radio Anchor“The challenge of being on radio is even greater than that of television at times. One has to be in a good mental state to be able to speak impromptu, as your voice can betray a lot about you!” said she. Mandeep stressed on how ‘passion’ should guide one’s career choice and not pressure of any kind, “not even of kith and kin”.
Children were guided on diverse careers along with television and print media, by Usha Albuquerque, Career Counsellor. She highlighted that curiosity and a questioning mind, are two factors imperative to journalism. “A journalist’s greatest ability is to listen. One should be able to draw people out of their shells and make them speak up”, said Albuquerque.
Col. Dargan, Director, ASCO, enlightened students on the prospects of travel journalism. Stressing the importance of hard work, he said, “There is a lot of money in this profession, provided one is prepared to slog hard.”
Ms. Poonam Singh Jamwal, Director, AmityCARE proposed vote of thanks and said that the series will be continued with new subjects, in coming months.
Ambika from St. Paul School, Hauz Khas; Nikita Ojha and Shantanu Chandra, Amity International School, Gurgoan; Kriti Thakur- Bal Bharati Public School; Sanya, Bhatnagar International, Deepshikha from Mount Carmel were awarded for “Best Slogan” and Deepti Mallik- Mount Carmel received prize for “Best Question”.
FEEDBACK
- Mridul Grover, Tagore International School
“It was an interesting session. Today, the media has become very important as it voices the concerns of the public, like in the Blue-line menace.”
- Gurpreet Saluja, SLSDAV Public School
“The media industry is different from the regular 9 to 5 jobs, which is what makes it more enjoyable. I really liked the seminar, as it gave me so much knowledge about this career.”
- Kriti Talwar, The Indian School
“It was an interactive session on careers in media. Journalism is a medium that enables one to connect with a large number of people, and carry our voice to others. I learnt a lot today.”
- Tanya Mittal, Bhatnagar International School
“A career in media gives one the opportunity to express one’s views. The seminar provided us with lots of information about pursuing a career in media.”
- Keerti Tandon, Teacher, AIS-Pushp Vihar
“It was a very nice seminar. It was an eye-opener.”
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