“Media do not come out of a bubble nor do they live in one,” said author and veteran journalist Shanta Gokhale. She was the chief guest at the launch of the 30th anniversary issue of SCM Sophia’s student magazine, Marginalia .
“The more a trainee begins to know about the world around her, the politics, the arts, the history, the more solidly founded her writing will be. But if you only aim at being a gossip or Bollywood journalist, you really don’t need any tips.”
The launch was part of Media Mirror, the college’s annual event which began on January 20.
The event, based on the theme Media Morphosis, saw a line-up of masterclasses with media professionals from across the industry, a photo exhibition displaying the work of students and an informal one-on-one with Sahitya Akademi Award winner Jerry Pinto. It was an opportunity for students to connect with professionals to learn the nuances of becoming a good media professional.
Sanskriti award-winning journalist and editor Smruti Koppikar said, “Young people aspiring to be journalists need to develop skill sets to tell stories. More importantly, they must learn how to spot a story that's desperate to be told, how to stick to the difficult path of pursuing the truth of any story, how to nurture their courage and conviction so that they can always be on the side of truth, how to not succumb to pressures which will inevitably come their way, and how to take on the powerful both within and outside news organisations in public interest.”
Ms. Koppikar said, “There’s a lot of chatter going around about a post-truth world, post-truth politics and journalism in the age of post-truth. There is nothing like post-truth. It’s a pretty way of dressing up lies and deceit. It was and will remain the job of journalists to call out the lies and speak truth to power, no matter how nasty things get or how high the cost. We cannot hide behind bland tag lines such as ‘the nation wants to know’. Actually, the nation wants to know why more of us aren’t doing our job — which is to pursue truth and speak truth to power.”
Smitha Menon, assistant editor (digital) at Conde Nast Traveller India , conducted the first masterclass for new generation smartphone readers on boosting their digital presence. She encouraged the young audience. “Expose yourself to new ideas, ways of presentation, images, layouts and writing,” she said. “Don't be afraid to experiment. There’s so much happening around us today. An effective media professional needs to learn to assimilate all of that into creative work.”
Check your facts
Miloni Bhatt, a former NDTV reporter, too had tips to offer. “In today’s post-truth world where social media is the source of information and often misinformation, check and recheck your facts,” she said. “Better to be late than get the story wrong. Work at being credible, not at being breathlessly first.”
Shome Basu, consulting photo editor with the online news platform The Wire , emphasised the importance of professionalism in journalism. “Journalists are professionals whether they are writers or photographers. Beyond being truthful, one has to suspend judgement. In some cases, you may become judgemental but you have to try to keep the impact as low as possible. Secondly, remember you are the historian of the present. If a journalist misses it, the world misses it. In between. squeeze in a variety of books. Reading helps.”
Sahitya Akademi award-winning author and journalist Jerry Pinto encouraged writers to find stories in everyday settings. “Get out of the room. Try not to trust what you are told. When you are told something, always ask cui bono (who will benefit?). And make sure you can look yourself in the eye at the end of the day.”
Nat Geo Traveller India ’s Chirodeep Chaudhuri said, “Read, read, read. Books, magazines, newspapers. Look at art and photography, listen to music, attend concerts and recitals, watch plays. Watch movies. And advertisements too. Read poetry. The world is outside your office and beyond the lit screen of your cellphones. Work towards bettering your judgment, be critical. Beware of propaganda that masquerades as information. Desist from making assumptions as people and issues are more complex than what you might think.”
Advertising mammoth BBDO India’s chief executive officer Ajai Jhala said, “People who do well are observant, inquisitive, and eclectic. They can see the bigger picture. They think of it as a job rather than a career because it’s communication. You guys live in this media. You are the medium. You can be the medium, you live in this medium, and you’re immersed in it, social media. It’s a brilliant time!”
This story is part of The Hindu’s Media Mirror tie-up with SCM Sophia.
