Undiminished Resonance

After 40 years of active journalism, I occasionally have a dilemma that consumes me: Should I view my forty years of career as a waste? After seeing the new idea of journalism, is it not clear to me that I am upset? I have to admit, with great disappointment, that I don't always agree with the new trends of journalism. I challenge my identity by doubting my understanding of the conventional morals and values of journalism in this day and age. Even though I believed that the traditional media approach was the height of journalism at the time, today's media approach blurs my view with its glitter. Is it accurate to say that journalism is being carried forward by the traditional media? Or should I say that the purpose of the new media is to illuminate a new way?

Recently, I was proposed by a publisher to write a book on journalism, which would include all my anecdotes reflecting my worldliness in journalism. I expressed my thoughts firmly that even before the book is penned, I can name the book, which would be "Obituary of Indian Media.". Immediately, he opposed my idea by addressing it as highly cynical. The ray of 'hope' can only determine the book's popularity. The new generation should not perceive the book to be pessimistic. Seeing the growing tension within him, I decided not to trouble him with my witticism anymore. "It was nothing but an exchange of pleasantries; I am not at all serious about the title," I said and smirked. I never questioned my decision to be a journalist for once, I added.

In such a short time, journalism allowed me to travel to many different parts of the world. Every industry, every domain, and numerous individuals from various sectors are well-known due to this career choice. I have become a powerful observer of this society. I was born in the metropolitan region of Shibpur, Howrah, a district of West Bengal. I never had the opportunity to travel to Uluberia, a Howrah subdivision. Despite this, I went there for employment as a journalist. From there, I embarked on my journey, and I was unable to turn back. To conduct an empirical study, my eyes have documented numerous such occasions around the world, from my visit to the White House to my coverage of the Kargil War.

There are two ideas that come up while discussing philosophy: the deductive methodology and the inductive methodology. According to the deductive process, we should have a presumption before anything else and attempt to determine whether it is true. However, according to the inductive process, one must examine beyond the modus operandi. Beyond the probability, we already know that something exists but is unknown for usage. These ideas are the cornerstones of journalism, which I have taught for a very long time.

I was not a student of media science but a student of political science. I did not know of these until I indulged myself in this field. Back then it was believed that journalism was all about ground-zero experiences but nothing about theoretical academic courses. You can't be a cook by just following a cookbook. A kitchen is a kind of laboratory where hands-on experiences are needed to develop a perfect dish. But time has passed with leaps and bounds, which changed everything, including the professional demands as well as the academic structure based on it. Following the footsteps of traditional media, there is a complete remediation of media the world has seen. From print media to social media, technology has evolved in its way, which provides the power to the citizens to practice journalism through blogs, vlogs, and posts. Moreover, with a change in time and dynamics of journalism, one should always remember the true essence of journalism, which has somehow taken the back seat. And here is what enlightens the necessity of media studies as a course. Just like in the case of law, one should be aware of all the legal frameworks and implement them besides showcasing their ability and rationality in the courtroom. It is high time that this profession gets its justice of being one of the dynamic and essential domains and also maintains its true value irrespective of its evolution.

Media Studies is not only a subject that compiles reporting, anchoring, and journalism but also unfolds many other career opportunities, such as public relations, editing, content creation, radio jockeying, event management, filmmaking, and so on. The Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata, has decided to take up this initiative to be one of the best platforms to learn and grow the skills of media science within oneself. It provides sufficient infrastructure along with efficient guidance and, last but not the least, internship programs providing a vast professional experience to the students. I have been part of several private as well as government universities, and currently, I am with Sister Nivedita University, having been there for the last eight months. Being a teacher at this university, I have witnessed the brilliant leadership of the Dean, Minal Pareek, in the Mass Communication and Journalism department. The department is vibrant with ideas and creative mindsets, fostering itself towards betterment. These events and programs are usually handled by the students of the department with great professionalism and confidence. The university provides a broader aspect of the subjects beyond theoretical learning. Furthermore, no less credit could be given to the chancellor of SNU, Mr. Satyam Roychowdhary. His USP has always been his public intellectuality. He has a social life, and his philanthropic nature is reflected in the University. SNU has successfully established a brand equity that makes its students out of the box. The optimistic approach of the students and the immense support of the university behind them make us forget about the ongoing turmoil going on in the job sector. My participation makes me nothing but proud and satisfied with its accomplishment.

I was a student of the Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission, where I was invited to deliver a speech. The majority of the students are aiming to be either engineers or doctors or else take a management course. I was invited to portray a true image of career aspects outside the sectors of engineers and doctors. A society doesn't run only with engineers and doctors but many other professions. From an aspect of journalism, it is one of the most demanded and pursued career options nowadays, which provides a huge spectrum of success and experience.

Views expressed are personal