Patna: Journalism has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, and in the “age of mobile journalism” youngsters for a career in media have a plethora of options, eminent journalist Rajdeep Sardesai told a group of students of a Jesuit college in Patna.
“In an age of citizen journalism, while the face of journalism has changed, quality appears to have fallen. It appears like a race to the bottom, as news channels appear to be engaged in a fierce battle for eyeballs in order, not to provide information, but to keep the viewers hooked,” Sardesai said during a “Success 360” webinar series, organized by the National Service Scheme unit of St Xavier’s College of Management and Technology Patna, on October 10.
Sardesai expressed his happiness to address the students of Patna, the politically significant capital city of Bihar that has had a significant role in the democratic journey of the nation.
Sardesai spoke of his early realization that he wasn’t cut out to be a cricketer and so he opted for a Law degree from Oxford, his stint as a young journalist in the Times of India and his experiences with Prannoy Roy and NDTV, the pioneering Indian 24 hour news channel. “Prannoy told me that the channel was a beast that needed to be fed constantly,” he recalled.
In a 30-minute talk on the state of journalism in India today, he said the “breaking news concept” had broken down. He advised media students to understand that being a journalist was not about ‘just trying your hand at journalism,’ but real journalism requires a different kind of passion, and the resolve to ‘speak truth to power.’
For the journalist, every day is a new learning experience, he said. He advised students that the new age journalism is a digital profession which requires multi-faceted abilities and a multi-lingual skills, as journalists need to communicate in different mediums in a fast changing world.
“You are a lucky but impatient generation, but it’s always better to climb step by step. Like two cricketers, Vinod Kambli who took the elevator and became an instant celebrity, but also took the fast lift into oblivion, and Sachin Tendulkar, who climbed up step by step, and stayed on top for a long time.” There are no short cuts beyond a point, he stressed.
Sardesai stressed the importance of media and journalism courses teaching ethics to the students. “Journalism is not Public relations, and journalists should stay true to the values they believe in. A person is only responsible to his or her own conscience,” he said.
Earlier, In his welcome address, college principal Jesuit Father T Nishaant commended Sardesai on his sterling contribution to Indian journalism, and his steadfast adherence to the principles that further the secular and democratic fabric of the country at a time when the media ‘seems to align itself for fringe benefits of money or power.’
Ajay Kumar, assistant professor and NSS guide, organizer of the series, introduced Padmashree Rajdeep Sardesai, who, he said, has ‘revolutionized the Indian Media world.’