‘Current affairs’ was quite a distant affair until I joined SPICE. Every new professor began their lecture with, “Do you all read the newspapers daily?” And our answer to it would be “kind of”.
It is ten months now; I’m almost at the end of my course and on the threshold of internship. From being a partial recipient of news to a producer of one, it’s not out of force but out of responsibility that I read the daily morning updates, the medium doesn’t matter.
This attitude did a lot more than just making me more aware, it bagged me an internship at one of the most prestigious channels – Mirror Now. Times Network believes in ‘Now or Nothing’.
The catchphrase didn’t mean much to me until my interview where I was asked to comment on a trending topic that caught my attention. I jumped at the opportunity to comment on the previous night’s press release by the I&B ministry.
The government, known for unprecedented decisions, laid down guidelines to curb fake news. If a journalist was found to have ‘created and/or propagated’ fake news, his or her accreditation would be suspended.
Thanks to our Dean, Carol Andrade, who often pointed out the serious deficiencies existing in the Indian media, I knew what I could speak on – the ill-conceived order that posed a threat to democracy.
The framework could easily limit the rights of a few journalists who talk about the underbellies of the government and its inner workings.
Natural cynicism, nose for news and being aware of what’s trending sums up journalism; and if you are in broadcast, speed, accuracy and quality complicates the equation further.
My first day at Mirror Now was like battling a stormy night. Journalists racing with time, screaming and ordering to get the breaking news up first was far from sanity.
Finding method to the madness is the ultimate challenge. No one’s going to serve you knowledge on a platter. You have to ask for it and ask LOUD.
Shadowing every desk and computer was the only way out. The best way to learn is through observation. I have crossed the entrance and begun crawling through this maze; hopeful to run through it in future.
As a conclusion, I’d like to quote Horace Greeley,
‘Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you’re at it’.
If you want to pursue a post graduate course in Journalism like Sharlene, have a look at our PG course in Journalsim
If you are an undergrad, check out our B.Voc in Journalsim course.
