With great respect for the nation’s true journalists, I inch forward to write this piece on the current stature of Indian journalism. To all my aspiring journalists, here’s something for you to make you question your decision today. I have gained rather an insightful perspective over the past years about journalism as it is my country.
A book I began reading last month, written by an award winning journalist took me by surprise. The utter revelation of the fact that there is, after all, fear that instils in the man as he works for the nation, gave me a new perspective to view the world of journalism. Ravish Kumar, the voice of millions unheard wrote the book ‘THE FREE VOICE”. To think something could scare the man of Prime Time to do his job, is horrid. It is enough for one to begin contemplating their decision of getting in this area.
A book written in 2019, taking references from various acts of fear establishment in people, stands at even a bigger rank today as the times have changed indeed, but deteriorated. Losing friends, losing relatives, losing faith, losing trust seems weirdly normal in this line of work. It is nothing but fear that strikes their minds and hearts when people find their way towards the truth and get lost in between. Rape threats and death threats are the few things a woman of voice has to hear in this line of work.
The only way for headlines to reach us is through the media houses. The great responsibility that lies upon their shoulders must weigh them down. It must make them ponder upon the news they choose and the way they convey it to the masses. Most of the news channels have ridiculed the locus of journalism, especially Indian journalism.
Indian Journalism is indeed at its peril. Facts are ignored and countless rumors are spread each day.
The only virtue needed in this field is that of truth. However, what we see in this era is a web of lies built by the lapdog media houses. Most of us may concur with the assessment of believing that a divide exists between the masses when it comes to media. However, many of us miss out the utmost substance of true journalism that differentiates fallacious stories from factual information. The substance is truth. The duty that binds the journalists is inherently accredited to everyone’s knowledge; however, the path to the wrong is much easier than the one to the right end.
The masses that only want a veracious house of information are burgeoning. The evident increase in the number of people who expect a change in the working of Indian journalists is revolutionary. We, the ordinary, need the truth to be read, to be seen and to be heard.
As we take a step ahead on this promising journey of delivering truth gracefully with honour, we must keep in mind the differences that make up who we are and what we choose. After all we are the choices we make. Even if there is failure that obstructs your way, your choices will always make you stand out. In a chaotic crowd yearning for fiction rather than facts, let us choose what is truthfully right.
By Navya Joshi
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