Journalism Summer Internship Interaction Programme Held at GDC ReasiReasi, September 7:The Hindi and Urdu Departments of Government Degree College (GDC) Reasi, under the able guidance of Principal Professor Mamta Gupta, organised an Interaction Programme as part of the Summer Internship on Journalism for students today. The programme aimed to provide students with practical exposure to journalism and an opportunity to interact directly with experienced media professionals.Eminent journalists and resource persons from Reasi — Rahul Kapoor(News 18 JK , News post Reasi), Rahul Kumar (PTI News Agency), Arjun Singh(Owner Raftar Samachar daily newspaper , NDTV India) and Aman Sharma ( Daily Excelsior IANS News Agency)— interacted with the students and shared their valuable experiences, insights and practical knowledge about the field of journalism.Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Kumar , who has around 20 years of experience in journalism, said that “becoming the voice of truth is journalism.” He emphasised that journalism is not about haste but about verification and confirmation of facts before reporting any news. He said that journalism cannot be practised out of fear and stressed the power and responsibility of the pen. Giving the example of the pen and the buffalo, he highlighted the strength of the pen and the responsibility that comes with it.Arjun Singh, while sharing his experience of around 24 years in journalism, recalled the earlier era of journalism when PCOs were common and television was largely associated with many national channel , the government broadcaster. He explained how journalism has changed over the years and pointed out the significant difference between the journalism of the past and the present, particularly with the emergence of video reporting, digital media and mobile-based journalism.Aman Sharma shared his thoughts on journalism and learning. Referring to his own educational journey, he said that he was also a student of a college and that “a person learns from elders.” He placed special emphasis on scene-setting and visual description in journalism, explaining that although news is available throughout the day, the real challenge for a journalist is to present a good, accurate and truthful story to the audience. He stressed that effective journalism requires observation, clarity and the ability to communicate the complete picture of an event.In his concluding remarks, Rahul Kapoor described journalism as a highly respectable profession and said that a journalist remains connected with every section of society. He advised aspiring journalists to publish fact-based news, cautioning that publishing false or fake news can lead to serious consequences, including penalties.He further observed that in the present digital age, journalists are often referred to as content creators and influencers. However, if a person knows how to operate a camera and handle a mobile phone effectively, the present era can rightly be described as the era of mobile journalism. Referring to the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that journalism has continued to evolve and journalists today have greater opportunities to work independently through digital platforms.Addressing the students, he gave an important message: “You have to become a journalist, not a judge.” He emphasised that the responsibility of a journalist is to report facts objectively rather than passing personal judgments.The interaction was followed by a fruitful question-and-answer session, in which students actively participated and raised questions concerning news reporting, verification, media ethics, digital journalism and the practical challenges faced by journalists. The resource persons responded to the queries and shared valuable suggestions from their professional experiences.The programme was conducted by Prof. Irfan Ali, HoD Urdu, while the vote of thanks was delivered by Prof. Pooja Dheman, HoD Hindi. The programme concluded with appreciation to the resource persons for sharing their valuable experiences and providing students with practical insights into the changing world of journalism.
