In an exclusive interview with Shiksha, Mr. Bhuwan Bhaskar - the Deputy News Editor of the Economic Times, unveils some brutal truths about career in media in India and the opportunities for those who want to make it big in the field of Journalism.

Tell us something about your background and the story of your career.

Born on 31st October, 1977 in Gopalganj District of Bihar, I did my matriculation from Begusarai, where my father was employed. I had absolutely no background or exposure to journalism as a child. I did my 10+2 from TNB College, Bhagalpur and dutifully appeared for some engineering entrance exams like IIT JEE just like everyone else. But somewhere sometime the journalism bug had already bit me. By the time, I completed my graduation from GD College, Begusarai, I was determined to turn my passion into a career.

In February 2000, I came to Delhi and gave entrance exams for Jamia Millia Islamia, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and filled up forms for Delhi University too. The results for IIMC were declared first and since I was selected there, I joined its course. I got an opportunity to work as an in Intern in Jain Television in December 2000. During my six months there, I learned about different aspects of TV Journalism. My first job after I completed the course was with Asia-Pacific Communication Associates (APCA) of Zero Hour fame, where I remained for about three months.

Then, I joined the famous News Agency Univarta (the Hindi-based service of UNI) and was actively involved in reporting and editing there for three years. My career picked up pace when I joined CNBC Awaaz, at the time when it was being launched, as an Assistant Producer in Mumbai. In Zee Busines, I got an opportunity to do anchoring as well. In 2008, I joined Economic Times and became a part of the launching team of its Hindi version. Thus, I can say that I have had an extraordinary experience of being a part of a launching team of one successful television channel as well as one successful newspaper within five years of time frame!

What are the major challenges for media aspirants?

First, I would like to say one thing - Challenges are the path where diamonds of opportunities lay hidden. So, if I say here are the challenges for the media aspirants, I also mean here are the opportunities for those who can overcome those challenges:

• Our new-age journalists are attracted to the field of journalism because of the glamour and money that is often associated with the profession. Their role models are Rajat Sharma, Barkha Dutt, and Rajdeep Sardesai who are top honchos in their fields. What they don't realize is that their fame, success and popularity are built on 15 or 20 years of hard work!

The harsh reality is that these people entered the industry at a time when no one wanted to be a journalist. In fact, 90% of journalists at the time entered media by accident and that too for all the wrong reasons - some could not clear the exams they gave; others expired the age for government jobs; and some others just did not know what else to do.

Today, competition in the field is maddening. There is more supply than demand and the road to success is a long one and full of struggle. Few have it in them to survive it and make it to the top positions.

• Before the evolution of TV journalism (when glamour and money got attached to the profession),  most of the journalists joined the stream with an interest of reading and writing on various socio-cultural issues. They were a group of intellectuals who joined journalism with conviction. Unfortunately, the thirst of knowledge and the passion for reading have taken back seats in younger generations. Gone are the days when an ideal journalist was supposed to be a perfect generalist. Now, with the expanding contours of mass media, one must acquire mastery of one or the other field of life. Today, to survive the catfight, you must be expert of one or more beats - be it education, politics, international tourism, business, or fine arts. Journalism is nothing but viewing a topic with mass (read target reader) perspective. Those who have a solid grip on what is happening in their field and a knowledge base to assess it, are the ones who make it big in the field of journalism.

What are the recruiters looking for in those who want to make a career in media in India?

General perception in the market is that supply in Journalism, especially Hindi Journalism, is far more than the demand. But the truth is that media is facing a severe talent crunch. People with the required knowledge base, people with good grasp on vocabulary and writing skills to be able to communicate effectively, and people who can read news between the lines are only handful of the lot. Recruiters in media are often in dilemma about where to get good candidates from.

Which education institutes do you think are best for journalism?

It would be an injustice to many talented journalists if I say A, B or C institute is producing special talents. But with an experience of more than a decade of journalism, I will of course count IIMC as one of the best.  However, I feel that the course curriculum for journalism is not in compliance with the need of today's industry. In my opinion, journalism course should be more like the training program given to IAS officers, where they are taught about Constitution of India, laws of the country, geographical and cultural traits of different regions, basic political structures, State-Center relations and other such topics that can help journalists to understand and analyze any event in view of the past and present happenings and deduce future consequences.

What do you look for in a resume of a journalist?

Besides personality traits of a reporter or a desk person, I look at the hobbies and fields of interest of a person. It is very important to me that a person is honest about what he or she is writing about in his Resume. You should not write anything just for the sake of writing. If you have never been abroad and you mention International Tourism as your area of interest, you should at least be read enough to rattle off about top 5 or top 10 destinations of the tourism-friendly countries.

We can judge if you are lying. Dishonesty and lack of integrity are the worst traits you can have as a journalist, who is supposed to be the Bearer of the Flame of Truth.

What is the salary package for a journalist?

Journalists who get a break in good organizations generally start at Rs 15,000 per month. Though personal career growth may vary according to one's individual track record, on an average, journalists will reach a package of Rs 45,000 per month in five years time.

Why do you think English media journalists are paid better than Hindi media journalists in India?

Though this question does not relate directly to a career in journalism but I think it is more about the Indian mentality. In our country, English is supposed to be the language of the Rich. Those who are rich think that speaking English is a status symbol. Hence, English newspapers find better paying advertisers and hence, can pay more to their employees in turn. There are examples where even those Hindi newspapers who find regular advertisers and offer better ROI (Return on Investment) do not pay in tandem with their English counterparts. The reasons might be pondered over. But I think I am not the right person to answer this one.

Nevertheless, the localization of news is responsible for sub-standard news stories that gets published in Hindi or vernacular language newspapers.  If a transformer burns somewhere or if a dog bites children in the park, you don't need a subject expert to cover the news. Any stringer can do that. On the other hand, English newspapers have to maintain a quality for their premium-level readers. They have a page on Science, a page on International Relations, a page or two on Sports that are handled by journalists who are evidently the experts in their fields and have good knowledge of their subject. Hence, the newspapers have to engage them by offering them fat pay cheques because losing such experts can cost them their readers.

Which are the best organizations in the field of journalism in terms of employee benefits and best employee practices?

Times of India is, of course, one of the best employers in print media. Indian Express, Outlook magazine, and Today Group publications are other good places to work in the print industry too. Some newspapers like Pioneer enjoys the reputation of being a good training institute, even though they might not be matching their counterparts in paying.

In electronic media, NDTV and Aaj Tak are the best places to work at. Zee might not be known for paying best salaries but it has great working atmosphere and offers freedom to its employees to experiment.

Which are some of the role models in journalism you vouch for?

As a teenager, I used to love the columns of Rajendra Mathur and Alok Mehta. Today, I closely follow Shekhar Gupta from Indian Express, and Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar from Economic Times. I adore Mr. Sanjay Pugalia from CNBC Awaaz with whom I have been fortunate to work with, and do not miss interviews of Aroon Purie and Karan Thapar. I love to watch Ravish ki Report on NDTV too.

Source: Ruchi Shrimali (Shiksha Team)

Date: 24th May, 2011