The Future of Journalism in India

By Arun Thankaraj

Indian news organisations are now using online technology to deliver the benefits of the Internet.

India is currently experiencing extraordinary media expansion, with intense competition between players in the industry. Newspapers and broadcasters are anxious to get the inside story out first. The promise of investigative journalism has finally evolved with the times.

Journalism in India has considerable employment scope these days, with media houses opening new channels or newspapers on a regular basis. While salaries are shooting up, the pool of skilled and qualified journalists is not keeping pace. Without a sufficient number of good reporters and editors, the challenge that the profession faces is of enforcing more rigorous professional standards.

Though print media is read widely and makes money, Indian news organisations are now using online technology to deliver the benefits of the Internet: the most current and up-to-date information, ability to search the content and instantly share information with others.

All major newspapers and TV stations in India have launched their own websites to supplement their traditional forms of news delivery. Some are also applying multimedia technology, integrating text, video and audio in news reporting, and in some cases, real-time. Users are able to obtain information on their computers, cell phones and several other hand-held devices.

In this media environment, aspiring journalists will benefit most from training on a concentrated, hands-on curriculum designed to familiarise them with each and every aspect – theoretical, practical and technical – of digital reporting.

As never before, India needs more skilled young journalists who have the ability to cover the story well. There are many well-meaning, sincere journalists in the field who lack adequate training, especially in digital reporting. This suggests a considerably broader mission for journalism colleges to fill that need. Breadth of curriculum, background of faculty, resources available at the institution, and job placements and awards received by graduates are obvious indicators of the quality of any J-school.

Among the dozens of journalism colleges in India, there are only a few that have an adequate curriculum. The Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore is a pioneer in the field of digital journalism education, introducing the multimedia stream in India. Its trainee journalists may opt to study in the Print, Broadcast or Multimedia streams and gain both a practical focus as well as instruction in sound theory. IIJNM is independent of any news agency or organisation, which allows it to tap all media sources for greater placement opportunities.

Institutions like IIJNM aim to bring about profound impact on India’s media scenario in the years to come. With improvement in the quality of journalism, we can certainly hope for superior reporting and news delivery, leading to better governance and stronger democracy in India.

About the author: Arun Thankaraj is a reporter with New Jersey Star Ledger. He has a BA in English and journalism from Bloomfield College, Bloomfield.  He frequently visits India and writes about culture, education and health issues in India and nearby countries.

 The views expressed in this article are that of the author.