Prof. Rai introduced the topic and asked the panelists their views about a diverse range of various facets of media and journalism, including TRP, maintaining a balance between truth and the right, and how the media is thriving, being independent, and experimenting today.
Sharing his views on whether journalism has deteriorated, Mr. Satish Jacob noted that the media is facing many problems and challenges; however, this is just a temporary phase. “I believe that Indian media would return to its original form and start playing the role it is supposed to play in people’s lives – the responsibility of passing the information without any bias”, he said. Media is a part of the progress and pride of the nation, and thus, its role is a sacred one. Media is part and parcel of the regime of the country. He added that if a journalist doesn’t get freedom, the nation may not progress.
Mr. Satish K Singh shared insights on the difference between managing and manipulating media. “Media is a vast term, and journalists are a part of the media. He said, ” suppressing the truth or exaggerating facts isn’t authentic journalism,” he said. Information, disinformation, misinformation, and over information are different. Also, Propaganda, publicity and journalism are different and a journalist needs to understand the difference between these, he added.
Mr. Ajay Kumar threw light on the fact that every person has a perspective, and the element of subjectivity is significant for media houses. “Every person with a phone today is a journalist. They look at the happenings around and have their own point of view that they want to have their own identity and personality. We live in an evolving society and media needs to be reflective”, he said.
Mr. Saurabh Dwivedi, sharing an entirely different perspective on modern journalism, noted that every age is a golden age for media. “Every industry encounters challenges, and so does media. We as humans revolved other times, encountered problems, found solutions, and thrived and survived. It all depends on how media utilizes the sources”, he said. One needs to grab the opportunities to improve and experiment while in media and this would help maintain a balance in success and feeling content, he added.
The panel concluded with a Q&A.
The conference also witnessed various workshops on various topics that benefited the participants from across the nation. Prof. Saman Muthukumarana, Director at Data Science Nexus and Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba, shared insights on the Essentials of Data Analysis and Research Design. He shared information about graphical/quant tools for data analysis, R computing, etc. The second workshop conducted by Prof. Tathagatha Bandyopadhyay, Distinguished Professor, DAIICT Gandhinagar, and Retired Faculty, IIMA, focused on Small Data, Big Data, and statistics. Mr. Harshvardhan Chauhan, VP, Chief Marketing and Omnichannel Officer, Spencer’s Retail, spoke about Omnichannel Retailing and Digital Transformation. Mr. Amardeep Randhawa, Head – Monetization and Partnerships, Adani Digital, assisted by Mr. Kavindra Mishra, spoke on Challenges and Opportunities During Digital Transition to a firm (e-Business). The last day witnessed two insightful sessions. The first session by Prof. Tanvi Mankodi, Core Faculty, SPJIMR, Mumbai, gave deep insights into Researching the Dark Side of Leadership. The second session by IIM Indore faculty Prof. Jatin Pandey focused on Conditional Process Analysis.
