Media has always impacted our
lives in a big way. The way we think, the way we dress, the choices we make, in
short our personality is to a large extent governed by media be it print media
or the television. As students studying the Language B course, communication
and media forms part of our curriculum. Bias, sensationalism and censorship in
media are topics that are part of our core curriculum.
We were given a complete tour of
the premises by Mr. Shantish Mohan Nyle who is the Head of production.
He
briefed us on the basics of producing a TV show. It was amazing to note how
five to six hours of coverage can be edited to a 20-25 minutes final
production. We were also taken to the main hub of a news channel, the studio
where news is produced, edited and telecasted live. The pulse of the studio was
almost infectious with so much happening at the same time. We saw the news
being telecasted live.
Next we were introduced to Mr.
Rahul Shivshankar, Managing Director, NewsX.
We were instantly impressed at the
ease with which he engaged us and interacted with us on a multitude of topics
ranging from Bias to censorship. This was one of the most fruitful discussions
that we had. He gave us an insight into the nitty gritties of the functioning
of a media house and also spoke of how the political parties in a country have
a bearing on the freedom of media. We were completely awe struck by his
straight forward comments on the same.
After a very engaging interactive
session, we were next introduced to Mr. Pankaj Vohra, Editor of the Sunday
Guardian. Mr. Vohra is a very senior person with a vast and immense experience
of being in this position for long. He briefed us on the nuances of reporting
and writing a news report. It was interesting to hear him share Behind the
Scene activities that are so much a part of their everyday lives.
He also
explained at length the process of news prioritization and how that affects the
placement of news in a newspaper. The session was very informative and
engaging.
