09 Aug 2007|Noida

Media stalwarts spell out the mantras of success in AmityCare- Disha Leadership Series

From L-R, Ms Usha Albourque, Ms Sudha Sadanand, Ms Poonam Singh Jamwal, Mr Ranjan Roy, Ms Richa Anirudh

AmityCare, an initiative of Amity group providing career guidance to the students, organized a seminar on “Mass Communication- Journalism (Print, Television and Radio)”, which is second in the DISHA-Leadership’s Series at PHD House, New Delhi. It provided students an interface with the media professionals who dwell on the various career avenues in the field of electronic and print media and guided the leaders of India Superpower.

The atmosphere was charged with excitement and enthusiasm as Mr. Ranjan Roy, Senior Editor - The Times of India shared his views on how print journalism can be a very satisfying career, besides being a medium to highlight injustice as in the Jessica Lal case. He elucidated, “The printed word has immense weightage. As it gets printed, it carries a lot of gravitas. That is why the newspaper is the first thing that people reach out to, each morning. According to statistics an average reader spends around 44 minutes reading a newspaper as compared to last year when it was 41 minutes.” Talking about mighty power of pen he said that it helps people to stand up and be counted. It gives them life and voice, thereby making a stark difference in their lives. It is “eyes and ears”of civil society.

The atmosphere was charged with palpable excitement as Ms. Sudha Sadanand, Programming Head, Big 92.7 FM, found an instant connect with the children with her lively voice and energy. She brought forth incidents from her own experience as she dispelled the myth that a career in the media is all about glamour. Talking about the changing role of radio, she, further, said that radio came into existence with the sole purpose of entertainment but now an RJ gives a wide ambit of information on traffic, weather, movies and entertainment. Laying emphasis on the role of voice in radio industry, she said that in radio industry its only voice that connects and delivers to the people carrying out their daily chores. She announced that by 2010 there will be 300 more radio stations catering people from different walks of life.

Ms. Richa Anirudh- News Anchor, IBN7 called upon the aspiring students to be patient, determined, hard- working and courageous in order to carve a niche in electronic media industry, Citing the hardships involved in the industry she said that electronic media works 24 x 7 and there is shortcut to success.

Taking a thread from Ms. Sudha Sadanand, Ms. Mandeep Verma- TV and Radio Anchor said that radio industry is very challenging since in this industry its only voice that conveys everything- emotions, information. It caters to panwallahs as well as millionaires. It is a localized media so an RJ needs to have thorough information about his/ her city. If an RJ is not able to deliver properly, the audience will switch on to some other frequency. An RJ is closely monitored every second by the audience. So, an RJ cannot afford to be incompetent on any front.

Children were guided on diverse careers along with television and print media by Usha Albuquerque- Career Counsellor. She highlighted that curiosity and a questioning mind, are two factors imperative to journalism. “A journalist’s greatest ability is to listen. One should be able to draw people out of their shells and make them speak up”, said Albuquerque.

Col. Dargan, Director ASCO, enlightened students on the prospects of travel journalism. Stressing the importance of hard work, he said, “There is a lot of money in this profession, provided one is prepared to slog hard.”

Ms. Poonam Singh Jamwal, Director, Amity Care proposed vote of thanks and said that the series will be continued with new subjects in coming months.

Ambika from St. Paul School, Hauzkhas; Nikita Ojha and Shantanu Chandra - Amity International School, Gurgoan; Kriti Thakur- Bal Bharati; Deepshikha from Mount Carmel were awarded for “ Best Slogan” and Deepti Mallik- Moun

From L-R Ms Poonam Singh Jamwal, Col RK Dargon, Ms Sudha Sadanand

Mr Ranjan Roy, Senior Editor, Times of India addressing the gathering

Students receiving award