'Ads are boon, bane for news industry'

 
Delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM) here, he said, “Advertising has become the key to the growth of the newspaper industry. It is a double-edged sword. The space that is sold to the advertiser has, unfortunately, in some newspapers become the one that decides the content,” he said.

He advised the IIJNM students on the acumen that a journalist needs to possess and what it is like in the real world of journalism.

He advised the students to be objective in their profession.

“Today, journalists from some of the regional papers have become quite close to political parties and leaders. You, as the future of this field, are at the crossroads in choosing the path of objectivity or bias,” he said.

Social responsibility

On media’s social responsibility, he said while some papers manage to do it well, others are not so good at addressing the issues.

The role of a journalist does not differ from that of any other working class citizen in times of recession, he felt.

He urged the management of the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media to upgrade the syllabi and address the true world of journalism.

“I have been in this industry for the past 26 years. Its part of the family business and has never been boring. That is the best part of this profession,” he said.