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June 2007
Dear Students,
 Since
2000, IIJNM has made steady progress in offering an excellent journalism
curriculum suited to the practice of the profession. With experienced
faculty and state-of-the art TV and radio studios, students get
the best there is for a start in their new career. In addition to
our one year post-graduate diploma program, we now offer a diploma
program for those who have completed their 10+2 / pre-university,
and part-time study for those who are currently employed. Having
built up our reputation as one of the leading J-schools in South
Asia, we are now ready to make further contributions to strengthening
the profession and a free press. These developments reflect not
only our commitment to the profession, but also the accomplishments
of our faculty and past graduates.
This is a good
time to remind us about our mission and what you are learning here.
Journalism is a part of the liberal arts tradition. If you have
come to IIJNM to discover yourself and to learn about others, and
to tell through your work what you have learned, there is no better
journalism school in India than this institution. The business of
IIJNM is to broaden your horizon, to stimulate an inquiring mind
to search and present the truth, and to give you the skills and
tools to do all these.
And what are
we trying to teach you at IIJNM?
First, the obvious.
The craft of journalism - how to cover a story, be a good reporter,
do the research properly, and write well. We also teach you to use
the many tools of journalism such as the software applications,
how to design and layout, work with images, edit, and so on. These
are some of the essentials that you learn here. I don't need to
elaborate on them, as you already know that they are important.
What I want you to recognize is something more. We do not teach
you "what to think," but "how to think and analyze."
You must develop the skill of critical thought, and learn to examine
different perspectives and ideas. In doing so, I hope you will not
wear blinders, but turn your eyes to where they have never been
before, and learn. As Confucius said, "He who learns but does
not think is lost. And who thinks but does not learn is in great
danger."
You must read,
and re-read the great works of journalism and the great books that
expand your horizon. Mix your mind with different ideas, opinions
and thought. You must critically examine, develop your own thoughts,
and not accept blindly what you have heard or read. Remember, a
good mind is a well-trained one.
Great intellectual
skill is to critically examine, to think, read, speak and write
well - not just memorize -, and you must work hard to sharpen those
skills. I cannot emphasize more the power of reading -- of liberating
oneself from many set ideas and opinions that are born out of ignorance.
I hope you will
examine some of the crucial questions of our time affecting our
community, India and the world. The relevance of a liberal arts
education is to examine unjust acts, wrong traditions and improper
ways of life, so that you may find ways to set things right. You
must also learn to appreciate the full breadth of individual freedom
and expression, of equality, and human justice. You must grasp,
embrace and move into the realm of right from wrong. It is not about
knowing the importance of good values, but of putting into practice
in your daily lives the habits of moral integrity. One has to be
at peace with one's conscience, and be fair. As Gandhi and Martin
Luther King have taught us from their life examples, it is a moral
message emphasizing values, conscience and justice.
Learn to differentiate
between just and unjust laws, between the use of power for good
as opposed to evil and oppression, between transparent expressions
of truth versus pronouncements for propaganda, between social justice
and injustice, and between good and evil. As one of the recipients
of the Excellence in International Journalism awards, Jose Ruben
Zamora, remarked in his acceptance speech at Washington DC recently,
"The main challenge of the independent media is to limit itself
to telling the truth. To express things the way they are. From all
possible angles and view points, with no hidden agenda. It sounds
easy. But it is a difficult task." I hope you will develop
the critical faculties for making those clear distinctions, from
a moral base devoid of ignorance. I hope you will form your own
values from what you consider as right, and not simply from what
you have acquired elsewhere - at home, society, state, church, and
temple -, and leave behind the burdens of your past and not be victimized
by them.
Indian journalism
is a vibrant profession, constantly striving to find its rightful
place within a democracy in transition. The media is drawn in different
directions between its role to inform the people, and its attempt
to increase readership and viewers at any cost. Have Indian journalists
done a good job? While there have been many bright spots, in my
opinion and at the risk of offending many, the overall performance
has been mediocre at best. For over 50 years after our independence,
practically every journalist in India went along with the government's
wisdom of a socialistic economic system, to the detriment of three
generations of Indians. Even today, many journalists march in line
with the government without adequately questioning its economic
program or foreign policy. What benefits have these bestowed on
our great nation? Can we, at least now, expect our media to challenge
vigorously and constructively the wisdom and practices of our politicians
and bureaucrats?
In conclusion,
what are the vital characteristics needed of a great journalist?
Needless to say, you must learn the skills to be a good reporter
and writer. You must dig into the story, find the truth, and present
your material eloquently and interestingly to the reader/viewer/listener.
You must cultivate good working relationships with your sources
and contacts, and never rely on the easy ones, such as politicians
who will rarely tell you the truth. You must learn to develop a
sense of urgency, manage your time well, and seize the moment. In
doing all these, understand the issues that really matter to the
people, cover them well, and stimulate a dialogue with and among
your readers. Finally, you must not just be a journalist but something
more than that -- a professional journalist with personal integrity.
At IIJNM, we
strive to offer the best curriculum, and train you for a successful
career in journalism. Judging from our past graduates, the media
profession has already come to recognize the quality of our programs
and the students. I hope you will commit yourself to excelling in
this exciting career.
Thank you.
Abraham
M. George, Dean
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