Blog on Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Series

International School of Media and Entertainment Studies (ISOMES) paid a tribute to Shri Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi by organizing a series of webinar for its students from January 5 to January 8, 2021. His contribution in the field of journalism is immense and cannot be ignored in these challenging times. He was an ideal activist journalist who used journalism to aspire political engagement and develop critical thinking among the masses as he went onto sacrifice his life for communal harmony.
The first Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi in Champaran (Satyagraha of 1917) began after Vidyarthi started to serially report on the plight of Indigo farmers of the region. Similarly, his reporting of Bijolia peasant movement in princely state of Mewer, brought it on the national platform.
He also played a pivotal role in organizing and propagating the famous Awadh peasant-tenant movement and the Eka Movement. He was also one of the leaders of the Kisan Sabha in Kanpur. Besides from organizing peasants and raising their issues, he was also involved with the working class movement, especially in the city of Kanpur which during his times was an industrial city. Vidyarthi established the Kanpur Mazdoor Sangh in 1928 and fought for their rights.
The Partap regularly carried the plight of Kanpur millworkers who had to work overtime, were paid less than the minimum wage and had to live under pitiable condition. That was the power of his journalism.
Paying tribute to his icon, veteran journalist Shri Q.W Naqvi known for changing the dynamics of TV news spoke extensively about how things have changed since the advent of digital or new media and how challenging was the task to change the interface of TV reporting and News presentation in modern times. He also imparted a few journalistic intricacies for reporting responsibly.
Shri Manak Gupta, Executive Editor, News 24, imparted an in-depth knowledge on the skills of screen presentation and how important the pronunciation is for the anchor or a news presenter. Being a fitness freak, he also gave tips on how to keep oneself healthy and presentable in front of the camera. Senior journalist presenter of evening programme – Mahaul Kya Hai fame Shri Rajiv Ranjan extensively discussed the opportunities, importance and challenges faced during the field reporting. He told students to verify the facts beforehand and then report on the issue because a lot is at the stake for a journalist. Agreeing with him, another stalwart of TV world, Shri Saud M Khalid, Anchor, News 24, spoke about the changing dynamics of anchoring as they are the faces of the channel and masses believe in every word they say on the TV. He further added that a reporter or an anchor has no room for errors. Hence, reporting or presenting news is a greater responsibility of a journalist.
As they say language and diction are the bread and butter of the anchors, Shri Om Prakash Das, Senior Anchor, DD News- taught students the importance of pronunciation. He gave several examples for pronouncing the words correctly with different variations.
A special lecture was delivered by Ms. Asha Jha, Anchor, News 24 on the role of women anchors and how they have contributed in streamlining the news anchoring. She discussed how the perspective towards TV presenters has changed over the years and how people look at them now in comparison to earlier times.
She cited the examples of DD News anchors of 1980’s, who became a role model for many women to pursue their career in TV anchoring and reporting.
Meanwhile, on the last day of the webinar, Professor Sarvesh Tripathi, GGSIPU, spoke about the significance of development communication in the field of Mass Communication. He taught students on how policy makers engage in the dialogue with the stake holders to establish conducive environment for building a healthy society.
Last but not the least, there is no news without the entertainment world. Shri Ashwini Kumar, Entertainment Editor, News 24 explained the 3Cs of entertainment programming, i.e., Choice, Convenience and Control, which is vital for both content and consumers. He also imparted a few tips on how to cover entertainment field.
For aspiring journalists, meeting and hearing from their icons is not less than a dream come true. The students were elated and enthralled to attend this special series with the who’s who of Journalism. The series concluded with a Q& A session.