MEDIA
As long as democracy is alive, journalism lives: Faye D'Souza
www.edexlive.com | January 23, 2021
The Flame University Purpose Summit is being conducted for the first time this year over a span of two days — Jan 23 and 24. Faye D'Souza, Gagan Narang and Rahul Ram were at a panel discussion
Journalism is a crucial profession to the country, more so, at a time like now, this profession is what the country needs more than ever, said Faye D'Souza, now an independent journalist and former executive editor of Mirror Now. "As long as democracy is alive, journalism lives. Similarly, journalism is needed to keep democracy alive in this country. For young people now, it might be difficult to imagine life as a journalist but it is the need of the hour," she added while virtually speaking at the Flame University Purpose Summit 2021 on Saturday.
Faye was speaking at the virtual summit along with Rahul Ram, Indian bass guitarist, social activist and music composer and a part of the band Indian Ocean and Olympian Gagan Narang at a panel discussion on Alternate Careers. The Flame University Purpose Summit is being conducted for the first time this year over a span of two days — January 23 and 24, 2021. It will bring together prominent public figures from all walks of life, discussing various facets of purpose and how it is the driving force that shapes the actions of individuals, institutions, nations, and the world at large.
With the battle against fake news, pressure from government authorities, Faye emphasised on the importance of independent journalism at this juncture. "The move from traditional media to social media has helped me a lot and it can help others too. Through the internet, we can create spaces where good journalism can function. We are able to honest work, all of it using the internet and with the help of our laptops. I have tremendous hope for this industry," she added.
Speaking about the kinds of pressure in the television industry or in journalism as a whole, the former news anchor added, "I didn't have the freedom to do what I wanted to and that's what made me leave Television. There is this needless pressure on employees to put out the news before anyone else. I don't think it matters to the audience, accuracy matters more. And the angry format is unhealthy, that when I think in retrospect is not a way to deliver information. We want to make a difference in people's lives and that's why e do our job. It is possible to change the world with good journalism. But advertisers do not care about the quality of the programme and that often leads to the abandonment of accuracy."
The three panellists agreed on one thing — there is no shortcut to hard work and you should always be prepared for rejection. Emphasising on this Rahul Ram said, "Some youngsters want to become an instant hit. If you want to enjoy yourself, are passionate about a kind of music, then you should know that nothing worthwhile will come easy. I would say now young people have way more opportunities and they should make use of it. Give it time and if it doesn't happen, move on."
Agreeing with this, Faye added, "Young people wish to get to the top faster. But you can't possibly expect to reach the top in your second year, the idea is to enjoy the journey instead of trying to reach the destination sooner." Gagan Narang added that one should find motivation in the little things in life. "Dedication and hard work determine one's speed of getting to the top," he said.