Hindi Journalism Day
By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 30 May: On the occasion of Hindi Journalism Day, a symposium was organised this evening by Doon Library and Research Centre on the topic, ‘Where is journalism in today’s journalism, challenges and suggestions’. This programme was organised as part of Doon Library and Research Centre’s series of events focusing on book reading and discussion, music, documentary films, folk traditions and folk arts, history, journalism and media, social sciences and technology.
Initially, on the occasion of Hindi Journalism Day, a book based on the journalism of writer and litterateur Dr Muniram Saklani was launched in the presence of guest speakers.
Eight guest speakers presented their succinct views regarding the efforts and challenges of finding journalism in today’s journalism and its paved path. Mainly this symposium focused on the history of Hindi journalism and regional journalism, media ownership, ground conditions often faced by journalism, truths of journalism, need of social media and other less discussed topics.
In the symposium, some guest speakers including journalists, filmmakers, activists and those from digital media sectors underlined the historical context of Hindi journalism in the country and globally, and journalism in Uttarakhand and the quest for commonwealth, while other speakers talked about censorship and its history. They spoke about the sting of self-censorship and silence of the colonialists as well as the state of communal polarisation in Uttarakhand.
These experienced speakers also expressed their views on minority, deprived, Dalit and journalistic silence and factionalism. The view of the speakers was that, when the media cannot stand together as the voice of the public, then society itself should need to see, listen, raise its collective voice and act. The important role of independent digital media platforms and independent journalists also came to the fore in the views of the speakers. The symposium addressed the mainstream media’s ‘loss of credibility’ as well as the changing paradigm of the financial models of media houses, historically, globally, and its resulting impact on journalism. In this seminar, important views came from the speakers on various aspects related to environmental and other investigative reporting of current journalists.
Columnist and senior journalist Jay Singh Rawat, writer and journalist SMA Kazmi, independent investigative journalist Trilochan Bhatt, journalist Rashmi Sehgal, young journalist Rahul Kotiyal, journalist Varsha Singh, working on environmental issues, social activist Vineet Panchhi, and filmmaker Shashwati Talukdar were present as guest speakers at this symposium.
The programme was conducted by social historian and independent journalist Dr Yogesh Dhasmana. On this occasion, Nicholas Hofland, Chandrashekhar Tewari, Himanshu Ahuja, Dr Vishal Singh, Sunder Singh Bisht, writers, journalists, litterateurs, literature lovers, social workers, intellectuals and library members and young readers were present in the auditorium.
