Smruthi V
The face of journalism industry
as changed and so have the faces. The present generation has a different frame
of mind where it is seen that they do not want to lead a monotonous life. They
do not just want to stick to the routine where they go to college come back
home and work for college. Their focus has shifted to practical exposure
pertaining to their studies. While studying is the core part of their lives,
they still find time to work on their dreams of writing in a newspaper once in
a while. These students have various reasons but all end up to one- “Passion
for writing”.
This passion for
writing is seen in many students but there is one who is living this passion
for a couple of years and is also pursuing her education. Subhakeerthana S, as a child, had profound interest of being a part
of the print medium. “I had no one as my inspiration but I would see my dad’s
press ID and the special respect for it. Since then I wanted to own the ID and
gain that respect of being a journalist. I had started my journey with Alfa Times and today I have the
opportunity to work with 3 magazines and 1 newspaper” she shared.
A young woman who was
purely inspired by the way The Hindu
worked always dreamed to be a part of it. Srimathi
Sridharan’s dream came true when, as a part of her college assignment, she
approached the paper where she was provided with a one month internship. Her
experience with The Hindu motivated her
but she knew she was not ready yet for the paper and decided to work with
publications that would not involve her participant to her fullest yet learn
and understand the working of the industry. “It feels great to be a part of the
industry as I had heard many stories from experienced journalists and now
finally making stories of mine. I have been in the field for two years now and
I feel it’s a quiet challenging job. But I strongly believe there is a vast
scope in the field. It will never diminish as in it’s the traditional form and although
there are many new ways to deliver news, it will not die”
she said.
What happens when a
school girls sees her name in the paper under an article? Well, sparks of future
dreams had ignited. Deeptha Shreedhar,
who is currently pursuing B.A. Journalism, said that her passion for writing
started when she was completing her 12th standard. “I initially
worked for the student edition of Education
Times, Times of India. I really
felt proud as I was completing my teenage, I received a byline. This inspired
me to do something different and as a result, I followed where my heart lead
me, Journalism. I continued to work with Times of India where I got a chance to
learn a lot” she said. Talking about balance of work and college life, she
shared that didn’t find it hard to manage both college and work as the course
of journalism demands reporting and writing skills, working in a print medium helps
her excel in the field of education. “My grandfather also worked for the print
and he use to tell that it is a challenging field and you will have to do
things hard way. This scenario has changed in the recent times, it is not
necessary to travel during nights, no more low pays; you can even work from
home these days. The perception of the industry completely changes when you are
a part of it. I really feel content and satisfied working for newspaper” she
added.
Schools are churning
out more aspiring journalist than colleges as many girls who belong to the age
old industry are joining the industry while they sport uniforms and two plats. Well
this seems to be what is happening in the print scenario today as Maya Muralidharan who also started working
in the print when she was 11th standard. “I initially worked for the
student edition, Times of India. The experience added to my passion for
writing. I continued the writing after I took up my graduation education.
Through the years of work, I have understood that field is filled with easily
approachable people, friendly environment; where everyone is given the freedom
to share their ideas” she said as she gave an insight of how the industry is.
There are stories of
how many girls take up the passion to a higher level and change the society at
a young age while there are also other girls who are introduced to the industry
as a part of their educational curriculum and continue to be part of the
industry to earn some pocket money. One of who, is Mrinalini Santhanam.
Mrinalini was introduced to the industry as part of internship from her college
which led her to post of a freelance writer. “It all happened so quick, a
moment before I joined one of Chennai’s leading papers as an intern and few
moments later, I was asked to join the paper as a freelance writer. The primary
reason I rejoined was the team was very approachable but the added benefit was
that I was being paid. This helped in earning good pocket money and as a
result, the days of asking dad for money died down” she shared.
In today’s world,
students mind set have changed comprehensively. Gone are those days where
students focus only on their education. The present generation is smart enough
to plan their career as and when they pursue their education. By this way, they
find if they have interest to work in the field, gain prior knowledge about the
field, build contacts and also earn pocket money to take care of them. Girls now-a-days
are independent and choose a field they like to work for. Mere interest and
passion for writing has given way for young budding writers. Also the
educational institution where they study plays an important role in shaping
their career. Institutions making it
compulsory for practical exposure have helped a lot of young children to come
out of hesitation. The young girls are bold enough to go cover different events
happening across the city. Few feel that the print medium is a challenging field;
but are open to face the challenges. Although there are different modes of
delivering new, the print being the oldest and traditional medium has its own
place among the people and will never decline.
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