To continue with its efforts on the academia-industry interface and also impart practical training to its students, the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (DJMC), Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) on Thursday held a special lecture by CNN News-18 Bureau Chief and noted broadcast, Mufti Islah on “Reporting and opportunities in television journalism”.
The special lecture which was attended by both the students and research scholars of the department was a part of the department’s initiative involving academia, media students, and media industry, “DJMC Triangle: Expert Lecture Series” to facilitate industry exposure to the aspiring journalists being trained at the department.
The guest speaker Mufti Islah advised students to keep learning the advanced skills and craft of journalism to secure opportunities in the contemporary media industry. He stressed the need for aspiring journalists to be different and exclusive as a newcomer to the practical field of journalism in order to survive and sustain.
“Once you are in the field as a journalist, you need to be the best and different. In the context of a plethora of news content, your story must stand out and that is the fundamental way to create your space and niche in the news market,” he said.
He shared his field experiences as a journalist with students which mainly included his tireless coverage during the Kashmir floods and the Covid-19 situation. He advised the students that as aspiring journalists their primary efforts should be to seek unique and subtle elements within ongoing stories and debates. Focus on a unique ‘element’ within a story “The hard work you put in initially will determine your progress and growth as a journalist in the news industry. You learn as you grow in this field and it really takes so much effort and knowledge to secure your place in the news organizations”, he added.
While responding to the students’ questions about the field of journalism, Mufti said that television journalism is of course exciting however it is a bit more challenging at the same time considering the fact it is a visual medium.
“In television journalism, you cannot simply sit back and work from your comfort zone. Here you have to be in the field, physically and you try to go as closer to the subject and the situation as possible”.
In his vote of thanks, the Head of the Department, DJMC Dr. Mujeeb Liyakat appreciated the enlightening lecture by Mufti Islah. While appreciating the humanistic role played by the likes of Mufti Islah while covering human interest stories, Dr. Mujeeb invoked Joseph Pulitzer’s quote, “A journalist is a lookout on the bridge of the ship of state.
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He notes the passing sail, the little things of interest that dot the horizon in fine weather. He reports the drifting castaway whom the ship can save. He peers through fog and storm to give warning of dangers ahead. He is not thinking of his wages or of the profits of his owners. He is there to watch over the safety and the welfare of the people who trust him”.