Journalists should respect their profession: Dr Sanjay Dwivedi

Ranchi: Former director general of Indian Institute of Mass Communication Dr Sanjay Dwivedi asked the Ranchi University Mass Communication department alumni to respect the profession of journalism as it is different from other professions while addressing alumni meet as chief speaker.

“Ordinary people do not come into the profession of journalism. It is for them who have the capacity to raise their voice against those matters which are not good for society. It is a job for those who have fire in their hearts,” Dwivedi said, supporting his statement by quotes of litterateus, Sanskrit scholars, Urdu poets.

Dwivedi, who is known for many literary works across the country, said credibility and ground connectivity are the most important things in journalism. Presently Rishi Narad as an example he said that the ascetic was equally respected by Gods, Demons and human beings as he used to keep on roaming in ‘Trilok’.

He asked journalists to pay attention to ‘samvad’ not on ‘samachar’. He explained ‘samvad’ as the means to find a solution while explaining ‘samachar’ as matter with negative values.

“We Indians believe in ‘Samvad’ not in ‘Samachar’,” he said.

Dwivedi also expressed his concern over the standard of debates on TV channels. “In India there was a tradition of ‘Sashtrarth’ to find solution to any problem but nowadays debates are organised on TV channels not to reach any conclusion to all continuation of differences,” he said.

State finance minister Radha Krishna Kishore was present as chief guest on the occasion with former department director and senior Hindi litterateur Dr. Rita Shukla and Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University (DSPMU) Vice Chancellor and south chotanagpur commissioner Anjani Mishra.
Hundreds of old students participated in the programme. Students remembered their old days. Senior journalist of Jharkhand and first student of the department Anuj Sinha narrated the memories of his student life.

The Finance Minister assured proper support to the department.

“I will take care of every need of this department, you tell me your needs. I will help immediately,” he said.

He said he remained present in the programme devoting times as he did not come to attend functions as minister but as a journalist.
“If I had come here as a minister I would have left the programme just completing the formalities of lighting of lamps but as I consider myself a journalist, I am here to listen to scholars of my field. If I had not been a politician, I would have been a journalist,” he said.