Punjab Newspaper

School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, in collaboration with the ICSSR (North Western region) is holding a regional seminar on the topic Media that Matters: an Industry-Academia Interface at the ICSSR Hall, Panjab University, Chandigarh. The theme for the one day seminar, scheduled for March 30, 2009 from 10.00 am to 4.15 pm, is chosen with the objective of bringing together professionals from the media industry and from the media education sector onto a common platform.


Education is the backbone of every profession and when that profession is meant to serve people, education is all the more necessary. Media has the distinction of being the fourth pillar of democracy and it is their duty to serve the people. Media education has recently gained momentum and with good reason, media is the single largest opinion maker in our society and hence people joining it need to have a strong ethical and moral background. Education provides the solid footing required to be a good media professional, to distinguish right from wrong and to use the platform provided to benefit the maximum number of people.
Media in India today, holds immense power and with that comes great responsibility. Educated media professionals are fully equipped to handle this responsibility and work while keeping the greater interest in mind. Media Education is a continuous and creative process. Its aim is to develop the capacities latent in aspiring journalists and to coordinate their expression for the enrichment and progress of society. Media education is like a creative process; it helps in achieving an essential harmony between faith and reason, encourages the free investigation of all reality and trains the mind to recognize truth, irrespective of its origin. It not only increases awareness and knowledge about media industry and professional ethics but also acts as an important safeguard for press freedom, media independence and pluralism. It makes the budding journalists much more aware and informed about important issues making them more objective, responsible, fair, honest and accurate in their approach. Media education is not only desirable but indispensable in today’s age where information is available instantaneously and from innumerable sources. When the obligation lies with individual professionals to do right by the people of this country, they need a sturdy and stable backing, one that can only be provided by getting an education in all forms of media, be it journalism, advertising or public relations.
It has been observed that there is a dichotomy between the two- media professionals and media teachers, in the sense that people from the industry feel that what is taught in colleges and universities is of no relevance and is far removed from practice. On the other hand, academicians feel that the lowering of industry standards is because the foundations of theory are forgotten or ignored by the practitioners.
The seminar will be an attempt to bridge this gap by bringing together representatives from both academia and industry. Prominent media persons from various newspaper, television, radio, advertising and public relations organizations in the city are expected to participate and brainstorm with mass communication teachers from universities of the region. This is a first of its kind forum provided by the School of communication Studies.
During the course of the seminar, the following issues will be discussed:
Status of the media industry
Quantum leap in job opportunities and salary packages Need for continuous skill up gradation in the light of market dynamics Responsiveness of training institutes to industry demands Conformity of course curricula with industry standards. Role of the academic sector in giving the industry what it needs rather than wants.
Editors, Print, TV and radio journalists, Public Relations and Advertising professionals would be presenting their views on the occasion as would academicians from the Journalism and Mass Communication departments of the city colleges and Punjabi University, Patiala; Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla; Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar; Kurukshetra University; Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak; Bundhelkand University, Jhansi and Chaudhary Devilal University, Sirsa.
The Seminar would be inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University, Prof. R.C. Sobti, Padma Shree. The keynote speaker (Academia) would be Prof. B.K. Kuthiala, Director, Institute of Mass Communication and Media Technology, Kurukshetra Universitywhile the keynote speaker (Industry) would be Mr. Uttam Sengupta, Associate Editor, The Tribune according to the Chairperson, School of Communication Studies, P.U.