Are we up to the mark?

After spending two years in MCJ department of Mangalore University, can a student easily walk into a news room and perform the tasks bestowed on him/her?

I feel, that’s the question we have to consider and discuss seriously on the occasion. Technology is growing rapidly and today’s software turns obsolete tomorrow. Moreover, web journalism is gaining prominence day by day. Is our MCJ department considering these developments seriously?

Moreover, good command over English is the need of the hour. Even for vernacular journalists, just Kannada is not enough to survive in the media industry. Especially when it comes to translating a copy (translation business is also a lucrative segment nowadays) or interviewing a person who does not know Kannada, the vernacular journalist faces tough time if his English is poor. Therefore, the MCJ department needs to think seriously on this matter. 

Another issue is, industry-academic interaction. The more the industry-academic interaction, the higher the chances of understanding the requirements of the industry. It not only improves the practical knowledge of the student, but also enhances the job opportunities.

And the most important aspect is managerial skills. As I know, when semester system was introduced in 2004, a subject on management was introduced in the MCJ department. But the media schools in general have not taken the need of managerial studies seriously. Instead, the theoretical aspects of media (and to some extent technical skills) are given utmost importance. When a student begins his/her career in the media field, technical as well as theoretical skills come handy for him/her. When he/she is promoted to a higher level, the journalist becomes a manager also. If he is a poor manager, he fails as a journalist at this stage, though he is good in his editorial jobs. Because, at this stage he starts managing men. If he manages men well, he has every chances of reaching the top management level of the organisation. At this level, his/her task is to understand the policies of the employers and implementing them in the organisation. I am not attempting to draw parallels between Columbia School of Journalism and Mangalore University but just trying to throw light on some of the areas where we could or should improve. 

Melvin Roshan Mendonca

Senior Sub Editor,

Daily Tribune,

Bahrain

00973-35386573