‘Look for Credibility and Content, Not Just Advertisement’: Prof KG Suresh

The media landscape has unquestionably evolved drastically over the past few decades driven by technology, globalisation, and shifting audience preferences, altering how information is consumed and distributed. In this context, how far our civilisational communication principles are relevant and what are the ways through which we can prepare our future generations to equip themselves to mitigate the future challenges are the critical questions. Prof KG Suresh, VC of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, tried to delve into these questions in an exclusive conversation with Prafulla Ketkar, Editor, Organiser. Prof KG Suresh also provided guidance to the students on why Journalism and Mass Communication are still a profession beyond social media and how to choose their institution while looking for admission. Excerpts:

Many times, students of Journalism and Mass Communication are curious as to why Narad is associated with these subjects. How do you see this? 

I believe that every country should be aware and proud of its own traditions, particularly in different disciplines. Our country, our civilisation have contributed immensely. And it is imperative for us to highlight this fact. While a lot of technology has undoubtedly come from the West, the underlying principles of communication have always been followed in this country. We are a nation that, for centuries, followed the Sruti and Smriti from generation to generation. Therefore, communication has been an integral process of our civilisation and we have seen that from generation to generation. While many concepts and theories about communication remain Western, Narad is one person, an entity, and a process, which is an epitome of the qualities required to be a good and powerful communicator. Let us just make some comparisons. We always say that a journalist must have contacts across the political spectrum. Think of someone like Narad, who is seen everywhere, be it with devas, asuras, manavas, and in all the three lokas. Even in the Bhagwat Gita, Sri Krishna identifies himself as Narad among rishis because of the latter’s all-encompassing presence and his communication prowess. Narad also excels in ground reporting because he always bears witness to the events he reports on. He never believed in suni-sunai; he always preferred ankhon-dekhi.

We see a changing media landscape. Be it social media and AI that seem to have revolutionised news reporting, for good or bad, we are still unsure. How do you see these developments in the light of the principles of Narad?

I sometimes wonder whether we are grooming technocrats or are we grooming journalists because of so much emphasis on technology. But then, what is media without ethics? What is media without being sensitive towards your fellow human beings? What is media without understanding the significance of our civilisation? Technology is certainly crucial, but not without the human element. We must sensitise our news through our cultural moorings, and that task cannot be left to ChatGPT. Human ingenuity must play its part. In my long experience as a media practitioner and educator, I have always realised that the value systems of any professional pursuit can be learnt by contextualising what is acceptable to the people. Our epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat are full of references to people who always abide by a code of ethics, their peculiar professional Dharma. Whether you come across a news report from Nepal, Saudi Arabia or Israel, you must be careful about the context in which that news comes to us. Narad taught us the Dharma of the profession, and technological shortcuts cannot be a barter for that.

What are those efforts that you have made in Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication to inculcate and nurture these ethics that are so dear to Dharma of journalism?

One of the challenges is surely an entirely new concept of citizen journalism, which is a Western concept that has been adopted blindly. You don’t have citizen doctors or citizen engineers. How can you have citizen journalists? You can be a citizen communicator but not a citizen journalist. Journalism is a profession which has its own ethics and codes. Recently, we had a meeting of the Press Council of India at the university to outline the general principles and minimum qualifications of the profession. We have even started Diploma programmes in Mobile Journalism by making it rigorous under some acceptable and standardised norms. We have Chitra Sadhana festivals; we also established the Department of Cinema Studies. Today, it is one of the most popular departments in the country, offering everything from Diplomas to PhD programmes. In Bishan Khedi, which is on the outskirts of Bhopal, we have established Bharat’s latest community radio station called Radio Karanveer, which is named after the newspaper run by Pandit Makhanlal Chaturvedi. We are in the process of establishing a language laboratory where we will work not only on grammar but also on articulation and accent. We are offering a range of courses to students and practitioners and ensuring that these training programmes remain rooted in the tradition of Bharatiya sambad.

There are several choices for students. Many times they go in for the wrong options because there is no appropriate guidance. Could you enlist a criterion a student should have in mind while selecting an institution for admission?

Number one is the credibility and the history of the institution. The next consideration should be whether it is a UGC approved programme or not. Then the kind of course, because all these courses are available today, should lead to a broader and brighter opportunity tomorrow. Do the institutions offer you state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technological resources and tools? What does their curriculum have to offer in terms of an applicant’s interest? Then, the question of placement is crucial. Many institutions will offer and promise you market integration, but what kinds of placements are on offer? Will it stagnate your prospects just after a few years? Consideration of the faculty members is of utmost significance. What kind of experience do those faculties have? It is also important to know whether the institution has its journals and publications or not. We have our own quarterly research journal, Media Mimansa which is published regularly and is available both online and offline. All these ideals come down to academic rigour. Most importantly, students should be mindful of the rigour and other considerations that usually fall into place. They should not be misled by the power of persuasion that advertisements and brand endorsements have. Some random institution using the name of a powerful celebrity does not make it a good institution. In fact, these are the strategies that a student studies in Public Relations and
Advertising courses.