KSMC Students Launch Communication Campaign on Journalist Rights
A group of students of KIIT School of Mass Communication (KSMC) launched a communication campaign in virtual mode on the auspicious day of Gandhi Jayanti. The campaign, titled ‘The Decimated Fourth Pillar: We make news but we are never the news’, focused on strengthening and protecting the rights of journalists. The communication campaign is a part of the course curriculum of the third semester students of Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme. The objective of the campaign is to ameliorate the dignity of journalists in the society and to develop a feeling of mutual empathy among them.
Inaugurating the campaign, Mr. Prafulla Das, senior journalist and former Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu appreciated the students’ initiative to protect the rights of the journalists. Citing a few recent examples, he showed his concern for the entire journalist community. He explained how once journalism was treated as a noble profession but gradually it lost its dignity due to various factors including the industrial and company ownership pattern. He suggested the campaign team also look into the research perspective of the issue. Mr. Das has over three decades of experience of working in one of India’s oldest English dailies.
Prof. Himansu Sekhar Khatua, CEO, SMC, SFT, SFMS and Chairperson of the event congratulated the students for launching a campaign on such a relevant issue. Dr. Bidu Bhusan Dash, Course Coordinator, KSMC highlighted the growth of the School and the various activities and programmes it has been organizing regularly. Dr. Anurag Sahu, Assistant Professor and Course Instructor, Public Communication Campaign talked about the various issues faced by the journalists and the significance of recognizing their issues and safeguarding their rights.
Ms. Kathakalli Dutta, the campaign team leader, provided a brief overview of the campaign and its objectives. Ms. Shweta Routh moderated the event, while Ms. Prachi Payal, another team member, screened the logo of the campaign and a few posters made by the team. Mr. Pravat Kumar Mishra, a member of the campaign team, proposed the vote of thanks. Students and faculties of KSMC and other colleges and universities were present at the virtual session.