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The definition of a “great journalist” differs from person to person. For some, holding a higher position in the media house as a journalist could be termed as that while for others it could be unveiling any truth. However, the goal that pertains in all is the same: To be Satisfied. 

It takes more than just headlines to be a great journalist in India today, truth, skill, adaptability and ethics. This is how students can achieve success in journalism with the support of the current facts and standards.

1.Begin with the Right Education

You have to have passed 10+2 ( Class 12 ) with 50 per cent marks in any stream (Arts/ Commerce/ Science) to do journalism. There are common bachelor degree courses like BJMC (Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication), BA Journalism, and BSc Media Science. The course lasts about 3 or more years. The best colleges can demand entrance exams such as CUET, IPU CET or the exams of a particular university. Others provide merit places.

2. Learn the Core Competencies

Contemporary reporters should be excellent in reporting, news writing, podcast, short news, storytelling, as well as creating multimedia content, and should be motivated by deadlines.

The key to success is knowing digital mediums, including news websites, social media (such as X, Instagram, YouTube), and podcasts, and today it is as important as print and television. Additionally, you have to be very fluent in English, Hindi, or local languages (based on your target audience) as it is highly crucial.

3.Gain Real World Experience at a Young Age

Intern in newsrooms, TV studios, radio, magazines or digital news portals. Involvement in the practical fieldwork, internships, and campus media enhance your capabilities and make you more employable. Build a digital portfolio, such as blogs, videos, or podcasts with your student reports that show your ability to employers.

Workshops & Networking are also a vital part. This includes going to journalism workshops, events, and seminars to develop knowledge of industry trends and contacts.

4.Follow Journalism Ethics and Integrity

As the world advances, the need for being ethical becomes a necessity. Due to the overwhelming percentage of unethical acts such as murder, scam, etc, it becomes a  duty of a journalist to stay unstained by corruption, follow the righteous path and ensure the news are factually, morally, and ethically correct. 

A great journalist is not the one covering hot news, but the one ensuring that each one written is well-researched, cited correctly and not assumed. Staying away from sensationalism and privacy invasion are two major signs of a great journalist. 

5.Use AI and technology 

Use AI research tools, grammar checkers, fact-checkers, and content management solutions to streamline your processes and become more accurate. Learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in order to have your articles appear on Google higher in the search results aka SERPs. Use keywords, brief headlines, and meta descriptions for written news.

Quick SEO tips For Aspiring journalists 

• Avoid vague keywords, focus on your present keywords like journalism degree in India, how to be a journalist in India, journalism courses after 12th.
• Write clean headlines and summaries.
• Make your article easy to read by structuring it using headings and bullets.
  Research and remain current

Read the news every day, both national and international because knowledge is your best friend. You can learn data journalism, video reporting, web design, or digital storytelling through short-term courses. Ask editors, mentors, and professors to give you feedback regularly to hone your style, delivery, and impact. 

       Understand the Indian Media 

Indian journalism is about presenting to the readers a wide variety of topics such as politics, business, sport, entertainment, science as well as local/community news. Adjust your orientation and never disregard cultural or regional differences. Understand the Indian media laws, copyright and digital media policies that can help you report safely and legally.

       Career Development: Prospects and Problems

Journalists may work on newspapers, television, online, radio, PR and so on. Several of them even transform to become editors, anchors, digital content leaders or free-lance writers.

Lastly, problems…how will you cope with the challenges in the industry? The industry is competitive and fast-paced-i.e. great journals emerge as credible, multifunctional and lifelong learners.

Tips for being a great journalist

• Don’t pursue a “tag” but career satisfaction. 
• Learn, and learn more everyday.
• Keep yourself in loop with current affairs. 
• Invest time in discovering things that the world needs to know.
• Integrate modern technology with the foundational requirements of journalism.
• Build a diverse network and stay connected with people. 
• Understand the requirements of the target audience and serve it ethically. 

So, to conclude, all the aspirants seeking to become a great journalist in India should blend a factual education from the right colleges, digital and ethical skills, hands-on experience, and a commitment to learning, adapting and. Remember: the best journalists are those people who are curious, responsible, and always pursue the truth, no matter how the media transforms

Are you a young Indian student with a vision of a career that is exciting, where what you say is heard and you get to unravel stories that transform lives? There is no better time now than ever to pursue journalism and mass communication, and APG Shimla University may be the university where you pursue it to turn your passion into a profession.

Why Do Journalism Aspirants Find APG Shimla University Special?

1. Practical Journalism Courses

APG Shimla University has: 

• BA (Hons) in Journalism & Mass Communication (BAJMC): A hands-on four-year course which does not only focus on news writing but on digital media, photography, radio and TV production, promotions, PR and advertising. In your first semester you have an opportunity to work with real equipment and to deliver real stories. 
• MA in Journalism & Mass Communication (MAJMC): It is also a two-year course that refines storytelling, digital tools, and investigative journalism skills in those students who wish to specialize. 
• PhD in Journalism: In case you are interested in making some contribution to the media by doing research and generating new ideas, it is the program you need.
• Certificate Courses: Fast-track specializations in areas such as radio, video editing, content creation, and ad-making that are ideal if you want to enter the industry quickly. 

2. No Dry classes with ONLY theories! 

At APG, one gets the following:

• Full-scale media labs, radio studios and digital editing labs.
• Field reporting, on-site putting on workshops with journalists, being in real newsrooms.
• Internships in large media brand names- get the exposure that makes your resume shine.

3. Expert faculty 

The teachers at APG are experts who have all the valuable knowledge one needs to be at the top of the journalism field. They outline realities in the newsroom, approaches to social media, and the right way to create a great portfolio.

4. Self- Development & Support

Journalism is about confidence and communication. Campus life at APG is vibrant with debates, festivals and media clubs being run by students, you will not feel out of the loop. Have a question? You always have mentors and peers willing to help you. 

5. Value-for-Money to Students

The journalism studies at APG University is of world standards and affordable to Indian families. It would not cost you your dreams in exchange of money because of scholarships and the possibility of paying in terms of installment.

Why is APG Shimla University the popular destination of successful young journalists?

• Practical learning not just theoretical . 
• By the time you graduate, you have networked within the industry.
• You develop the competence to work at any location: in the newspaper, television, YouTube, digital media, social campaigns, or PR.
• The beautiful and safe campus of Shimla will mean you can concentrate on studies and creativity.

APG Shimla University knows the aspirations, needs, and queries of the Indian students. In this case, you are not another number in a roll, but a future journalist whose voice can change something. The practical and mentoring-based training ensures you grow both as a media professional and as an individual, ready to take on the rapidly evolving media field.

Following the arrest of an assistant professor on a charge of sexually exploiting a girl student, Gangadhar Meher University put out an announcement asking students to desist from spreading false information or identifying people on social media or group sites.

In a formal advisory on Friday evening, the university requested students not to speculate or post unwarranted content on the case. "Since the case has been directly reported to the police, we do not have details of names of individuals except for the prime accused. Naming any individual, speculating and posting unverified information could cause harm to individuals and also to the institution," the notice read.

The students were instructed to stay clear of rumours and internet speculation and concentrate on studies and the developmental activities of the university.

The latest advisory of the university seems intended to check misinformation as administrative and legal proceedings take their course. This is exactly a day after the university's internal complaints committee (ICC) called for an emergency meeting to discuss campus safety following the arrest.

The meeting resulted in a series of institutional actions including advisories to faculty members regarding professional behavior, hostel awareness campaigns, issuance of informational leaflets and periodic monitoring of ICC activities. Contact information of ICC members was also released by the university so that students with difficulties could find access easily.

Conversely, in the backdrop of the ongoing probe into the behavior of the accused assistant professor, there is a growing need to probe his background and validity of his appointment at the university. After the accused teacher was appointed at GMU in 2020, he had been challenged by one Sambhu Sankar Deep of Balangir in the high court. Deep accused that while he possessed a PhD and the accused was only NET-qualified, the latter had been appointed as assistant professor - indicating a procedural fault.

The arrest of the assistant professor has also fomented a political spat on the campus, with the ABVP accusing Suna of having connections to the BCJD. The student group pointed to his earlier social media posts containing BJD leaders and BCJD members as proof.

Accused Gopikant Suna (32), assistant professor of the department of Education, was arrested on July 17 on the complaint of a 20-year-old second-year BA BEd student who accused the teacher of repeatedly exploiting her on the pretext of marrying her. Suna has also been suspended pending further proceedings.

A 19 year old teen in Bangalore was arrested for uploading secretly filmed, objectionable videos of women to instagram. This is a concerning case that has raised serious discussions of social media impact, privacy issues, and seeking popularity online.  

What Actually Happened?

The accused, Dilavar Hussain MD, was an Instagram user and ran a page called Dilbar Jaani-67.  He recorded women without their permission in open places such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Church Street, Koramangala and Indiranagar. The uploaded videos were posted with the hashtag, ‘Bangalore Night Life', which was reportedly meant to grab the attention and the curiosity of the users of social media.

Hussain, a food delivery agent born in Manipur, has posted over 14 of such videos within three months. The information came to the notice of the police through routine surveillance and within record time a complaint was booked against the pernicious trend under the Information Technology Act, Section 67 that punishes the publication or transmission of obscene material through computer resources.

Social media and the cult of followers

The era of the digital age experienced a generation of content creators overstepping ethical lines to gain Internet notoriety:

1. Popularity and Peer pressure: Attaining followers has now become a show of status, which encourages people to go to very extreme measures in the name of sharing something trending.
2. Algorithm Rewards: The algorithms of any social media are inclined to reward the sensational or controversial post with more access and visibility, in case the post is inappropriate.
3. Anonymity and Easy Access: The convenience of anyone to record and share the contents of their mobile devices combined with the perception of anonymity encourages individuals to violate privacy regulations.
4. Attention Economy: Likes, share, and follow are now considered a sort of digital money, which in most cases can be above legal or moral issues.

Real-World Consequences

Legal action is swift, as seen in this case, with the police acting on their own without waiting for a victim's complaint. Arrests and FIRs disrupt the lives of the accused but also creates a powerful deterrent signal to potential criminals. Victims may feel distress and lose trust in public spaces.

Increasing trend: Street Life Content / Night Life Content

This sharing of videos that shows the city night life also referred to as street life is usually done at the cost of one person and this has caught pace on social sites. Hashtags and tendencies, such as #NightLifeBangalore is meant to feed the curiosity of the digital audiences, yet, there are certain cases when it crosses a line between amusement and invasion.

Bengaluru Police Response 

• The Ashok Nagar Police are keeping vigil on social media and acting against these online crimes.
• During this case, law enforcement officials immediately asked Instagram to delete the offensive profile.
• These are similar arrests that have been conducted in the recent past showing effective law enforcement.

Social Media responsibility is important

The case is a lesson that seeking online fame should never trump the concern of privacy and legality. What happened in Bengaluru is not an isolated event, but it is a turning point when the online community needs to take a hard look at the content that is regarded and promoted. Saving face of the people and the community is still more significant than popular hashtags or a viral status. 

The government of Tamil Nadu formally opened the Chennai Institute of Journalism (CIJ) in an attempt to consolidate media education and train generations of future journalists from the state and the nation as a whole. Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (PGDJ) classes will begin from the 2025–26 academic year.

The institute, to be established under Section 8(1) of the Companies Act, 2013, will be a non-profit one. It was approved administratively with a budgetary outlay of ₹7.75 crore and its establishment was announced for the first time in April by Information and Publicity Minister MP Saminathan at the state Assembly session.

Emphasizing the government's dedication to media literacy and professional education, Minister Saminathan had announced that the institute would be a center of excellence in training journalists, research, and development, offering quality and affordable education to aspiring media practitioners with varied backgrounds.

Seasoned media professionals will run the institute. N Ravi, Director, Kasturi and Sons Ltd and ex Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, has been named as chairperson of the board of governors. AS Panneerselvan, ex Readers' Editor of The Hindu, will be appointed the Director General.

As much as having a vision to be the benchmark in journalism education, CIJ has to provide a study programme that combines traditional journalism principles with contemporary digital media qualifications.

CIJ's timing is timely, considering journalism education in India is currently under the limelight for requiring a make-over and improved industry-academia connect. The state government initiative is being seen as an attempt at re-fashioning media education with stable leadership and popular support

Everything is about AI in this era; be it writing a birthday wish, a legal report, or the speech of Indian ministers. Using AI for all of this isn’t wrong. Back in the days, calculators were looked down before being allowed in the classes. AI tools are going through the same phase. However, all the visionary and future experts are learning AI tools in ways that will equip them with  the skills they need to flourish in the AI-driven world. Due to this, a new job role has emerged: AI Reporters. There are some early signs one can experience that can signal they are meant to pursue this future-proof career. 

Who is an AI Reporter?

An AI reporter is any reporter who employs the array of conventional storytelling techniques and who is also intellectually conversant with artificial intelligence, describing it and, in some cases, exploiting it to cover the news, to explain data sets, and to convey in a readily understandable manner, complex technological trends. You can write about the effects of AI in everyday life, reveal algorithm discrimination, or even work directly with AI to bring more informative and timely news.

1. You are Naturally Curious about Technology

When there is a new application or some kind of technological trend, do you tend to be one of the first to use it among your friends? Do you like sharing these tools using a discourse that everyone could grasp?

The main indicator is natural interest in the way things operate, especially in the technological field. In AI reporting, you need to question such things as:

1. What impact does such an AI tool have on the lives of the people?
2. What are the drawbacks and benefits of AI in society?
3. Can you simplify complicated technological concepts to tales that all viewers will understand?

In case you are intrinsically interested in the world of technology and enjoy exploring why things work the way they do, you are most of the way there.

2. You Have a Flair of Making Things Simple 

AI reporting does not only mean making a technology more comprehensible; it means to make it accessible.

You may be a good fit to this job in case:

• Classmates and friends consult you in case they are trying to figure out complex concepts.
• Heavy issues such as machine learning, AI chatbots or virtual reality may be reduced to examples in real life.
• You like to eliminate jargon and make your words clear, whether written or spoken.
• AI reporters can be considered as links between the technical environment and ordinary citizens bringing knowledge and power to all.

3. You Believe in Responsible, Honest and Honest Journalism

Speed and ethics have to be balanced among the AI reporters. Why? Due to the fact that good and bad effects of AI can spread throughout society.

Signs you have this trait:

• Verification of facts is what you value and you want to be accurate in each story.
• You know about privacy, media law, algorithm bias, and care about making reports legal, as well as ethical.
• You reflect on the implications of AI on news and you are eager to make your news coverage trustworthy.
• When you identify with these, then you have the ethical orientation necessary to pursue this line of work.

4. You Love Learning and Ability to Adapt New Tools

Do you like the possibility that your career will never get stagnant? The AI is developing rapidly and AI journalists have nothing to stay behind.

The following things are what distinguish future AI reporters:

• Passion toward life long learning. You are okay with studying additional courses, watching explainers, reading techblogs.
• You view change as a possibility and you like to acquire new tools either data analysis software, AI chatbots, or investigative systems.
• You are informed about the latest trends, i.e. AI-generated content or tools against Fake News.
• This is a high-paced area that will keep you raring to go provided you are adventurous enough to be in an uncomfortable zone.

5. You Know the Human Element of Technology

The finest AI reporters do not forget that there are real people behind each algorithm and code.

You have this people-centered perspective:

• You like to talk to all sorts of people, both the makers of technologies and the novice users.
• Your stories beg the question, how can this AI affect the people and societies?
• You would like your journalism to be used as a voice, otherwise not included in the tech revolution.
• To make technological issues accessible, human stories told by AI reporters seem closer to the audience.

Why should the AI generation break-free from the old school doubts? 

Do you feel the burden of criticism by the older generation every time you open an AI tool? There is nothing you are wrong about. Journalism Ai is a real thing, a real career field. The opinion storm is just a mammoth (the elders telling that one can never do any work when they take shortcuts, that AI is making genZ lazy, and pointing out that these tools will take our originality away).

It is time to be realistic even though their opinions are not completely wrong. They were brought up with the era of results being hours of hard work, pages and pages of hand written notes and the success came through a slow-and-steady approach. However, the world today insists on having lightning speed results. Information travels quicker than ever, opportunities are coming and going within a few seconds, and being late will not matter anymore because if not A then B or C is always there to fulfill the needs. 

Can humans have robot-like speed every time, every second? Obviously not! You are not a machine, you are human. It is impossible to work as hard as the AI tools do to accomplish a task in minutes with proper research, fact-checking, and  creative approach. As a journalist in a populous country, you cannot let a news article become stale or left unheard just because you need time to manually draft it. Speed is the new currency when you are competing over internship, grades and even attention online. Speed without genuineness is of no use. This is where the power of AI comes in providing one with the power to validate your facts, to build fact-oriented arguments and produce formidable new ideas at a superhuman speed. 

When some traditionalists are dealing with a new approach like Journalism AI, they will always say, “That’s not how we did it!” Yet the fact is: one cannot get ahead without AI. And you cannot let their opinion rewrite your generation’s requirements because then you will be going backward. You should not allow yourself to be hopeless about your digital potential due to some old rules. Make AI your personal power-up, it does not make you less genuine, but it makes you unstoppable. Play the rules, bust the old-school guilt, and claim your AI advantage because the future is with those who had the guts to have the speed and deliver the facts authentically. 

Why are AI reporters the future of news media?

AI reporters are the new leaders of the journalism field. The current reports might be using the old means but in about 2-5 years the AI will become a necessity. AI reporters are individuals who have decided to keep up with the AI-driven world. They are not robots working on laptops, instead they are narrators and have knowledge on how to make use of all the tools they have. Whenever there is big news, AI assists them to monitor the news on a real time basis, find out some of the concealed facts and discover new perspectives that were previously unidentified by others. But the heartbeat of their reporting? That’s still their own questions, instincts, and caring for the reader.

Ethical Journalism Matters for AI Reporters

AI simplifies and accelerates the process of digging through piles of data in order to decipher some pattern, verify information in countless websites, or travel to a time-sensitive story where the clock is ticking. AI does not exist to take all the attention or let the stories be bland. Rather, it assists the AI reporters:

• Dig deep to find stories that no one is telling in the conundrum of information that whirls every day.
• Speak truth more quickly to avoid missing out vital information.
• Attain access to a greater number of people with the help of lightning-fast updates, but never forget to check facts to remain factual and credible.

Perhaps, one is concerned that by introducing these new tools, news is less human. But the opposite is true. The thing is that AI provides modern reporters with freedom as to what truly matters: to ask a smart question, listen to each other face-to-face, and write a story that evokes emotions, sincerity, and even hope. Reporters are not out of their creative fire; they are only ensuring the world is exposed to this, just when it happens.

Frequently as questions

• Can anyone become an AI reporter?
  Yes, with curiosity about tech, communication skills, and a desire to learn, you can begin your journey.
• What skills do I need to be an AI reporter?
  Strong research, writing, digital literacy, a basic understanding of AI concepts, and ethics in journalism.
• Is there a future for AI reporters?
  Yes, the AI reporter job role is a new job coming into existence. The salary could be lucrative too. 

So, dream of a journalism AI career where you chase big stories, reach millions, and stay proud that people read and listen to you because your words can lead him/her somewhere and change his/her life. Reporting in the future is not only a matter of speed but an era to be more human than ever before with all the right tools, heart, and hustle. Don’t let the old school thinking hold you back. Identify the signs that indicate your potential as an AI reporter and pursuing Journalism with a future-centric approach.