A career in journalism brings together a lot of aspects that require you to be on your toes at all times. If you have a love for language, reading, writing, love to always be vigilant about what goes on around you and above all, feel a sense of social responsibility, then the job of a journalist is for you. Journalists are of different kinds; some are reporters, writers, editors, and photographers. The Glow & Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) encourages all women that aspire to become journalists through providing expert career guidance and free online courses on the subject.
To understand in detail about what a journalist's job entails, we spoke to Disha Shah, who works as Correspondent at Mirror Now- Times Television Network. She came across as a self-motivated woman, who strongly believes that the job of a journalist is solely to bring the truth before the society, and not to influence the thought process of the citizens in any form. Speaking to her enriched our knowledge about journalism.
Here are some excerpts of the interview we had with her:
Q) What inspired you to choose the job of a journalist?
Ans: It was my father from whom I drew inspiration to become a journalist. My father was a huge follower of the news that was broadcasted on TV and would always keep watching it. I grew up seeing this and was hugely influenced by the sight of reporters standing with a mike, interviewing people. I saw reporters interacting with so many people, asking them questions and traveling to so many places in the world. This thought stayed etched in my mind as I grew up. I was also extremely driven towards doing something for the society and bringing the truth of the matters in front of them. So, after my 12th standard, I decided that I wanted to join the BMM (Bachelors of Mass Media) course and take up journalism later. My parents were extremely supportive of my decision.
Q) What are the primary qualities you think a journalist should have?
Ans: A journalist should always be at the top of her game. She should be extremely vigilant about what is happening around her and the world, at large. Being passionate about reading, traveling and writing help a lot. We have been taught in our classes that journalists should never give their opinions on TV, and should only do the job of bringing truth in front of the country. She should respect her work a lot and also not take it for granted.
Q) How do you ensure your work is accurate and factual?
Ans: This is the most important part of our job. The only way to ensure that our work is accurate and factual is to access information from reliable sources. Getting the right sources is a very crucial part of the process for us.
Q) How would you manage the stress of tight deadlines?
Ans: We, as journalists, have to meet deadlines, sure. But more importantly, we have been taught that getting the right information across to people is more important than broadcasting any news on TV just in order to meet deadlines. Basically, we only focus on delivering true stories even if that means that we are not the first to bring certain out news.
Q) How do you stay informed on the news and current events?
Ans: I remain constantly in touch with people from my fraternity in order to keep abreast of all the latest news and happenings. I read a number of newspapers every day and browse the internet for news.
Q) What motivates you as a working woman?
Ans: I would like to say that times are changing and I don't face any discrimination based on gender at my workplace. In this career, value is given only to good quality work and dedication and nothing else. For creating such a balanced environment at work, I would like to applaud Faye D'Souza, Executive Editor of Mirror Now, who motivates all of us to invest our faith entirely in truth and focus only on covering stories that need to be told. The undying passion for my work and guidance from my seniors and colleagues keep motivating me to do better always.
The Glow & Lovely Careers strives to encourage more people like Disha to come forward and achieve their dream goals.
