"Introduction to Journalism" is a core paper in BA Honours Journalism course of Delhi University. There are 36 students in the class of Journalism at Lady Shri Ram College. Classes started from 4th August. Here is the feedback of the students.
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12 comments:
After a month of attending classes for the paper— "Introduction to Journalism", I have learnt about many new things which I previously had little or no knowledge of. A prime example of such learning would be, the different ingredients of news along with its various components. Adding more to that, I also learnt about the difference of hard and soft news with examples from newspapers as well as what importance each holds. The lecture containing explanations on "attribution", "embargo", "verification" were also unique and interesting to me. Another unique concept that we were taught was the "5ws and 1h" method of writing news stories. The practical classes that we attended were informative as well. For our first practical, we had the opportunity to learn about making dummy newspapers in group setting, which was, once again, a fun and engaging activity accompanied by figuring out how to set the layout for the newspaper.
Overall, we have had very interactive classes with our professor packed with practical assignments and hands-on-learning.
— Chandrani Mondal.
It has already been a month since the classes for first years began for the students of B.A. Journalism of Lady Shri Ram College for Women. After a month of classes for the paper of ‘Introduction to Journalism’, I have learnt of many things that I previously had little to no knowledge of. We learnt about the different ingredients of news, while some of them were quite obvious like timeliness, verification, etc; the points about conflict which makes a certain incident newsworthy. The existence of a backgrounder for news articles was a new concept to me as I was unaware of what the term meant and what its purpose was before attending my IOJ classes. Other news related terms that were new to me were attribution and its types and embargo—which was explained to us in class by Vartika ma’am. I like how the IOJ classes are very engaging whether it's a lecture, practical or a tutorial class.
By geet-
After a month of attending classes for the paper Introduction to Journalism, I can confidently say that the journey has been both enriching and eye-opening, providing me with knowledge that I previously had little to no exposure to. The classes began by introducing us to the core foundations of journalism, including the basic yet crucial ingredients of news, which helped me understand how a news story is built and what makes it relevant to an audience. We also learned to differentiate between hard news and soft news, supported by practical examples drawn from newspapers, which gave me clarity on why certain news items demand immediate reporting while others are more feature-oriented or human-interest based. The concepts of attribution, embargo, and verification were also taught, and I found these to be particularly unique and interesting because they highlighted the ethics and responsibilities that come with being a journalist. Another engaging part of the syllabus was the 5Ws and 1H method of writing, which reinforced the importance of clarity and completeness in reporting. What made the learning process even more impactful was the way theory and practice were integrated into our classes. For instance, in our first practical session, we were given the opportunity to create dummy newspapers in groups. This exercise not only tested our understanding of layout and structure but also emphasized the collaborative aspect of journalism, as we had to decide on content placement and page balance together. It was both fun and challenging to work on setting up the newspaper’s flow while keeping in mind the importance of headlines, visuals, and spacing. Through these activities, I realized how much thought and planning go into something we often take for granted as daily readers. The interactive nature of the lectures, coupled with hands-on assignments, made the sessions highly engaging and participatory, ensuring that learning never felt monotonous. Overall, this month of learning has given me a strong foundation in journalism, introducing me not only to its technicalities but also to its ethical and creative dimensions, and I am eager to explore further in the coming months.
Jiya Raj
It's hard to believe that it's already been a month since I joined this college and came to Delhi. It's been a very interesting month, here at LSR, learning and growing in ways I never had experienced. In the classes of ' Introduction to Journalism', I have had the opportunity to learn various new topics and subjects in a deeper level and with great understanding. We had very interactive classes on the topic of news, its definitions, Hard news, Soft news, uses of internet, Ingredients of news, components of news, 5 W's and 1 H and many more intriguing topics. These classes are led by professor Vartika ma'am. The assignments given are very effective and efficient in the learning process as well. There's no lack of resources or help needed to excel in my subject. I think the classes and the university itself is a great place for acquiring numerous skills and knowledge. I hope to be more resourceful and mindful about the opportunities I get to fuel my learning and personal growth.
My first month in college has been full of learning and adjustment. Everything feels new with the classes, teachers and friends. I learned how to manage my time better, attend lectures regularly and speak up in discussions. Slowly, I am becoming more confident and I feel my communication skills are improving which is very important for a journalism student.
In Introduction to Journalism, I understood what makes news important. Hard news is serious and urgent such as elections or accidents, while soft news is lighter such as entertainment or lifestyle. I also learned that news must be accurate, truthful, balanced and timely. Things like importance, conflict and human interest decide whether something is newsworthy. The parts of a news story including headline, lead and body help make it complete. I also practiced using the Five W’s and One H which answer every basic question in a report. A new concept I learned was the embargo which means holding back news until the right time.
This month has given me a strong and exciting start in journalism.
By Priya
In my first month of journalism class, I gained a clear understanding of what journalism really means and why it matters. I learned the definition of journalism and how it works as a bridge between events and the public. I understood the ingredients of news, like timeliness, proximity, oddity, conflict, and human interest which made me see how journalists decide what deserves attention. I also discovered the importance of attribution, as giving credit to sources is what makes a report trustworthy. The ideas of fairness and balance showed me how essential it is to present every side of a story without personal bias. I also learned to distinguish between hard news, which include serious and urgent reports and soft news, which focuses more on features and entertainment. Learning the components of news such as headlines, bylines, and leads made me realize how structure shapes clarity.
The most exciting part was our practical newspaper-making activity. I created pages on entertainment, sports, and politics, covering topics like the Asia Cup, Taylor Swift, Sayara, Handloom Day, Ukraine-Russia relations, and even the local street dog issue. This activity made me feel like a real journalist, it was challenging but fun to bring different stories together into one paper. I realized how theory and practice complement each other, and I enjoyed working creatively while learning teamwork. This month not only gave me knowledge but also built my confidence and made me more curious about the world of journalism.
My first month in college has been a mix of excitement and adjustment. Everything feels new—new people, new routines, and a new sense of responsibility. One class that really stood out to me is Introduction to Journalism. I realized journalism is more than just writing stories; it’s about telling the truth and giving people the information they need. We talked about accuracy, fairness, and the role journalists play in society, which made me see the news in a different way. I also learned how important it is to fact-check and write clearly so people can understand. College has already pushed me to grow, but this class especially made me curious about how words can make a real impact,The class showed me how much effort goes into fact-checking, researching, and writing clearly. Overall, IOJ opened my eyes to the real purpose of journalism and made me appreciate the role it plays
As of 30 August 2025, I have completed one month in Dr. Vartika Nanda’s Introduction to Journalism class. Owing to this experience, I believe that this class has certainly been enlightening and empowering for me. Over the past one month, I have studied and, most importantly, deeply understood concepts and like Embargo, Ingredients of News, Types of News, etc. I have come to truly appreciate the importance of things like Attribution, Brevity, Prominence, etc. and realised that there are so many technicalities, intricacies and challenges that go behind putting a news story together, no matter how simple and to-the-point it seems.
Having learned so many new interesting things in just the span of a month, I am immensely excited to go through the coming months in the class and walk out with so much more knowledge and understanding of the subject.
- Lavanya Shah
The first month has been a wonderful learning experience for me at Lady Shri Ram. Even though, before formally starting my studies about journalism, I already had a good understanding of what news is, this paper Introduction to Journalism has given me a much deeper perspective on what news truly means. Now that I have started with this paper, I have gained clarity on the nature of news, the difference between hard news and soft news (which was completely new to me), as well as the basic components of a news story.
Terms like verification, balance and fairness, dateline, credit line, and byline were ones I had always heard about, but the way this paper explained the subtle nuances of each has completely changed the way I look at the news-making process. Among all the topics, attribution and embargo interested me the most, as they were entirely unfamiliar to me before. Lastly, our discussions on the 5Ws and 1H, the inverted pyramid, and the use of the internet have been the most engaging and enriching part of the lectures so far.
After a month of attending classes for Introduction to Journalism, I’ve understood that news is simply about sharing important or interesting events with people in a way that is true, clear, and useful. I learned the difference between hard news (serious issues like politics or crime) and soft news (lifestyle or human-interest stories). For something to qualify as news, it must be timely, close to people, impactful, or unusual. Journalism stresses verification, unlike social media where misinformation spreads easily. I also realized how freedom of speech for Indian youth must come with responsibility. A news story is built with a headline, byline, dateline, photos, attribution, and balance. Lastly, every report is guided by the 5Ws and 1H, ensuring fairness and trust.
Overall, these classes taught me that journalism is about truth, fairness, and responsibility.
Srija Minz
The first month of Vartika Ma'am class, Introduction to Journalism has provided me with comprehensive and well rounded knowledge of basic concepts in journalism. One of concepts this class taught me is verification of news. It is of grave importance that one verifies the facts written in the news story. Otherwise, there is a high chance for misinformation to spread rapidly. Verification gains the trust of the people as well as maintains credibility. Components of news, Attribution, Balance and Fairness. These elements should be used to ensure that a news story is all encompassing the multiple perspectives of the story as well as not attatching personal feelings and opinions to the story, so it remains unbiased, and therefore, news. I also thoroughly enjoyed the newspaper making practical. It provided me insight into the process of newspaper making, from the selecting the topics, research, keeping in mind to cover a wide a range of topics to engage a variety of audience to deciding on photographs, which adds to a news story and increases credibility.
Riya singh
In Vartika Ma’am’s Introduction to Journalism class, I had the opportunity to learn the fundamental concepts that form the backbone of journalism. One of the first things we studied was the ingredients of news, which helped me understand what makes an event newsworthy. She also explained the importance of the 5Ws and 1H—Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How—which are crucial in ensuring a story is complete and accurate. We explored the difference between hard news and soft news, which clarified how news can either be fact-based and urgent or more feature-oriented and human-interest focused. Along with this, we learned key terms such as attribution, the practice of crediting sources; embargo, which taught us about the timing of news releases; and verification, which stressed the importance of accuracy in reporting. Finally, in our practical class, we created a newspaper in teams, which gave us valuable hands-on experience and enhanced teamwork.
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