Guest lecture on 'Ethics in Journalism'

Friday, January 28, 2022

Guest lecture on “Ethics in Journalism”

The first and the second year students (Batch of 2024 and 2023), Department of Journalism Lady Shri Ram College for Women attended a guest lecture on ‘Ethics in Journalism’ on Friday, January 28, 2022. The lecture was taken by Vaishnavi Kanugula, a Public Relations professional, public speaker and a media consultant. She is an alumni from the batch of 2018, Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College For Women.

The lecture aimed at understanding and exploring the ethics which are necessary in the domain of journalism and media practices. Not only did the students learn about the technicalities of the media space, but also realized the importance of nurturing soft skills and practical know-how in the pursuit of becoming a journalist.

The session started with the introduction of the Right to Freedom of Expression and Speech, and how journalists have this very significant right of asking questions and collecting data. There was an extensive discussion about the word ‘Ethics’, and its components and elements which affect the working of a journalist, the media industry and the country. Further, various relevant examples were taken up which made it easy for the students to comprehend and evaluate the importance of ethics in the professional working sector.

The discussion was framed around the dynamic nature of media, and how ethics are the sole basis of maintaining people’s belief and trust in the media. Students were intrigued by the nuances of media ethics and came forward with questions about privileges, duties and responsibilities of a working media professional in a democratic country like India. She shared her experience of working as a PR professional, and the challenges posed by the pandemic in her career. The students also discussed the working of the whole media industry.

As the interactive session commenced on standards of ethical principles, Dr. Vartika Nanda, the Head of the Department of Journalism, added her valuable insights about the topic. The speaker cleared a series of doubts that students posed about the obstacles they face in their classes as freshers and how they can improve their answer formation skills for upcoming papers and research work. Reading more books was given much importance so as to build knowledge and write more efficient answers.

The session came to be interactive and fruitful for the students, and they remained participative throughout the lecture. The students expressed their gratitude towards Dr. Vartika Nanda and the Union for organizing the guest lecture.

Written By:

Ananya Sharma and Namrata Verma

Batch of 2024

BA (Hons.) Journalism

Lady Shri Ram College For Women, University of Delhi