ISSTAND

As a student in a course that the Mumbai University loves to call BMM Journalism, I am constantly bombarded with ideas. Inspiring ones, depressing ones. Gory. Morbid. Intriguing. All of them either fit into the magic bullet section- quick and direct or the hypodermic needle type- slow and sleepy. Each of these ideas tug at me and say, “talk to me.”

One of the ethics that are embedded into journalists in the making is the ball talk about bias. You are supposed to be unbiased and non-allies to everything. Sounds like, “the customer is always right” That reminds me. India Today with a readership of 62,62,000 is considered a good textbook for budding journalists by many. Sure it has covered all of the events in India and internationally, but in the end it is nothing but a piece of the BJP’s mouth. Definitely right eh?

I ask myself. Will I make a good journalist? Will the background that I come from help me reach the target that I have or will it only put obstacles in my quest for growth? Where do I come from? What are my sensibilities? Whom do I represent? Am I sensitive enough to sufferings of the people or am I treading on their wounds? Do I sense the breach to dignity around me?

I am not really nervous, but sceptic? Yes. I wonder how much I am really in touch with reality. Am I just sleepwalking? And I wish I would be able to deal out an even-handed treatment to everyone and still give them enough space.

Frontline- the magazine from the Hindu threshold is applauded for the values that it holds. Yet again, Frontline talks what Uncle Marx used to talk years ago. Definitely left.

What really happens to our stand? Where do we put our feet down and stay where we are? Adamant. Stubborn to move. I say what I see. How do we really make our own stand when what we hear, see and read is treating us left, right and centre?