Is the trend veering towards students opting for broadcast journalism rather than print?
I’d put the ratio today at about 60-40 in favour of broadcast. Television journalism became a fashionable choice after the Kargil war but there has been some caution among students after the controversial reportage of the Gujarat riots. Every other journalist today seems to have a role model, usually a Rajdeep Sardesai or a Barkha Dutt or a Karan Thapar. Generation Y wants to have the excitement of being glamorous, yet making an immediate difference to society. As media education attains some degree of professionalism, including pre-admission counselling, some industry exposure etc, many students are returning to print. Additionally, the print industry has performed better than expected last year. Print students are usually more passionate journalists than ambitious mediapersons, and thankfully their tribe hasn’t seen too much decline.
