JotCast | Editorial leadership in an age of Disinformation

Editorial leadership in an age of Disinformation

epitomE

2:59

Hello and welcome to the panel discussion at the Asian College of Journalism. We have eminent speakers discuss the issue of Editorial Leadership In An Age of Disinformation.
The panellists include Pratik Sinha, Co Founder, Alt News; Dan Shelley, Executive Director - Radio, Television and Digital News Association, USA and Krishna Prasad, Former Editor-in-Chief, Outlook.
The discussion is moderated by Sashi Kumar, Chairman, Media Development Foundation and Asian College of Journalism.

3:11

Sashi Kumar is starting the discussion with a warm welcome to the panellists and students present.

3:13

He is explaining the theme of the subject and poses a question to Dan Shelley regarding the role of the editor in this digital age of Disinformation.
"Whether the role is relevant or has the privatisation of market nullified the position ?".

3:14

Panellists for the discussion today

3:15

Highlighting the importance of the role, Shelley is very promptly pointing out that, never has the role been so very significant as one has to champion the cause of free press.

3:17

Adding to it, Shelley says, "The role of the editor is to let people know that there is a cause which they can strive towards. The editor in the newsroom have news directors and it has always been their job to mark out the disinformation."

3:18

Sashi Kumar is now asking Krishna Prasad to comment on Shelley's views. Krishna Prasad is also being asked about his views and opinions regarding the relevance of the editor's role.

3:19

Prasad is stressing on the fact that the role of the journalist has become more like a watchdog. They have become "forensic scientists".

3:20

"The truth is, fake news is not a 21 st century phenomenon. It goes back to birth of Christ. It's a constant battle we journalists have fought. It's increased in this century. We have a huge role, as a journalist, a student and a citizen. Because it is a huge issue," says Prasad.

3:21

Replying to this arguement, Dan Shelley opines about the fact that even citizens and common people share certain amount of responsibilities as journalists. They cannot follow only one particular channel for gathering their news.

3:23

Sashi Kumar is rounding up the discussion so far and and is also putting forth the main questions brought up.

3:24

He is saying that the role of the editor, the importance given to citizen journalism and even the pivotal role played by social media should be dealt with very seriously.

3:26

The funding of media organizations needs to be transparent. I believe that will help encounter dissinformation .
#epitomE

3:27

Tweets from the audience at the discussion !

Pratik Sinha is now sharing his views about the role of the organisations as a whole. Giving the example of his own Alt News, he says the organisation trains the people and shows them to separate the disinformation.

3:28

He says, "In the Indian media system we need to rethink the business of media. This month we at Alt news will be paid by donations made to us."

3:29

Sashi Kumar is summing up the discussion as he says,
"So what emerges is Journalism in a state of flux, rapid change, and we have to cope with it."

"As journalists we hardly get time to check and cross check the facts."

3:31

Sashi Kumar is now asking Dan about the situation in our country, whether there is merit in fact checking and whether there are proper fact checking laws and procedures ?

3:33

Dan Shelley is responding back saying that, the situation in the USA is quite a complicated one. There are organisations to check on media. There are conservative media watch dogs.

3:34

"According to these organisations, the media hates the country. In fact they had been present during the Trump campaign."

3:35

He is also adding that
"There is a fierce competition among the journalists but there is immense solidarity when there is a case of white house attack on them."

3:36

Krishna Prasad is being asked to put this into Indian context.

3:38

#epitomE

3:39

He puts forward the arguement that in India, journalists are not judged on their merits, but only involved in profit. It seems as if all of our journalism has decided to skip the step of credibility. Apparently Oratik gets 5.5 lakh users or viewers.

3:41

Krishna Prasad also adds that in India the scenario is sad as many criminal aspects have been linked to journalism.

He adds, "The other thing I'll place before is the role of political parties especially BJP, has a big part in making fake news. Some alternative websites are breaking out and calling out the fake news."

3:43

Dan Shelley offers a completely new perspective as he relates American situation with that of Indian context.

3:44

He says Trump is in solace because of the media. He cites examples of this as well.

3:45

"They got a negetive news coverage of himslef . And again he speaks shit about media.
In his rallies, violence breaks out.
I say that the media still has its place intact.
There are news organizations who knowingly spread fake news. But there are still some of them who fight against it.
In US and in India, freedom always dies without a free press. I continue to believe that. I see this in the US. And in India i always see that media is doing its job and is independent," Shelley says.

3:46

Pratik Sinha states his opinions as he says that the government does not need the media. It is capable of achieveing goals without its help.

3:47

He cites the following examples -
"India today had a panel discussion after the sixth phase of elections. Example, Shehla Rashid. Government needs media to do bad journalism. Good journalism has come out of NRC in Assam. Right now six PDF files are viral on WhatsApp. One PDF file is dedicated to journalists who are labelled as 'Anti- Assam'. You have machines of propaganda and they circulate such stuff, if there is good journalism, this is how the govt acts."

3:48

Freedom of press is a prerequisite of any Democracy. It is indeed the forth and the most important estate of democracy.
#epitomE

3:50

Sashi Kumar very adeptly makes a remark that, "In a state of an undeclared emergency in the country, the media has lost most of its rights. However back in the time of Indira Gandhi someone actually had the guts to express the views of the media before her. Media today, it seems, has become the fifth and not the fourth pillar of democracy."

3:52

Prasad adds to the above statement saying that the reporters couldn't move freely and that people going on for 16 days without newspapers is alarming.

3:53

"The thing is, this so called national consensus that was at the time of Indira Gandhi has failed now. Now no one knows when will it happen," he says.

3:54

Evidently he connects this issue to the right wing as he says that Mukesh Ambani owns 43 news channels. So any mishap would would obviously cost him heavily.

3:55

He mentions about people being helpless when the company was at a tender stage but now there are many people helpless as not much could be done against the authorities.

3:56

Bringing in the issues going on at Hong Kong, he adds that no one could protest where the politicians attend meetings, and the scenes from Hong Kong should be an eye opener for us.

3:58

Adani, Ambani never feel the 'intolerance'. What does it speak about their relationship with the government and their priveleges? :-)

Good morning.

If a rich, famous and privileged person is feeling intolerance, be assured some of her/his privileges are taken away.

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