Have you noticed some changes on your news channels or seen some new news anchors on TV or social media? Do they seem to be a little more perfect in every way? If yes, welcome to the revolutionary world of AI news anchors, a new tech trend that’s making waves across the globe on TV and social media, including right here in India!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is basically a computer system that mimics human intelligence, learning from the pieces of information and data humans provide and improving over time. Now, just imagine if your computer is dressed up like a human being and reading the evening news for you in your language. It feels like we are talking about some fiction movie plot, but it is all happening right in front of us.

Earlier this year, India Today introduced Sana, India’s first AI news anchor, to the world. Following closely, Odisha TV unveiled Lisa, the first regional AI news anchor capable of speaking in English and the regional language, Odia. And it’s not happening just in India. From Indonesia’s TVOne’s trio of AI presenters to China’s 24/7 AI anchors, AI is quickly changing the news channels.

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Let me recall my first forays into journalism. I had just finished high school in November 1968 and was idling before college. I wrote a letter to the editor of The Indian Express. Getting a letter published in a newspaper was the closest a teenager, with no publishing experience beyond my school magazine, could get to journalism. My letter was about a Test cricketer then in the news because he was out of form. I defended him. In it, I had plagiarized words from psychology I’d seen in an article somewhere about people in any field going through cycles of “progression, stagnation and retrogression”. Big words that must have impressed the editor. My five-inch letter got published. I was thrilled beyond belief — and hooked.

Two years before that, unbeknownst to me, something momentous happened. The Press Council of India (PCI) was established in November 1966. To observe this, India quietly celebrates National Journalism Day every year on 17 November. India has a free Press. So PCI does not control the Press. It is there to protect Press freedoms; to try and maintain high standards of ethics and independence.

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If you like writing, and it comes to you without much effort, then that is a clear indication that you’re really interested in it. In this field, personal qualities rather than training are more important for becoming a good journalist. Good writing skills, resourcefulness, an inquiring and communicative nature, are essential.
There are two ways to pursue this field: after 10+2 (any stream), you can join a Bachelor’s course in Mass Communication in which journalism is also taught. Or you can join a PG diploma course in Journalism after graduation (any stream).

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“Let me go back to a fundamental thing we all used to agree on: information is power. That’s why we became journalists in the first place.”
~ Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa of Philippines is one of the recipients of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Peace, the other being Dmitry Muratov of Russia. What is special about this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is that it is after a wait of 86 years that this most prestigious prize comes to journalists. The last Nobel Peace Prize won by a journalist was way back in 1935, by a German named Carl Von Ossietzky for his “burning love for freedom of thought and expression” after revealing that the Nazi regime was secretly rearming in breach of the World War I peace accord. In a world filled with half-truths, lies and hatred, the award this year reiterates the core values of freedom, courage, truth, peace and fraternity.

Maria Ressa used freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines. In 2012 she co-founded Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism. She has shown herself to be a fearless champion and defender of freedom of expression. Through Rappler, she fought against the government’s dangerous and controversial drug policy. The anti-drug campaign of the regime was so murderous that so many people lost their lives as if the government was at war against its own people. She questioned the government policy head-on, as she says, “Any journalist who asked critical questions, anyone on social media who questioned about the extrajudicial killings was bombarded with abuse, threats of violence, death threats from trolls and bots and these fake Facebook accounts.”

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I am a student of Std XII (Humanities). I want to be an English news anchor, magazine editor or journalist but I am confused as to which one I should pursue. Please help me learn about the career options in Journalism and Mass Communication. I also want to know about the eligibility, entrance exams, and pay package so that I can take the right decision.
Namrata Yugavrata (17) / Assam

Though one of the most exacting and strenuous of all careers, journalism furnishes an opportunity for self-expression and the chance to affect social change. The prospect of meeting leading men and women is an added bonus of being in this field.

A Bachelors in Mass Communication is a three-year course, for which eligibility is 10+2 in any stream. Generally, institutes conduct their own entrance test followed by an interview for the selection of suitable candidates. The objective of these tests is to judge awareness of current events and the essential skills required for a conscientious journalist. Personal qualities rather than training are more important for becoming a good journalist.

An element of show business comes with the job of a news anchor — not only do you need to be comfortable in front of the camera, but you need to connect with the audience so that people want to watch you as opposed to your competition.

In the early years of one’s career, journalism does not pay the big bucks like other professions. National newspapers and popular commercial magazines pay the best, but of course, they hire very few people without experience. Initially, just slog on with the sole aim of gaining experience. Once you gain that invaluable experience, salaries begin to catch up very fast.

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Fake news proliferates faster than it is generated, and because of this it is trusted sufficiently to be forwarded even further, making it difficult to contain or neutralise in real time. Fake news can influence people who make decisions and this could be detrimental to individuals and to society as a whole.

Fake news is not anything new. But it has become a much-talked-about topic in our days. Fake news highly benefits from the fast pace with which information travels today, via social media, irrespective of the economic or educational background of the recipient. This means that those who are unable to distinguish fact from fiction, or have the ability to counteract it, are usually the first receivers and sharers! Fake news proliferates faster than it is generated, and because of this it is trusted sufficiently to be forwarded even further, making it difficult to contain or neutralise in real time.

Fake news can influence people who make decisions and this could be detrimental to individuals and to society as a whole. Bad decisions result in consequences that, in turn, lead to mistrust. And mistrust leads to a misinformed, disintegrated society with no stable guidelines to understand the world and react to situations that affect it.

The rise of fake news

Formerly, we obtained news from trusted sources, journalists and media outlets that are required to follow strict codes of practice. There were checks and balances in place, and editors acted as gatekeepers of information. Now, the internet introduces us to a whole new way of publishing, sharing and consuming information and news with very little regulation or editorial standards.

Most people now source their news from social media sites and networks and often it becomes difficult to tell whether these news stories are credible or not. Information overload and a general lack of understanding about how the internet works has also contributed to an increase in fake news or hoax stories. More than anything else, the contributing factor is its availability: when one can access information by the press of a button on a smart phone, why take the trouble of looking further?!

What exactly is fake news?

Fake news is a term that has come to mean different things to different people. At its core, it refers to those news stories that are false: the story itself is fabricated with no verifiable facts, sources or quotes. These stories may be propaganda that is intentionally designed to mislead the reader. These lies, told for a political or commercial purpose, deploy digital technology — social media and new networks — and go viral, to reach around the world and influence millions of people very quickly. Fake news may also be designed as “clickbait” written for economic incentives (the writer profits on the number of people who click on the story).

Fake news stories can deceive people by mimicking trusted websites or using names and web addresses similar to those of reputed news organisations. Some stories may have a nugget of truth thus making them almost believable, but on deeper scrutiny we can see that they lack contextual details. They may include basic verifiable facts or sources, but ‘expand’ the truth converting it for an agenda that deliberately misleads or ‘disinforms’.

Misinformation is false or inaccurate information that is mistakenly or inadvertently created or spread; the intent is not to deceive. Disinformation is false information that is deliberately created and spread “in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth”.

Ways to combat fake news

Media literacy
The ability to evaluate and separate fake news from real news is a part of media literacy and, on a broader level, information literacy. There are strategies that you can use to become a savvy judge of news especially online or when using social media. Here are the three questions that one should always ask when evaluating a news story:

1. Who is the creator? The first question in figuring out if something is fake is by looking at the individual who created it, or understanding the organization behind it. Can the credentials be checked? Is there a by-line or introduction, and are you aware of the person’s expertise? Is the author listed on the site, or is there an “about me” section? Does the organization have an “about us” link? Search the Internet for more information about the author. Search LinkedIn, a social media site for professionals. Is this a first-hand account, or is this being seen through the eyes of an editor?

2. What is the message? The second question in determining whether something is fake news is by looking at the message itself and understanding what is being communicated. What is the content of the message? Can I find this same news in multiple places? Do multiple places use different experts and sources in their reports? Is the website this news appears on updated regularly? What is the date of the story?

3. Why was this created? The third question in determining if something is fake news is by looking at why the message was created. Can you tell what motivated the creation of this message? Was this message created for profit? Is this news actually an advertisement? Are the sources being paid?

Let’s be responsible!

It is always a good idea to verify information before you share it with others — in person or on social media. Apart from the three questions listed above, an additional method that works is the CRAAP Test:

Currency (check the date and timing),
Relevance (why are you receiving it?),
Authority (what is the source of the information?),
Accuracy (check and re-check reliability and truthfulness) and finally,
Purpose (the most important is ‘why’ the information exists!)

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I am a student of Std X. I am interested in Journalism. I want to know what courses I should do to become a journalist. Please help me with the list of courses and colleges.
Abhismita Paul / Kolkata

Journalism is all about gathering and disseminating news and information. It is often seen as glamorous and exciting but, as with any occupation, success is only achieved after much hard work and routine activity.

You can go for a 3-year-journalism course after 10+2 (any stream). The course is called Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC), Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) or Bachelor of Mass Communication (BMC). It teaches students the skills necessary for careers in reporting, writing, and editing functions with newspapers, wire services, magazines, and special publications. In the third year, emphasis is given to field assignments and practicals. A good course in journalism gives you the chance to do an internship with some of the best names in the business, besides teaching the basic skills.

Admission is generally through an entrance test, conducted by the individual institute. The objective of these tests is to judge awareness of current events and the essential skills required to be a conscientious journalist. Personal qualities rather than training are more important for becoming a good journalist.

Some of the institutes are Department of Communication Studies, University of Pune, Pune (unipune.ernet.in); Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune (simc.edu); Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai (xaviercomm.org); Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi (ggsipu.nic.in); Asian College of Journalism, Chennai (asianmedia.org.in); Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (iijnm.org); Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi (iimc.ac.in); Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal (mcu.ac.in); AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (ajkmcrc.org); Times School of Journalism, New Delhi (tcms.in).

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I am a student of Std X. I am interested in Journalism. I want to know what courses I should take to become a journalist. Please help me with the list of courses and colleges.
Abhismita Paul / Kolkata

To become a journalist, you should go for courses like Bachelor’s in Journalism/ Mass Communication. Many corporations do not require a specific specialisation and some students do perform quite well, without specialised education in journalism. However, an advanced degree can offer an edge; it teaches the basics of journalism: what is news, how to gather information, how to think on your feet, how to conduct an interview, how to write a good story, etc.

A Bachelor’s in Mass Media (BMM) teaches students the skills necessary for careers in reporting, writing, and editing functions with newspapers, wire services, magazines and special publications. It has been designed to provide students with a firm grounding in communication skills, critical thinking and creativity. Students after completing 10+2 can join this course.

Some of the good institutes are:

• Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (jmi.nic.in)
• Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Shela, Ahmedabad (mica-india.net)
• Asian College of Journalism, Chennai (asianmedia.org)
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centres (bhavans.info)
• Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (iijnm.org)
• Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), JNU New Campus, New Delhi (iimc.ac.in)
• Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal (mcu.ac.in)
• Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune (simc.edu)
• Times School of Journalism, New Delhi

Personal qualities rather than training are more important to become a good journalist. In order to develop your communication skills, start writing — maybe for your school magazine or a website or a magazine like THE TEENAGER TODAY. Maturity, objectivity and a sensible train of thought are essential.

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Mass communication involves everything that is connected with taking a message — commercial, fiction or otherwise to a mass audience. A professional course in mass communication opens doors for a career in films and television, publishing, public relations, journalism, editing, direction, filmmaking, scriptwriting, production, etc.

Journalism concerns a narrower sphere in print, electronic or digital media that focuses on news reporting, current affairs debates and discussions. This profession consists mainly of writing, communicating news and other information. These professionals collect information by watching events, talking to people, doing research in libraries, and studying reports of government agencies and other organizations.

These are three-year degree courses after 10+2 (any stream). Some good colleges include  Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (iijnm.org); Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi (iimc.ac.in); Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal (mcu.ac.in); AJK Mass Communication Research Centre,  Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (ajkmcrc.org); Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Ahmedabad (mica-india.net); Asian College of Journalism, Chennai (asianmedia.org.in).

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Journalism is all about gathering and disseminating news and information. It is often seen as glamorous and exciting but, as with any occupation, success is only achieved after much hard work and routine activity.

Courses are available for those with 10+2 (any stream). Generally, institutes conduct their own entrance test followed by interview for the selection of suitable candidates. The objective of these tests is to judge awareness of current events and the essential skills required for a conscientious journalist. Personal qualities, rather than training, are more important for becoming a good journalist.

A good course in journalism gives you the chance to do an internship with some of the best names in business, besides teaching the basic skills. Some of good institutes are Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore (iijnm.org); Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi (iimc.ac.in); Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Ahmedabad (mica-india.net); Times School of Journalism, New Delhi (tcms.in). To study abroad, please contact the respective embassies.

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