Srinagar, Mar 19: Department of Convergent Journalism (DCJ), Central University of Kashmir (CUK) organised two extension lectures Friday, at the varsity’s Tulmulla Campus. The lectures given by noted Media expert Prof. Ujjwal Choudhry and PR and advertising expert Mr. Aditya Chatterjee was attended by the students and faculty.
Prof. Choudhry is Pro Vice Chancellor, Adams University, Kolkata and Mr. Chatterjee is Vice President, Adfactor- PR Agencies, Mumbai.
Prof. Choudhry spoke about the impact of Covid on the media and entertainment industry. He said the pandemic left many horrible imprints on the human population world over, but at the same time there were some positive fall-outs of it as well. “Globally people lost jobs, experienced death and pain because of the pandemic, but crises also taught us many important lessons. Our media production and consumption patterns were altered, we learnt the value of compassion over competition and conversation over communication,” he said.
Analysing all the sectors of Media and entertainment including advertising and Public Relations, Prof. Choudhry highlighted how digital media penetration destroyed old structures and created many new structures which led to new opportunities in the media. “Limitations cannot become an excuse for growth. As young students you should not waste your time by complaining about everything, but should try to look for opportunities to strive to put whatever little you have to the maximum possible use,” Prof Choudhry remarked. He said the future of media lies in convergence. He advised students to enhance their skills and try to make engaging and impactful content.
During his session, Mr. Aditya Chatterjee shared his experiences and insights from the industry. He said that besides journalism, Public Relations has a promising career potential and urged students to focus on this sector as well. He advised students to take internships in the PR sector before joining the industry in order to learn the modern trends in the field. Mr. Chatterjee also discussed different case studies from the corporate sector.
Both lectures were followed by interaction sessions in which students asked questions and shared their perspectives with the experts.
Speaking on the occasion, Dean, School of Media Studies, Prof. (Dr) Shahid Rasool told students to take advantage of the new opportunities being offered by the digital platforms in the fast converging media landscape and prepare themselves well for the industry. He expressed happiness that two leading experts from academia and industry interacted with the DCJ students and assured that more such programs will be organised in future.
Head Department, DCJ, Dr. Arif Nazir conducted the proceedings and also presented the vote of thanks.
