Digitisation brings media on one platform: Expert

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

“The content of any medium is always another medium. Digitisation has brought all media on one platform of internet,” said Prof Archana R Singh, Chairperson of School of Communication Studies (SCS), Panjab University (PU). She was speaking during a panel discussion on digital media-‘Love for Media 2.0’.

“Change is for everyone to see. Some of us are struggling with it. At PU we have been changing curriculum. We are introducing mobile journalism from the next session,” said Prof Singh.

Ashwani Singla, a PR strategist, said, “There is an erosion of trust in established institutes including government and media. We are relying more on family and friends.”

Dr Anu Dua Sehgal, social media strategist and content creator, said social media not only empowered the advertisers but people also. She deliberated upon print and social media advertising.

Fake news

Deliberating on fake news, Prof Singh said, “We have an exam on ethics where we inform about fake news. Students know the difference between the real and fake news. They can understand the PR spin and use ad-blockers more than us.”

She said fake news was not a new phenomenon and cited the case of Janet Cooke receiving a Pulitzer in 1981 for a profile of eight-year-old boy, who was heroin addict, in the Washington Post. Cooke had to return the Pulitzer after the story was found fake.

Prof Singh also cited the example of an Indian TV channel which ran a story of UFOs taking away cows and later the owner admitting that they had now changed. “DTH helps us to choose,” she said.

Social media activism

On social media activism, Prof Singh said, “It is now a new phenomenon. We have seen Arab Spring and we have witnessed Nirbhaya movement. Earlier, those who were tweeting were not protesting on roads. But now those who are on road they are tweeting and planning for the next day protest on social media.”

New addition from this session 

Prof Archana R Singh announced that the SCS would start courses on media literacy, social media, convergence journalism and mobile journalism in MA (Journalism and Mass Communication) during the panel discussion.