A VIRTUAL LECTURE BY NAVJYOT RANDHAWA Virtual lecture on ‘Future Issues and Challenges in Media’ Friday, 11 December 2020: VIBGYOR and an Audio and Visual Club of the Department of Journalism and Mass communication, Goswami Ganesh Dutta Sanatan Dharama College, Chandigarh organised an interactive virtual lecture on ‘Future Issues and Challenges in Media’. Renowned news anchor, TV Today Network Ltd, Ms. Navjyot Randhawa was the resource person on the occasion. Speaking on the importance of skill development in the present time, Ms. Randhawa stated, “Journalism is very different in the classroom and the field. I started my career in the year 2000 and we used to write scripts on paper. Times have changed today. We need more skilled people.” Seniorr. Assistant Professor at India Today Media Institute, Mr. Abhishek Srivastav further emphasised the need for developing basic computer skills, written and oral communication skills, team work and problem solving silks among journalism students. Answering a query on ethical challenges on digital platforms, Ms. Randhawa shared, “We can all be reporters today as all of us have smartphones. We can create content and one click can make it viral. But what is required is knowledge of media laws and ethics. The biggest challenge of the future is to maintain credibility as a news source. There is a lot of fake news circulated on digital platforms. In the race to disseminate news, one may sacrifice proper research.” The session included a discussion on the coverage of the farmers’ protests taking place at present. “As a reporter I am responsible towards my channel as well as my country. I should not say anything that spreads hate or misinformation. The focus should be on facts. The media needs to act as a medium between the people and the government. The media can play a great role in helping the voice of the farmers reach the authorities”, Ms. Randhawa said. Ms. Zoya Ahmad Husain, Senior Faculty at ITMI also laid stress on the importance of maintaining balance in a story. Dean and Director of ITMI, Dr. Dhruba Jyoti Pati, stated, “We have a responsibility to educate and mentor students to guide them for their future. We sincerely compliment GGDSD college for taking initiatives to bridge the gap between the industry and academia. There is a great need for career enrichment in order to engage young minds.” Mr. Anand Khare, Marketing Manager, ITMI also participated in the interaction. Dr. Priya Chadha, HOD, Department of Journalism thanked the guests and informed the participants about the introduction of the skill-oriented course B.Voc. in Media and Entertainment to be started by GGDSD College in the forthcoming session.