Journalism and its relation with languages
Media is referred as an extension of us that is actually an extension of communication or language. It has always been a matter of discussion that journalism training should be language neutral or not. Though people in India speak various languages and they can seek education in their preferred language by the trainers. In fact, aspects like newspaper management, theory of communication and familiarization with the media technology can also be imparted or training being given in any medium. However, if we give a closer look to it, we would come across to the various flaws that are associated with it.
If the students of Hindi Journalism are being given Information Technology education, to some extent getting education in their own medium is not difficult. But an educator trained in English may find it difficult to train the students in an Indian language. Obviously, it would be difficult and practically impossible to train each of the student sitting in a class of twenty people in different languages and to address their individual needs. Though many agencies, government as well as non government, are imparting IT education under official language promotion programme, where as only a few of those organizations offer training in Hindi or other regional language.
In an attempt to promote other languages and realizing their importance, it is important for the trainers as well to have a complete knowledge on Hindi and other Indian Language software, how to use a keyboard to type Hindi or other language to perform the task of computing in Indian languages. And not only writing or editing but reporting also demands the same ideologies to be put in the language related skills. It requires the deep grounding in the language used by people and the language in which the journalists speak. Language is significant and it does make visible difference. If we ask any communication professor to give two lectures on the same topic using two different languages, we can mark the difference very well.
Hence, the training in journalism should be given in different languages as the very nature of journalism and the way to address media requires different approaches towards the journalistic activities.
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