Dept of MCJ, TU organises interactive session on safety of journalists

HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Oct 15: Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Tezpur University organised an interactive session in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on the Safety of Journalists on Thursday.
The purpose of the seminar was to counter the growing threats of journalists and equip young professionals with safety mechanisms. It was an initiative to encourage students to join this profession and to promote physical, psychological, and digital safety of journalists globally.
Dr Dhanapati Deka, dean of Research & Development, and some of the local journalists of Tezpur graced the discussion with their presence for the session.
The session that covered several topics and the experiences of the local journalists provided some insights to the students.
Speaker Colin Pereira who was previously head of security for ITN and deputy head of the BBC High-Risk Team with experience of more than 15 years in shaping the risk management model for journalists operating under threat Pereira extensively discussed the CPJ records that show 2021-2022 was one of the deadliest years for Indian journalists.
“India ranks 150 out of 180 in the Press Foundation Index and Indian newsrooms and journalism organisations need the culture of safety,” he said and provided information on topics like how to assess risks and what immediate actions should be taken in such cases.
Meanwhile, Kunal Mazumdar, founding editor-in-chief of InUth.com and Catch News shared his views spoke on the rights, guide and legal aspects for journalists in India and discussed the increasing legal action and criminalisation against journalists in the current scenario and the use of laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and various sections of the penal code.
Dr Kopou Malakar, assistant professor of the MCJ department briefed about the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and how the committee deals with the hurdles faced by journalists. She also discussed how recent trends and AI-based information has changed the flow of information and created a threat to job opportunities in the field of journalism. Dr Joya Chakraborty graced the event with a speech on the risk assessment of journalists globally and the need to manage, counter and negotiate those hurdles effectively. After the discussion, an interactive session between students and speakers was also held.