Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award 2014: 'Both armed forces and journalism are a mission'

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Union minister of state for information and broadcasting, today expressed concern at the falling standards of journalism in the country. "There are two kinds of journalists - snipers, who shoot and scoot without going into the depth of an article, and others, who delve deep into the subject, do well-rounded articles and whose writing you respect," Rathore, a former officer of the Indian Army, said while speaking at a function organised to confer the Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award for Excellence in Print Journalism 2014.

Drawing parallels between the armed forces and journalism, Rathore, Member of Parliament from Rajasthan, said that both are a mission - "they're a call to do something and to make a difference". During the struggle for Independence, the print media was one of the most important tools for generating opinion, Rathore said. "At that time, it was truly a mission. I am not sure it is now, but I hope it is," he added.

Earlier in the evening, Rathore presented the Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award to Sub-Editor Ashish Sharma who joined Business Standard in 2011. Sharma is the first person from the news desk to win the award. Journalistic awards are, by and large, tilted in favour of reporters, feature writers and analysts. With Sharma bagging the award, the wall that existed between reporters, whose primary job is to write, and editors, whose primary job is to fact-check, edit and polish news reports, has been demolished.

The award, given every year to a journalist under 30 years, carries a prize of Rs 50,000, a silver pen and a citation. Sharma, who is based in Delhi, is the 16th recipient of the award, instituted by Business Standard and the Nazareth family in memory of Seema Nazareth, a young Business Standard journalist who died in March 1999. The citation for the award, read out by Seema Nazareth's elder sister, Premila Nazareth Satyanand, recognised Sharma's stellar work, his journalistic strengths and multi-faceted talents. The citation added that Sharma's "observations and analysis are sharp" and that "his incisive reports on the cyber world have won much appreciation".

Rathore, who is an Olympic silver medalist in men's double trap (Athens, 2004), said what attracted him to the Business Standard-Seema Nazareth Award was that "it is associated with the memories of one of your colleagues. As an armed forces man, I can relate to that."