What inspired this? An interaction with a person training to be a financial reporter. The course isn’t exactly cheap, but a limited interaction with the aspirant revealed some gaping holes in the course material. When a would-be financial reporter does not understand the meaning of basic financial ratios, it is not very inspiring.
And it’s not just about calculating them. Many senior financial journalists cannot calculate all the financial ratios because there weren’t such courses when they entered the profession. Heck, there weren’t any excel sheets or even Microsoft Word. But most of us had to tool, and many times, retool ourselves. But now, serious money is being paid for such courses. Yet, things are as bad, perhaps worse, than when I started.
When I joined the profession, there weren’t courses that taught journalism. Or, there may have been ones which I didn’t know of. After all, it was a poor and oft-labelled ‘rejected’ person’s job. Who would pay to learn journalism? Even today, in certain states, a bank peon is considered better off than a journalist... after all, there is security in his job.
Some have specialised courses that teach financial journalism and even online journalism (pray what is that).
So, what are the basic tenets of any journalism? I would believe – curiosity about everything and anything. Whether it is stock markets or human life or politics, questions need to be asked. With age and experience, one gets to understand or know what are the right questions especially the follow-up ones.
Now comes the difficult part. Once you have the answers, they need to be put in a language that people can understand. Some are very good at this, others not so.
Then, there is analysis, interpretation, arguments and so on... all of which can come only by experience. The enterprising ones achieve this experience early. The not-so-enterprising take their sweet time (Globally, there are a lot of courses for journalists who have already spent a few years in the profession, because their skills can be sharpened and the experience can be made more relevant).
So, what do journalism courses teach?
Writing? Well, if you weren’t a good writer in your school or college, there is a serious doubt whether a one or two-year course can really make you one. Let’s throw in headlining skills, report writing etc etc... but one isn’t sure how much of that can be taught unless the person is naturally skilled.
Screen presence? Yes, for television it is a must. And it can be taught.
Curiosity? You are either curious or you aren’t.
During the online boom of 1990s, an institute was planning to start an online journalism course. They wanted my views on the course which would teach web writing. My reply: There is good writing and there is bad writing. I don’t know what is web writing. I stick by that even now.
And it’s not just about calculating them. Many senior financial journalists cannot calculate all the financial ratios because there weren’t such courses when they entered the profession. Heck, there weren’t any excel sheets or even Microsoft Word. But most of us had to tool, and many times, retool ourselves. But now, serious money is being paid for such courses. Yet, things are as bad, perhaps worse, than when I started.
When I joined the profession, there weren’t courses that taught journalism. Or, there may have been ones which I didn’t know of. After all, it was a poor and oft-labelled ‘rejected’ person’s job. Who would pay to learn journalism? Even today, in certain states, a bank peon is considered better off than a journalist... after all, there is security in his job.
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But with the rise of television, increasing number of newspapers and websites in the last decade-and-a-half, journalism courses have spawned all over the country. In fact, there is enough slicing and dicing of faculties as well.
Some have specialised courses that teach financial journalism and even online journalism (pray what is that).
So, what are the basic tenets of any journalism? I would believe – curiosity about everything and anything. Whether it is stock markets or human life or politics, questions need to be asked. With age and experience, one gets to understand or know what are the right questions especially the follow-up ones.
Now comes the difficult part. Once you have the answers, they need to be put in a language that people can understand. Some are very good at this, others not so.
Then, there is analysis, interpretation, arguments and so on... all of which can come only by experience. The enterprising ones achieve this experience early. The not-so-enterprising take their sweet time (Globally, there are a lot of courses for journalists who have already spent a few years in the profession, because their skills can be sharpened and the experience can be made more relevant).
So, what do journalism courses teach?
Writing? Well, if you weren’t a good writer in your school or college, there is a serious doubt whether a one or two-year course can really make you one. Let’s throw in headlining skills, report writing etc etc... but one isn’t sure how much of that can be taught unless the person is naturally skilled.
Screen presence? Yes, for television it is a must. And it can be taught.
Curiosity? You are either curious or you aren’t.
During the online boom of 1990s, an institute was planning to start an online journalism course. They wanted my views on the course which would teach web writing. My reply: There is good writing and there is bad writing. I don’t know what is web writing. I stick by that even now.