JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), one of the private universities in India, hosted an insightful Two-Day International Conference on Ethics in Research and Principles of Ethical Journalism & its Impact on Society. In the keynote address Mr. T. R. Gopalakrishnan, Consulting Editor, Citizen Matters & former editor, The Week, stated, “Goal to reveal the truth is a fundamental duty of a journalist.” He further advised the students, “Start your morning with a newspaper. Do not rely on the internet and social media for news.”
In the inaugural address Col. Hon. Dr. N. Sundararajan, Pro-Chancellor of Jain (Deemed-to-be University) emphasized on, “Education will liberate you from instinctual to intellectual and from intellectual to institutional level so that you all become useful to your family and your nation at large.”
Further, Dr. Jose Nandhikkara, Regional Director, Globethics, reiterated, “Ethics is caring for others and to begin with least, last & lost.”
Dr. Dinesh Nilkant, Director, CMS Jain (Deemed-to-be University) reminded the students, “For every action, there is a reaction and for a reaction, there is a social media intervention and overreaction.”
Dr. Bhargavi D. Hemmige, Chairperson, Conference organizing committee and HoD, Dept of Journalism and Mass Communication, while delivering the concept theme emphasized, “the need for ethical journalism in the present day’s media ownership context, as they seem to be in the hands of political parties and corporate houses.” Further, she expressed that the next 2 days the deliberations and discourse will be on how to practice the journalism and media ethics of 70s and 80s, which was practiced by journalists like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, which culminated in bringing down the president Richard Nixon’s govt.”
Dr. Shyamali Bannerjee, Conference Convenor & Associate Professor, Dept of Journalism and Mass Communication, added, “The international conference received about 150 research papers and out of which 70 research papers were selected for the presentations at the session, with scholars presenting from countries across the world.” Also, the “Best Research Paper” will be awarded a cash prize.
The conference encouraged the students, scholars, and prospective authors to present their research papers and case studies with the aim of identifying challenges of research ethics, understanding the impact of ethics, elaborating the needs and demands of ethical journalism, and analysing ethical and legal inadequacies.
Day two of the conference will witness dignitaries like Shri Uday Mahurkar, Information Commissioner, Govt. of India, Journalist, Political analyst, and author; Dr. Luis Miguel Cardoso, Adjunct Professor, University of Lisbon, Portugal; Dr. John Methuselah, Training Manager, Axis Bank, Bengaluru, Prof. Sanjayan T.S, Assistant Professor, Goa university & Resource person, MGNCRE Ministry of Education, Govt. of India; Ms. Christine Housel, Donor Relations & Strategic Partnership, Geneva, Switzerland.