Guwahati: National Press Day Celebrated at Gauhati University

GUWAHATI: Gauhati University's Department of Communication and Journalism hosted a full-day event in commemoration of National Press Day. Karishma Hasnat, a senior journalist was the session's keynote speaker. Filmmaker Parthajit Baruah took a class called "Meet the Director" for the students.

Among those in attendance for National Press Day celebrations were Professor Asha Kothari of the Department of English, Dr. Jagdish Sarma, Secretary of University Classes, and Professor Jayanta Krishna Sarmah, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

During her speech, Karishma Hasnat emphasised the importance of women journalists in Northeast India. She discussed first-hand accounts from her work covering conflicts, emphasizing the difficulties in reporting from the area. When she talked about the importance of artificial intelligence, she recognized both its benefits and drawbacks and emphasized its role as well as the value of taking online courses. Her speech ended with words of encouragement for aspiring journalists and insightful advice on how to interact with people effectively.

Subsequently, the moderator, Dr. Raman Bora, emphasized the widening gaps in a multicultural nation that fuel problems like social unrest and an increase in crime. He also emphasized AI's shortcomings in media practices, especially its inadequate understanding of ethics. He focused on the concerns surrounding the misuse of AI in creating deepfakes.

During the second session, Professor Asha Kothari from the English Department discussed the value of press freedom and how it contributes to the development of a democratic state. She advised and inspired the Department of Communication & Journalism students to never give up on their work, no matter what. Filmmaker Parthajit Baruah emphasized that movies can both transform and upend societies.

The department also honoured other conflict reporters who lost their lives in conflict zones over the years, including American Marie Colvin, Japanese Kenji Nagai, and Indian Najmul Hasan.

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