Ramnath Goenka Journalism Awards highlights: President Ram Nath Kovind was the chief guest at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards that was held in New Delhi on Monday. Speaking at the event, President Kovind said journalism should be without fear or favour and its fundamental commitment should be to truth above all else.
“In the din of the ‘breaking news’ syndrome that has consumed the media now, this fundamental principle of restraint and responsibility has been undermined substantially. Fake news has emerged a new menace, whose purveyors proclaim themselves as journalists and taint this noble profession,” President Kovind said.
“It is a difficult challenge to sustain good journalism and also remain profitable. A section of the media has then taken recourse to entertainment in the name of news. Stories exposing great social and economic inequalities are ignored, and their place is taken by trivia,” Kovind further said.
From stories told from jungles deep inside Bastar that often get lost in the State vs Maoists binary to those that tracked rising instances of sexual assault on minors; from some of the biggest newsbreaks of the year to investigations that highlighted gaps between claims and numbers — these are some of the works from 2018 that were rewarded.
Ramnath Goenka Awards highlights: Administered by the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation, the Awards have become the most important event in the media calendar.
Viveck Goenka, Chairman of the Indian Express Group, during the opening address at the event, said that award ceremony was a testament to the fact that good journalism was still alive. He said that as many as 922 entries were received by the jury. “We are here to applaud the finest in journalism. Learning is the heart of good journalism too. This evening is a testament to the fact that good journalism is all alive. This year we had a record of 922 entries,” Goenka said. Here is the full video of his speech:
Raj Kamal Jha, Chief Editor of The Indian Express, spoke on the recent controversy over Pakistan poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem Hum Dekhenge. “In the recent Tu tu main main main over Faiz’s Hum Dekhenge on TV, a telling line slipped away – the one in which he links main and tum,” he said. Here is the video of his address:
President Ram Nath Kovind, who was the chief guest at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards held in New Delhi on Monday, said journalism needs to reclaim its values of honesty and fairness if it wanted to stay relevant. He also touched upon the menace of fake news and various other topics. Here is the video of his speech:
"If journalism has to remain relevant, it has to retain its sense of mission, it has to reclaim its values of honesty and fairness. It has to, 24 by 7, reinforce its compact with citizens: that it will not bend, that it will always fight for truth no matter what the consequence, and that it will remain committed to finding the truth without fear or favour," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"Ponder for a moment as to what Goenka-ji would have done, had he encountered a crisis of credibility on account of paid news or fake news. He would never have allowed the situation to go adrift and initiated measures for course correction for the whole media fraternity. There is no doubt that journalism has been passing through a critical phase," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"Journalists tend to wear many hats in the line of their duty. These days, they often assume the role of an investigator, a prosecutor and a judge – all rolled into one. It requires a great deal of inner strength and incredible passion for journalists to play so many roles at a time to arrive at truth. Their versatility is praiseworthy. But that prompts me to ask if such a sweeping exercise of power is accompanied by genuine accountability?" says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"Technology has given rise to a new breed of journalism which stands in contrast to traditional journalism. This development has revived the old debates about the status of facts and opinions, about credibility and authenticity. What is desirable is objectivity, which allows journalists to be open to facts, and present all sides of a picture. Fidelity to facts, digging for truth and keeping one’s lens clean and sharp is imperative," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"In the din of the 'breaking news' syndrome that has consumed the media now, this fundamental principle of restraint and responsibility has been undermined substantially. Fake news has emerged a new menace, whose purveyors proclaim themselves as journalists and taint this noble profession," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"A journalism without fear or favour; its fundamental commitment to truth above all else. When he suspended the publication of the paper during the Quit India movement, his editorial spoke of 'the heartstrings, not the purse-strings'. Over the decades, the Indian Express group has truly evolved itself into an institution that encompasses the best values and traditions of journalism. It has cultivated a culture of irreverence towards authority and sought to practice journalism by speaking truth to power," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"It is indeed an elevating experience for a humble Ram Nath to participate in an event named after the redoubtable Ramnath whose stories of fight against oppression and persistence for truth are stuff of legend. But what I do – and all of us must – share with Goenka-ji is his passionate nationalism. I ardently share his dream of a strong and prosperous India," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
"When the Group Chairman, Viveck Goenka, met me to extend the invitation, on a lighter note, he reminded me of the fact that I share my first name with Ramnath Goenka-ji. I said, yes, it is a pleasant coincidence in which, I am sure you all would agree, I have no role to play," says President Ram Nath Kovind.
President Ram Nath Kovind begins his address at Ramnath Goenka Awards. "These awards honour those journalists from print, broadcast and digital media who have maintained the highest standards of their profession and, despite immense challenges, produced work that sustains public trust in the media and impacts the lives of people," says Kovind.
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In the photojournalism category, the winner is: C Suresh Kumar, The Times of India (Print/Digital)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Books (Non-Fiction) category, the winner is: Gyan Prakash (Print)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Civic journalism category, winner is: Aniruddha Ghosal, News18.com (Print/Digital)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Politics & Government category, winners are: Sushant Kumar Singh, The Indian Express (Print/Digital); Moumita Sen, India Today TV (Broadcast); Shikha, India Today TV (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In investigative journalism category category, winners are: Teena Thacker, Mint (Print/Digital); Poonam Agarwal, TheQuint.com (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Uncovering India Invisible category, winners are: Hina Rohtaki, The Indian Express (Print/Digital); Asmita Nandy, TheQuint.com (Broadcast); Meghnad Bose, The Quint.com (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In business category, winner is: Nidhi Verma, Thomson Reuters (Print/Digital)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Environment, Science & Technology reporting category, winners are: Mridula Chari & Vinita Govindrajan, Scroll.in (Print/Digital); Sarvapriya Sangwan, BBC News Hindi (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Reporting from Conflict Zones category, winners are: Dipankar Ghose, Indian Express (Print/Digital); Dheeraj Kumar, Doordarshan (Broadcast); Late Achyuta Nanda Sahu, Doordarshan (Broadcast); Mormukut Sharma, Doordarshan (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In the Regional category, winners are: Anwesha Banarjee, EI Samay (Print/Digital); Saneesh TK, Manorama News (Broadcast)
President Ram Nath Kovind is now presenting the Ramnath Goenka Awards. In Hindi category, winners are: Diti Bajpai, Gaon Connection (Print/Digital); Shadab Ahmad Moizee, TheQuint.com (Broadcast)
Chief Editor of Indian Express Raj Kamal Jha begins his address. "Good journalism listens to both the 'mai' and the 'tum'. Doesn't ask for any identity proof," says Jha, referring to Faiz's poem 'Hum dekhenge'.
Viveck Goenka, chairman of the Indian Express Group, says good and excellent journalistic work needs to be nurtured. "President Kovind's presence will enrich our mission and encourage the winners of tomorrow," says Goenka.
Viveck Goenka, chairman of the Indian Express Group, begins his address. Viveck Goenka, chairman of the Indian Express Group, begins his address. "We are here to applaud the finest in journalism. Learning is the heart of good journalism too," says Goenka. "This evening is a testament to the fact that good journalism is all alive. This year we had a record of 922 entries."
The RNG Award winners were chosen by an eminent jury that included Tom Goldstein, Professor and Dean, Jindal School of Journalism & Communication, O P Jindal Global University; S Y Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner; Pamela Philipose, journalist and Senior Fellow at the Indian Council of Social Science Research; and, former Supreme Court judge, Justice BN Srikrishna.
This time, the RNG Awards have categories covering critical areas in print, digital and electronic media, including business and economics, political reportage, civic journalism, environment, science and technology, journalism in conflict areas, and regional-language reporting. The Awards have prize money of Rs 1 lakh in each category.
President Ram Nath Kovind has arrived at the RNG Awards event. The President will begin his address soon.
Here is a quick background to the history of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards. The Awards, instituted in 2006, honour journalists from print, broadcast and digital media, who have shown extraordinary strength of character and integrity while reporting news accurately under dangerous or difficult circumstances. Blending rigorous research and deep insights, the stories take you to places often left out of the headlines, and point to issues that must be heeded.
Welcome to our live blog. The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards event will begin at 6 pm. President Ram Nath Kovind will give away the awards. Administered by the Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation, the Awards have become the most important event in the media calendar.