ALONG THE LINES

Where to draw the line? Is there a line at all? Do you at times feel that the line is so blurred that you do not know which side you are on?

Maybe I should begin by telling you what sparked this off. I am a broadcast student at the Asian College of Journalism. But I really cannot call myself a student because I am standing somewhere in between a trainee and a journalist. Every day passes with my having gone one step closer (in a seemingly endless flight of stairs) to becoming a journalist. And it was one of the many seminars held at college that made me think along these ‘lines’.

A journalist has so much power. But it would be all too well not to get heady with such power because as the old adage goes, 'with power comes responsibility'. More than anything, journalists need to be sensitive and reactive to the things around them. The litmus paper immediately tells you whether you are dealing with acid or alkaline. Journalists, according to me, are like the litmus paper.

Media over the years has begun to enter areas and spaces it never had before. We are in a sense invading a lot of areas, opening up a whole new dimension to journalism.

On one hand there is this compelling urge to relay the truth. And on the other hand, the journalist may most definitely cross the line and encroach upon someone’s private space. How far can you go before there is this feeling that you have stepped into another’s territory, rather forced your way into the subject’s space, in order to get your story?

I have treaded into this field knowing all the challenges that are going to come my way. And it is (in a sense) this thought that fuels me. It is not just about being a journalist, because I am almost sure that quite a few can. It is about being a journalist and following the principles that you have set for yourself. And let’s face it – in journalism (or any other profession for that matter) ethics are extremely important. It is not about doing the job. It’s about doing a thorough job but being sensitive all the while.

I admit it is not at all easy to know where the line is and sometimes it might get blurred. But journalists need to consciously make an effort because it is ultimately your call - where is your line drawn? The acid has to be identified as the acid and not alkaline and vice versa.