IIJNM alumni express shock, discouragement and sadness over school closure

“Shocked”, “discouraged” and “sad” were the three adjectives used by students at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM) near Bangalore to express their deep sadness over the closure of the institute.

One of India’s most renowned journalism schools has closed its doors. Whether for this academic year or otherwise, that’s the question on everyone’s mind.

“We were all quite surprised. At IIJNM, the first lesson we learned was to verify the information. So even after learning about the situation, we weren’t sure if it was real or if it was a prank We have been informed by the administration faculty that the institution is not closing permanently and that the drop in admissions this year is the only reason why they are closing this year,” said Snehi Shah, a student from the class of 2022.

Similarly, students Swalpi Bajpai, batch of 2020 and Abhishek Sarkar, batch of 2017 said the news was disheartening and sad.

“It’s a shame for the budding aspirants. Now, what about their future? With its professional experience and unique courses, IIJNM has undoubtedly made an impact on the students. The enrolled students will be left behind with no options,” Sarkar emphasized.

Return to IIJNM

Recalling their academic days at the institute, the former students shared endearing experiences at IIJNM. Sarkar shares, “I was enrolled in a ten-month course, which seemed like a two-year course because we were being taught countless topics and concepts. With all the assignments, research, networking and networking with managers, IIJNM has made us a newsroom. -ready.”

For Bajpai, IIJNM served as a springboard for his career. “The dean of the institute Kanchan Kaur ma’am is my idol. Besides many other things, she taught us how to behave, interact with others, stand our ground and make our point view with complete honesty,” said Bajpai, who works as an associate producer with India today.

“The teaching given to us at IIJNM was practical and concrete. Journalism was taught as it should be. For our very first task, we were given general instructions and for the rest, we were encouraged to figure out everything ourselves, like how to pursue the story, who to tell, etc.,” shared Shah, who is now a Business News anchor. And now.

Shah, who hails from Mumbai, said, “It was scary and intimidating at first, but IIJNM gave us a reality check. We have learned that our life will be like this if we are willing to remain on earth after being thrown into the desert. limit.”

Bajpai says she always reads the news early in the morning, a habit she picked up at IIJNM. “We adhered to this practice that the IIJNM had instilled in us. Every day, they gave the first lecture of the day on the current news of the day.”

Sorry state of affairs

“The institute opened its doors in 2000 and since then thousands of students have graduated in 23 batches. Everyone was surprised, including the staff, faculty and students,” Shah said, adding: “In India, there are not many students.” Prestigious institutes teaching journalism would be a major loss to current and aspiring journalists if IIJNM were to shut down completely.

“It may be temporary, but it is surprising to see an institute like IIJNM experiencing such problems,” said a disappointed Shah.

According to Bajpai, the world of journalism is volatile, unstable and demands a lot from everyone. “You have to constantly stay on your guard and be available. The job is not 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nowadays, many choose a simpler path or a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. The attraction for this profession has therefore diminished .” she says.