Nikhil Bhushan is young, talented, and extremely passionate about his job with NewsX. After receiving his PG diploma in Applied Journalism and Media Communication from 9.9 School of Convergence (SoC), Nikhil is eager to share his journey. The enthusiastic Nikhil tells aspiring journalists how to “work smart and write smart” and elaborates on what it takes to be a journalist, reporting for a 24-hour-live channel. After assigning three self-explanatory adjectives - “best, amazing, and wonderful” - to his favourite journalism school, Nikhil’s answers highlight the essence of journalism and 9.9 School of Convergence in particular.
What is the one reason you will always want to come back to 9.9 School of Convergence?
The entire education system here is unique. The way the program is constructed here is a strong reason for one to come back to 9.9 School of Convergence repeatedly. We even asked the core faculty to make the Applied Journalism and Median Communication course a two-year program and convert it into a MA degree.
Everyone related to 9.9 School of Convergence is special. They come from diverse educational backgrounds. One of my colleagues from class, Rateika Dhawan, comes from a food background and wants to be a food journalist. I can learn something about food journalism from her - the connections with other students is interesting. I did my internship in sports, so I was able to contribute to the institute by telling everyone about sports journalism. The beauty of 9.9 School of Convergence is the diversity of different backgrounds.
Tell us a little about your internship experience. Was it given to you through 9.9 School of Convergence?
Yes, we all secured internships through 9.9 School of Convergence. A few of us went to NewsX. We had a couple of exams and short interviews, then NewsX selected four of us to intern with them.
The 9.9 School of Convergence’s curriculum structure includes six months of internship. Our internship contract with NewsX was for six months, but within three months of experiencing our skill set, NewsX hired all four of us.
Our internships were five days a week and one day in the classroom. We shared our internship experiences in class. The learning was as diverse as where people were working, which included the Times of India, Headlines Today, and Hindustan Times among others.
Once you are in one organization, you tend to learn only about that field in which your organization specializes. Here we got a chance to share, learn, discuss different problems and most importantly - solve those problems. We started learning and understanding the market together, as a team.
“I am learning this in my new company. What are you learning?” - these are the things we used to talk about at SoC. Everyone learns the same thing, but in different ways. At SoC, we’re lucky enough to learn in the most enjoyable and interesting way possible.
Where do you see yourself five years down the line? What will you do to try and ensure that you attain your goals?
I am very happy with the way I started my career - thanks to 9.9 School of Convergence and everyone who made it possible. Five years down the line, I see myself in a better position, not in terms of designation, but in terms of quality of work.
Journalism is much more than cameras and stories. Journalism is about how you report these stories. The story could be bad - the story could perhaps even be not worth reporting - but it’s still a story. It’s up to you how you narrate it. That is what we have learnt here at 9.9 School of Convergence.
It is understandable that in television journalism, there are time constraints and deadlines to keep up with, so it can affect the quality of work. But nonetheless, it is important to ensure that you don’t compromise your writing skills. Always keep your story stable. Always keep your story alive. That is very important, because that is what your viewer wants. Always keeping the viewer in mind is something we learnt at 9.9 School of Convergence. We did a lot of projects to develop these particular communication skills, and I will use them professionally from now on.
What is that one thing that you singularly brought to your job?
I’m an avid researcher and I present a lot of visuals, because when we write we refer to visuals. For example, today is the 24th. I will go home tonight and type “25th September” on the Internet and see what events are happening tomorrow and form a story in my head before I go to office. That’s where you take the initiative, because everybody is racing against time and competing with each other. Before the editor says you need to do this, you should say “Sir, today this thing is happening and there is a story here we could do.” This is what I have brought to NewsX.
Why did you choose 9.9 School of Convergence? What is the most important thing you gained from here?
I chose to come to Delhi, because Delhi is the capital of journalism, not just the capital of India, and the course structure at 9.9 SoC is something I really liked.
I used to run away from writing. When I was about to join 9.9 School of Convergence, Dr. Eric Saranovitz, our Dean, told me that you will have to write a lot here. I was then a little skeptical. I come from an international relations background, so I was already in the habit of reading but I was never a writer. 9.9 School of Convergence gave me an opportunity to learn the art of writing and undoubtedly my writing etiquette and style developed over time. What I was writing when I first came to SoC and what I write now - well there is a huge improvement.
What message would you like to give your juniors?
Don’t think journalism is easy. Don’t think journalism is about making a report and that’s all you need to do. The market out there is very competitive and can be repressive. Maybe your program/story won’t go on air even after you work your heart and soul out for it. They may say, “Okay fine, but we don’t have time. There is breaking news in. We don’t want your story right now” - and you lose your story.
You have to work smart, write smart. If you want to write smart, write short for television, because there are time constraints. You need to keep your package short, only then it will get space on television. From the very beginning, concentrate on your writing and if you choose television, concentrate on your time management.
Time management is nothing but smart work. Don’t think that by getting into details you will do well here. You can do detailed work, but in sections, in parts, when it is demanded. The details cannot come first. If your piece is three minutes long, nobody will air that story. That length of story works for print, but not television. If you want to provide details in television, your work has to be crisp.
So all those who want to join 9.9 School of Convergence or want to go into television or any other form of journalism, don’t think it’s an easy job. The task is hard. Your priority changes every half an hour and you’ve got to decide what to prioritize. Be prepared for a world that is going to let you socialize as much as you would like to. If you can take on the rigors of this industry and come to terms with them, you will do well. You will excel.
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