Women should fight for their due place in media, says panel

Panelists at ACJ discuss the importance of greater representation of women and gender minorities in journalism for balanced narratives.

Emphasis must be placed on the need for greater representation of women and gender minorities, not only as subjects of stories but also as reporters and sources, said journalists at a panel discussion in Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) on Friday.

The panel discussion on ‘Women Shaping Journalism in India’ organised in memory of Bindu Bhaskar Balaji, journalist and writer, who taught at ACJ, Dhanya Rajendran, editor-in-chief, The News Minute, Yogita Limaye, South Asia and Afghanistan Correspondent, BBC, Rupha Ramani, Sports Editor and Presenter, FirstPost were part of the discussion, moderated by Harsha Subramaniam, President, ACJ Alumni Association.

The discussion centred on the challenges of integrating gender perspectives in journalism, and how biases affect story selection and representation. The panelists said this requires actively seeking out diverse voices across various fields, such as economics and politics, to ensure a more balanced narrative.

“You have to be objective. You have to be biased towards the truth. So, every morning when you wake up and choose what story to do, sometimes you have to be biased towards doing stories towards women, children, and minority communities,” said Ms. Dhanya.

The panelists recounted instances of navigating a male-dominated environment and the necessity of fostering spaces where diverse perspectives can thrive.

Sashi Kumar, Chairman, ACJ, spoke about Ms. Bindu’s tenure at the college and how she had a deep passion for understanding her students beyond the classroom. She was a strong advocate for students’ freedom of expression, even when she disagreed with their viewpoints, he said.

Nalini Rajan, Dean of Studies, ACJ, and Aminul Islam, South Asian Federation Alumni representative, also paid tributes to Bindu Bhaskar Balaji.