Good journalism is when we can disagree, but still be in the same room : Raj Kamal Jha

Goa Khabar : Raj Kamal Jha, chief editor of the Indian Express newspaper stressed the need for good debates in the country. “Good journalism is when we can disagree, but still be in the same room. We need to reclaim spaces where people can agree to disagree,” Jha said. Jha was delivering a talk on the topic: “Future of journalism- potential and challenges” at the International Centre Goa (ICG) organised by ICG in collaboration with Bika Utsav on Saturday evening.

Jha was of the firm opinion that good journalism would grow as a valuable, public utility service in the years to come. According to Jha, the medium did not matter. “There is always place for good journalism in a democracy. People may be consuming more news on the phone, but it is important to go meet the reader,” Jha said.

Jha rued the fact that large business houses were owning the major media channels in the country. Jha said that it was important for independent media to survive. Giving the example of the Indian Express newspaper, he said, “Our owner has no other business interests but the newsroom. You cannot follow a revenue model to seek the truth.”

Highlighting the fact that “what next?” and “so, what?” were the new mantras of modern newspaper journalism, Jha said they provided newspaper journalism with a distinctive edge when competing with digital and social media.