Nikhil Bhushan is young, talented and extremely passionate about his job with NewsX. After his 2 years PG diploma in Applied Journalism and Media Communication with 9.9 School of Convergence, Nikhil eagerly narrates his 9.9 School of Convergence journey when asked over an interview. The enthusiastic Nikhil tells the aspiring journalists how to “work smart and write smart” and elaborates on what it takes to be a journalist, reporting for a 24 hours Live Channel. After assigning three self explanatory adjectives “best, amazing and wonderful” on his favorite journalism school, Nikhil moves on to answer a series of questions in order to 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 our core faculty to make this course a two year program and convert it into a MA degree. Every one 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. She wants to be a food journalist. So its really interesting because I can learn something about food journalism from her. I did my internship in sports. So I was able to contribute to the institute by telling everyone what sports journalism is all about. Students from different backgrounds have assembled here. That is the beauty of 9.9 School of Convergence.
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Tell us a little about your internship experience. Was it given to you from 9.9 School Of Convergence?
Yes, we all secured internships through 9.9 School of Convergence. 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 contract with NewsX was that we would intern for 6 months, but within 2-3 months of seeing our skills they absorbed us.
We used to intern 5 days a week and 1 day we used to attend college. Whatever we learnt and did at our internship, we used to share in class room. We had people working in Times of India, Headlines Today, Hindustan Times etc. so we had a great number of different experiences to learn from.
Once you are in one organization, you tend to learn only about that field which your organization specializes in. 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. I think here we were lucky enough to learn in the most enjoyable and interesting way possible.
Where do you see yourself 5 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 you tend to hamper your quality of work. But nonetheless, it is important to ensure that you do not compromise with your writing skills. Always keep your story stable. Always keep your story alive. That is very important. That is what your viewer wants. Keep the viewer in mind. This is something I think we have learnt at SoC. We used to come to college and do a lot of projects to develop these skills. And I will use these skills in my professional life now.
What is that one thing that you singularly brought to your job.
I research a lot. And I take out a lot of visuals because when we write we refer to visuals. Suppose, today is the 24th. I will go home tonight and type “25th September” on 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 one most important thing you gained from here?
I am from Pune but I chose to come to Delhi. People around me were not sure about my decision but I was. I knew choosing Delhi was a priority because Delhi is the capital of Journalism, not just the capital of India. And at the same time, this course structure at 9.9 SoC is something I really liked.
I used to always 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 etiquettes have developed with time. I knew what I was writing earlier and I know what I write now. There is a huge improvement.
Message to 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 repressive. They will repress you. 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. There is a time constraint. 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 also.
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. At the first go you cannot get into detailing. If your piece is three minutes long, nobody will take that story on air. That works in print. But even if you want to do detailed work in television, you have 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 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.
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 our core faculty to make this course a two year program and convert it into a MA degree. Every one 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. She wants to be a food journalist. So its really interesting because I can learn something about food journalism from her. I did my internship in sports. So I was able to contribute to the institute by telling everyone what sports journalism is all about. Students from different backgrounds have assembled here. That is the beauty of 9.9 School of Convergence.
.
Tell us a little about your internship experience. Was it given to you from 9.9 School Of Convergence?
Yes, we all secured internships through 9.9 School of Convergence. 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 contract with NewsX was that we would intern for 6 months, but within 2-3 months of seeing our skills they absorbed us.
We used to intern 5 days a week and 1 day we used to attend college. Whatever we learnt and did at our internship, we used to share in class room. We had people working in Times of India, Headlines Today, Hindustan Times etc. so we had a great number of different experiences to learn from.
Once you are in one organization, you tend to learn only about that field which your organization specializes in. 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. I think here we were lucky enough to learn in the most enjoyable and interesting way possible.
Where do you see yourself 5 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 you tend to hamper your quality of work. But nonetheless, it is important to ensure that you do not compromise with your writing skills. Always keep your story stable. Always keep your story alive. That is very important. That is what your viewer wants. Keep the viewer in mind. This is something I think we have learnt at SoC. We used to come to college and do a lot of projects to develop these skills. And I will use these skills in my professional life now.
What is that one thing that you singularly brought to your job.
I research a lot. And I take out a lot of visuals because when we write we refer to visuals. Suppose, today is the 24th. I will go home tonight and type “25th September” on 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 one most important thing you gained from here?
I am from Pune but I chose to come to Delhi. People around me were not sure about my decision but I was. I knew choosing Delhi was a priority because Delhi is the capital of Journalism, not just the capital of India. And at the same time, this course structure at 9.9 SoC is something I really liked.
I used to always 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 etiquettes have developed with time. I knew what I was writing earlier and I know what I write now. There is a huge improvement.
Message to 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 repressive. They will repress you. 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. There is a time constraint. 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 also.
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. At the first go you cannot get into detailing. If your piece is three minutes long, nobody will take that story on air. That works in print. But even if you want to do detailed work in television, you have 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 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.
