Hyderabad: Senior journalists on Tuesday, May 18, called on the Telangana Media Academy to expand digital training, set up an incubator and frame a code of conduct for social media, at a discussion programme held at the Academy’s premises in Nampally.
The meeting, chaired by academy chairman K Srinivas Reddy, brought together senior journalists and affiliated members who deliberated on the future of the media industry, digitisation, media laws, training programmes and journalist welfare.
Special Chief Commissioner for Information and Public Relations G Mukunad Reddy, who attended the event, said his interest in civil services had been sparked by reading newspaper editorials during his journalism studies – a foundation, he said, that shaped his career.
Participants noted that artificial intelligence (AI) was making rapid inroads into journalism and that media professionals needed to develop a working understanding of new technologies. Several members suggested the academy conduct modern training programmes, internships and specialised courses for desk journalists. Special training for women journalists and those from rural areas was also recommended.
Members called on the Telangana Media Academy to make better use of its existing infrastructure, including its auditorium, boardroom, library and computer room, for the benefit of working journalists. There was also a strong pitch for digitising rare old newspapers, Nizam-era publications and Telugu texts to make them accessible to future generations.
Several senior journalists offered to donate books from their personal collections to the Academy library.
On the regulatory front, journalists said media laws needed to be updated to reflect current realities and that social media required a dedicated code of conduct. One member suggested the academy document interviews with 16 veteran journalists in book form, while another offered to donate more books to the institution.
