Bangalore: It will be on-campus Media Club with a difference. Its members and activities will not be limited to students of journalism and mass communications. Students of other streams, as for instance, those preparing for competitive examination will enter the all India public services, can get to know about what is behind the news headlines and "breaking news" flashes. Get an insight into what drives policy makers and why the Sensex goes up or comes crashing.

Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor H.A. Ranganath, who inaugurated the Media Club of Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences, said on Tuesday that it might be a first of its kind among colleges here. It might show that students could look at the world around them from a larger perspective and not just their subjects of specialisation.

Dr. Ranganath, a fellow of several national and international associations of science and known for his research work in genetics and genomics, cautioned about the fallout of globalisation in the sphere of education. "When education gets commercialised, students become commodities and this college is refreshingly different in its approach," he said.

Moral values

A total campus ambience, including the physical infrastructure, academic standards and importance to moral values could motivate students and faculty perform better, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Reader in the University Department of Mass Communications B.K. Ravi said close to 50 colleges were now offering journalism studies although standards of teaching differed. Even for management students, there were good opportunities in the world of media such as public relations and marketing.

In the interactive session with students that followed, most questions were shot at a veteran newsman, Prahlad, now News Editor of Doordarshan, Bangalore. His remarks about media students needing a questioning mind drew ready response. "You should learn to ask why should a welfare scheme like Bhagyalakshmi be confined to the rural poor and not also to those in city slums," he said.

Mr. Prahlad explained that it was a myth that private news television channels were presenting more frequent and updated news than Doordarshan. "News by its very nature happens almost spontaneously and most events that make headlines cannot always be anticipated or slotted into a timeframe for hourly bulletins. There can at best be three bulletins during the day with updated news and perhaps a late night round up. If you look at the visuals used throughout the day and often even the next morning by a news channel, you may find that it is the same," he said.

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