 Good morning ladies and gentlemen My name is Kartikeya Mardar, and it's a proud privilege for me to welcome you all To exchange for media and so much out from media presents media educators of India media and media education summit Before going any further. I would like to take this moment to thank all our partners for making our event today possible The event is in association with BW business world co-partnered by ABP news gifting partner bioirveda live webcast partner 24 frames digital trade media partners impact pitch future play realty plus The music community partner loud loudest The CSR partner please and strides foundation Before going any further. I would request and urge all our attending delegates to please maintain silence while a panel is on and to kindly put Your phones on silent mode Ladies and gentlemen as the digital era cascades forward the world is witnessing changes on an unprecedented scale Industrial revolution 4.1 4.0. I beg your pardon is one that may change how people work socialize and educate With the changing distribution networks Traditional media as an industry is facing grave challenges While new developments are widening the horizons of media consumption This also adds new dimensions to media education and the kind of training that would best equip a new-age journalist The search for new professional and educational paradigms that help in the interpretation and management of this double change Is the goal of today's conference? The first of its kind conference on the future of media and media education Serves as a platform to bring media educators media owners editors journalists and HR heads on one dios for discussing the current status and future prospects vision and challenges in media and media education in India Without further ado, I would like to kickstart today's proceedings by calling upon dr. Anurag Bhattra chairman and editor at BW business world and E4m group to kindly come on stage and deliver the inaugural speech Good morning. It's my honor and privilege to be here This is the first media educators of India conference and It has happened because dr. Surabhira here and me met for 40 days back Maybe 42 but less than one and a half months back and really a collaboration between us and dr So please give dr. Daya a big round of applause She sent me a whatsapp and you know, I'm a mad man Don't take that too seriously, but I Can only tell you that this is the first year. I promise you like kids conferences grow up We do 170 conferences And we started some with 10 people. I was just telling my team I mean, I was giving them a revenue example I guess your revenue is black and white a conference that does about two crores for us in a year When we started in the first year was a six lakh conference We couldn't even cover the cost which was about 15 lakhs. So today it makes us that was our digital media awards in conference It does what two crores of billing, right? So conferences are like kids. They grow up. They evolve They become nurturing. So it is the first year. We must celebrate and really The reason we did this is one. I'm a failed education entrepreneur. I started a media school five years Started it 11 years back. I didn't start a friend of mine started I invested and then my friend at all my history of Amarujala also became a large shareholder and then I told you went to heaven. So we shut down the institute Rubika Lyaka to now anchors or maybe be news is from my Media school and maybe next year. We will relaunch the school. It is a it is a possibility So really I understand the media education domain and I I was talking to my partner with whom we started and because Atul he died. So we shut it down. No other reason For the little cut out who's a customer today than say, you know, he was so I met him on 8th November That year and then he passed away on second Jan So, you know, he happened to come to my building. I was okay, and he suddenly went away So we shut down the institute. So I understand media education little bit I am I'm also a student of media. So I am people like Mr. Badal are here. I must say that I Was born to academic parents. My my mother was a school teacher in a government school in sauna So I would go with my mom. I was six years old in a Haryana roadways bus from old I grew up in old good on not that I've grown up. So I was just lost there. That doesn't mean one But and so and then she became a principal. I was eight years old or nine years old my father Studied at Bitspillani, but he chose to be a professor for the longest period He was a professor at the common college Gurgaon Then he became a head of department and he became a vice principal and in the last year of his Principalship, I think that's the only one here. He's not been in that college He became the principal of the Vash College in Bhivani and luckily I passed out of Bhivani I started at a textile college. I went to TIT Bhivani who's 75th anniversary is being celebrated on Saturday. I'm not being able to go but so I Know a little bit about academics and I must tell you that about Yesterday I met day before yesterday. I met someone we had a B school conference and Dr. Pritam Singh I started at MDI. I got into MDI when the quality control was bad I'm from the first batch of that business group You know after that they've kind of tight it So he somebody met me and he said oh your MDI director I said by the way eight years back. I told my wife that I want I'd love to be the director of MDI So my wife said are you really mad? you know I was 38 years old then and What's wrong with it is you know You know once they retire they become professors. I said that's not true Nithi So really I have a love for academicians and academics Fortunately or unfortunately my job is a lot more administrative and a lot about content and not about teaching Just to contextualize the media educators of India. The fact is today We have the cream of the media education in in this room and some Senior people's flights are delayed, but they'll be here Why this conference? I think we had exchange for media. We started exchange for media's almost 18 years back Exchange for media for the last 16 and a half years for every single day. There has been a newsletter Every single day and we can safely say that in this business and it is the business of media advertising marketing communication we Dominate this space like like almost having 500 streets in looks about that kind of domination and we do it year on year on Because we have the best editing. I mean no other reason we have the best editor and everybody in our domain first talks to us for advice then gives us We are the first one to break 99% of the story. I won't say even I won't say hundred percent But sometimes we know the stories we can't because they've been told to us as a friend That's the only reason we don't do the rest one for example, Rajnak story I mean I knew it for a long time and I'm sure if you now look back at the photo on Friday You know that I because he and me were having a good time. We couldn't have broken it because you know, he's told me as a friend You know, I keep telling my team stories. So I think I think those things are too. So, you know, really Because you build and we are very middle of the road. Badal Sahab is there. We are very we have no political affiliation. We are no We are very middle of the road. We do not favor anyone and you know We are under fire from everyone and we run stories So exchange for media and then Samachar for media in 2010 eight years back We started our Hindi side because Hindi Patrikarita, but what about a sub-domain sub say or Joe, how are you? They should only move Hindi May Content as a one cut rather if we cannot make a difference to the Hindi journalism So we cannot make a difference to journalism So we started in first for the first three years Neera Singh was the editor for the last five years Abhishek No, where is Abhishek Abhishek is the editor and he's really taken Samachar for media to another level. I love his headlines I mean, I keep showing everyone how he does headline So between exchange for media dot-com and Samachar for media exchange for media is more marketing advertising And then media because brand managers and media You know people who buy media readers So about 600 media brands at but because my personal interest in media, you know media stories take prudence We cannot be about media and not write about media content because really that's What drives especially news media in Samachar for media. It is more about journalism, you know advertising is secondary So that's the way then we have a weekly called impact this year is the 15th year of the weekly Our 14th year of the impact person of the year It's on the 7th December and I can tell you it is the biggest award in this business Only one person we select through a poll with AC Nielsen 2500 senior leaders in our industry we pull so we said we are in every segment I don't want to tell you we do 32 conferences and all of our them are Impactful forget the money money is not the most important thing. It's what's the content? What is the impact on you make on your industry? Are you bring able to bring new ideas if you do that money also come and money is important because you need to sustain them So it's not that money is not important, but it's not the most important thing So we said we don't have a you know when she said how I'm doing it directly. I'm compiling I said why don't we create a conference on media education because really if the media business is changing Then the media education domain needs to keep pace and I'm sure it's keeping pace But let's bring all the media educators together and create a Platform for them because really and I said the only thing they must do is the most important thing is to create spine in generalist the course called You know spine Because if you don't a spine everything else you learn possibly won't be relevant So that's how this conference came about and I'm saying this is the first year We've done it at 35 days. I have not been around Except yesterday I was running very high fever. I'm running high fever now But I went to office at 3 p.m. To review the conference for an hour because really it's an important view invited all of you So if in the first year there are minor Logistics issues anything please forgive us. It is the first year, but I promise you second year It'll be five times bigger and it will be a calendar event Then we were sitting and you know what I like about dr. They are she's a doer. She's a pusher without pushing nothing happen You know sometimes I get irritated also. I tell her I can't answer that many what that please don't send me And you know, but if she didn't push it won't happen. It won't happen. I promise you right and She suggested something and then he said why don't we do awards? I mean she said I said let's do it then My association with IMC started with a gentleman called dr. K. M. Shrivata He is in heaven now. I first met him at a Madhya Pradesh Foundation dinner here come 10 11 years back I had a problem as he went and Then he said Godia to my boss. I mean if you know how he used to speak So I said okay, sir, and then he became a very close friend of mine He would stay at my home and he was bachelor So he you know, he would take care of himself the one day. I saw his feet was solar And I told him please come to my home and then one of my senior colleagues took him the hospital And we became very very very close. I mean he would call me and saying I'm a cushiony girl. I don't Right. I mean he wrote 11 books on media He was a kind man and I'm not saying it because it's fashionable to he was I would say these things about him when he Was there so he said she said why don't we do a dr. K. M. Shrivata I said okay, and then we thought of some other categories and I said to her we should give one in each But when we and then she said okay, let's decide I said let's do it to a process Let's invite nomination because it shouldn't the only difference between one award and other award is how honestly it's done She can now say that we don't run agenda rest all of us are human beings We have our biases, you know, we may think somebody is better than though all those can be there so we assembled a jury and I called my Guru because he was my teacher dr. Pritam Singh when I was studying in MDI in 94 He was the director of the Institute. He's a Padmishri. He was on the prime minister's Institution of I mean his jury and he's a education is par excellence. He doesn't come from media So in some sense he is not biased by who who you know, so he said we'll get him to chair We invited she dialogue my saji I call people who would come in like who would ask me too many questions and who have locust and I both so We should have invited you bother the but in come to my mind and So we can I said practitioner I called Milan, but Milan was not there that day so I called the CEO of ABP news the business side and I called Sahajal Mukherjee So I called people I can just pick up the phone and we did the jury meet and we had a healthy discussion And during the discussion we said why one I Mean I was the first one to say not more than one, but it was so close It was so difficult because on a CV you can listen till you know the person I can tell you that whatever I mean Dr. They are very dynamic. I mean that there's no question about right if and I said you shouldn't get an award because you Are co-creating it with us because it's like, you know, it wouldn't be nice. I believe I would not even I told that two three You shouldn't be involved in it because you know everyone so you will have some biases the good thing is your knowledge But you also have by this so we tried to make the process as honest We sat down in a room discussed every name. We looked at profiles and we decided the winners There are 22 winners. We started with seven will do seven But you know in some categories you've done three because there was very little difference to choose It was very difficult, you know unless until I I mean I can say media I know everyone I know about a hundred thousand people in the media industry with all humility So that's how the awards were decided which will be given away in the evening I really wanted Hariwanshi to come because he was a journalist and he's now the vice chair and I called him It's just that I got a little late. He's in Ranshee today. He had come engagement But we'll do the awards in the evening there in the fountain long So this is the and the last which is the starting point is the directory. It started as a 200 page directory I was told last evening. It is a thousand page directory Thousand page directory Right, so we'll bring it out. We'll launch it today and again, you know educators You know in our dr. Bahal and me were talking and dr. Bahal said that the Supreme Court has now said that the educators are nation-builders Let me tell you a newspaper in UK does an annual survey and it asked for the most respected professions and the least respected Guess which is the most respected? Doctors, which is the second most respected teacher? Right, and you know, I have to say that we should and the most least respected guess which is the least respected Politics second is police I think media that five Right, we need to do better. I mean not go up go down right, so I'm just trying to tell you that Educators of people we don't celebrate We have to pay more to our educator, you know, my friend Rishi Singh is there Colonel Argan Voxin Colonel Argan, welcome. So I know the private side of media schools, you know, I know the ascolds the APJ I didn't know so today. I'll get to know all of you and I like Colonel Argan because he calls me for placement of students I like people who call for help. I do half day I do this I call people for job other people's job things, you know If you know me, I will call for favors all the time, but not for myself Not for myself. Okay, so I like people, you know, he's not necessarily all the students you would give us are good But two of them have been very good Colonel Argan So that is outstanding So this is the so the directory will come out today. We'll launch the directory. Unfortunately today the copies won't be up for sale But in a week, they'll be up for sale. So this is the genesis of the conference It happened on a WhatsApp and I went I went and met her while coming from the airport and you know So this is the genesis of the conference. What would we like to do better next year one? We'd like to do it with a six-month planning second a Lot of things have been last-minute briefing you on the agenda What is your timing of the session and you know, because I have my parents are academicians. I know academics How I think I know how I can make you speak So, you know, they're more organized. They're more regimented. I'm an entrepreneur My ability to deal with uncertainties of a different level, you know So next year, there'll be more predictability. You'll be made more comfortable. You'll also be bigger better But what we've been able to do is we told doctors. I hear that you bring the professors and we know some So I requested Colonel Argan. I request Mr. Bhaag. We'll bring the whole industry Rajesh Badal ji is there my young friend Tarun Nangya Udha's two shows on music one show on Legal called legally speaking which is in the top 50 shows by Barth and the other is on policy So Tarun is here. So next year. We have not involved the private school So there's no Asian College of journalism Micah wants to be a V school, but it is a communication school I mean if I can keep saying I'm Shah Rukh Khan, I'm not Shah Rukh Khan right so Point I'm trying to make is we would include those schools this year The focus has been more universities and I'm glad because the number of students that come out of universities I mean all the in one university there. I'm seeing I mean these are really top-notch universities and in journalism. They produce Professional now. I know the IMC students are there and you know, I wanted it to be a ticketed conference I wanted award entries to be because that's how anything that is free is not taken seriously So it is not about money-making, you know 500 bucks or 1000 or 3000 bucks is at 50 entries is like one and a half Like it's not gonna make but next year will do all that with this year We wanted to seriousness and at the end of the day, we also have to make it sustainable Because if it's not sustainable in media industry, if you are not financially profitable, you will not have a spine You will not so being financially Sustainable in everything is equally important as putting great content as involving the community So I just wanted to give you a context my friend Shiv Kumar Radhika is my presentation there You guys haven't taken it from me Right like lots of things, but I'll give you a context. We had a B school conference And the only thing that matters in a B school is to me is placements placements happen when everything else is right when the infrastructure is right The professors are top-notch. They do research. They do consulting They're encouraged to go out and talk to industry it you attract the right students because of a certain Well, I know a little bit about B school a lot more about B school and I know a lot about media media school I ran one for five years So I know a little bit not as much as you and I'm I mean it I mean I don't know it as much as you but I have some understanding So I've prepared a presentation which is not but I'll I just wanted to say that I'd say five things to educators there one people in the industry can learn from them because the basis of education and the principles will never change the Technology will change the tools will change the terminology may change, but the basics don't second I would say to the educators is That we all need to I need to evolve I used to do exchange for media and I'm I acquired business world. We turned it around. It was very tough process I mean very tough to change a Organization that exists for 38 three years and change the culture in the business school. I still think what is culture? Right. I was born in Haryana. That's where we don't think about it. We do it Right, so I'm you know culture change So I just want to say that I evolved from running E4M to running BW I may do bigger things in the next three four months when BW is at the level of E4M E4M is super profitable, but most importantly very impactful, right? So you have to reinvent yourself as as teachers and the reason you're here you'll meet some people from the industry third Is everything is digital? We're not in the print business. We are not in the digital business. We're not in the TV business We're in the business of brand and content So it doesn't matter. It's about content and video is becoming bigger and bigger and bigger I love reading because I am of a certain age But if you talk to a 25 year old they love they read also to say they don't read I have two kids. I can tell you they love reading quickly my daughter was older But they consume a lot of video. So the journalism is moving towards video Let's be very clear on that video is easy to watch with with excess prices coming down fourth Since the time I entered this profession. I entered this profession 18 years back. I didn't go to a Media school. I did what most Indians do before they do anything. I went to an engineering school that meant business school Is that for the first time Hollywood which is film content Advertising which is Madison Avenue and Silicon Valley which is technology are coming together The only bar as I was actually over it is very difficult. You know technology is becoming so important So teaching technological tools in media schools will be very very important and last but not the least the threat of fake fake news You know social media is not content. It is not journalism It is a point of view at best social media is a distribution mechanism and I give this example And a friend of mine 45 year old Journalist and I don't want to give his name is single fight He Would posted on Facebook. I want to commit suicide and 65 of his friends said we like this So social media is not serious. That's the point. I'm trying to tell you it's a distribution mechanism It's not content. It's not general but the We must do courses on fake news how to counter fake news because we in the media are at the receiving end of it We are not creating it parties are creating it governments are creating it Institutions that have an agenda are creating it media is not creating it and This whole This whole thing whether it's Donald Trump or other leader. I got my US visa last week so I can joke about Is You know to portray media is like anti country anti world anti government I mean if media is anti government, then they're doing their job. Well, we in India are not doing our job You know the job of the media is to report on the government of the day because they are taking decision So that's why jokingly said when we started we have to have a course on spine building Spine building a journalist and you know keep having that post every six months So this is what I would like to say who would love to learn from you What will be discussed today during the day is being played on our platforms, which are read by everybody in the media industry I don't want to drop names, but we are the whole they call people like Abhishek and say headline. I see me and now You can take the top 50 names in Indian journalism In a week at least 40 of them call and it because we have their community We are part of them. They are part of us and anybody who talks to you know, it's very Fashionable to criticize journalists, you know, we media are doing this job in a very tough environment media owners have to have a spine The business people have to have a spine a free media is very important for the growth You know, we are doing this job in very tough environment So it is very fashionable to say But we are not from Mars Venus, we are from here and I am the only friend of mine who did a scam and he always complains to be About media people once said to me that media owners are like that One day my NK Singh gave me a blood donation cam in the press club and I said I don't go to the press club But I went and I called this friend of mine I am an industrialist and I told him let's say Mehra Saab, he has something else to say but Mehra Saab said that He has all the money here and his blood is red, just like us Mehra Saab said to Mehra Saab that yes, we are the ones who are red So point to pain, pain journalists and media professionals and you know some evil people who come from somewhere Some other distant planet is wrong Yes, I agree we in the media can do a better job on reporting today And the era is of domain expertise You have to create domain expert journalist I was doing an interview, I asked her yesterday She wants to write on politics, I asked her who is the vice president of India She didn't know Abhishek you were sitting in the interview She didn't know who is the vice president of India I don't know how can I add a person like that Luckily she knew the name of the president So that was the saving grace And so I just want to say that technology is changing the media business And hence the business of media education Let's say domain and I don't want to call it a business because it is a very noble profession But the domain of media education will need to keep pace The professors will have to reinvent themselves And today is a bridge between the industry and media educators And we call this the media educators of India So this is to the great work you do So I would like to say that we are fortunate that you are here I will get to meet some of you today I am here whole day which is rare at a conference I will go out for one hour though And there are some people who are not in the agenda who will show up from the industry Abhishek will tell you the names But you know we called our friends and right now is the election season So Rajdeep is here and somebody is travelling there But everybody is committed that next year they will come to this conference So with this long speech I would like to go back and say thank you for being here And I look forward to interacting with you Thank you