The Faculty of Media Studies & Humanities (FMeH), Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), held its third annual National Media Conclave today. Luminaries from media and academia shared their experiences and opinion on the subject ‘Fake News: Impact and Challenges’ with around 450+ students from Delhi NCR.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Guest Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director, The New Indian Express Group advised the aspiring journalists to not depend on a single source of information while compiling news. In his classic style he added: “Fear None, Favour None”.

Dr. Neemo Dhar, Dean, FMeH, MRIIRS talked about the unique teaching pedagogy, state-of-the-art media infrastructure and interactions with industry leaders that have been preparing students at Manav Rachna for a successful career in the media.

The first session had eminent panelists like Mr. Rahul Mahajan, Editor in Chief, Rajya Sabha TV; Mr. Pradip Bagchi, Senior Editor, Times of India; Mr. Rana Yashwant, Group Managing Editor, India News; Ms. Saba Naqvi, Author and Columnist; Mr. Rohit Gandhi, Editor in Chief, Democracy News Live. All the panelists cautioned the audience on how fake news and social media have evolved as the new synonyms. Pertinent topics such as blue journalism, unregulated content & role of social media, deliberately concocted news, and portals that check fake news were discussed.

The second elite panel of the day comprised Mr. K.G. Suresh, Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication; Mr. Hitesh Shankar, Editor, Panchjanya Weekly; Mr. Rajesh Mahapatra, Editor at Large, Hindustan Times; and Mr. Rajat Sethi, Principal Advisor, Chief Minister, Manipur. Deliberations on “Fake News and Social Media” made this a highly engaging session.

The souvenir of the National Media Conclave 2018 was also released on the occasion by the panelists; Dr. N C Wadhwa, VC, MRIIRS; Dr. M M Kathuria, Trustee; and Dr. Neemo Dhar.