“This is what a space to celebrate good journalism looks like.”
These were Indian Express editor-in-chief Raj Kamal Jha’s approving words as he surveyed the crowd gathered at Delhi’s Oberoi Hotel this evening.
Hosting the 19th edition of the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, the hotel’s ballroom played host to a plethora of journalists and their friends and family. The awards recognise “courage and commitment and showcase outstanding contributions and individuals” in journalism. This year’s awards felicitated journalism published in 2023.
Guests of honour for this year included President Droupadi Murmu, Justice BN Srikrishna, and Rohini Nilekani. The event was also attended by political luminaries from across the spectrum, including John Brittas, D Raja, Chirag Paswan, Sarbananda Sonowal and Javed Ali Khan – a gathering that Jha referred to as the “nation’s first citizens”, with “rivals in politics” sharing space.
In his rather short eight-minute speech, Jha, in his usual tongue in cheek fashion, said that for the “obituaries of journalism that we read a lot these days, some very beautifully written, there will be schoolkids who know better”, pointing to how 13 of the evening’s 27 winners were in school when the Ramnath Goenka Awards were first instituted in 2006. He also said this year had the most competitive pool yet, with 1,500 nominations from 75 newsrooms.
Yet Jha did seem softer towards the media as compared to his remarks last year. He spoke of faith, and referenced a speech made by President Murmu in Dhanbad in 2017 to look for the meaning of journalism. In her speech, he said, Murmu “talked about the power of faith”.
“You said it’s like wearing warm clothes in winter, footwear in the summer, and building a shelter in the rain. Beyond this hotel auditorium where the winter can be very harsh, the monsoon heavy, and where many feet are still bare to find protection, is one definition of good journalism that we can all agree upon,” said Jha.
President Murmu then delivered a keynote address, where she underscored journalism’s ties to India’s freedom movement. Mahatma Gandhi, she reminded the audience, was not just a freedom fighter but also a journalist, imprisoned for his writings in Young India. “The sole aim of journalism should be service,” she quoted.
Interestingly, Murmu talked about how Goenka’s influence “extended beyond journalism”. She said in 1935, when Gandhi was re-elected president of the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, he said it was due to his efforts in promoting Hindi in the South. And it was Goenka whom Gandhi later named “custodian” of that mission.
It was a curious comment, given the ongoing language row between the central government and southern states over what they see as an attempt to sideline regional languages.
On the state of journalism today, Murmu reiterated the need for free and fair reporting as an essential pillar of democracy. She emphasised that thriving newsrooms require investment in ground reporting. She also urged media organisations to focus on quality and accuracy.
Murmu also acknowledged the challenges of media sustainability, saying that where advertising revenue once subsidised newspapers, hybrid models have now taken over. She noted that while state funding and corporate backing have their own limitations, reader-supported journalism is the most ideal – though difficult to sustain.
However, she also said that “profitability on one hand and responsibility to the reader are not mutually exclusive, they can be complementary.”
On the growing threat of misinformation, Murmu said there is a need to educate young readers on media bias and agenda-driven reporting. While AI tools are already editing and compiling reports, she insisted that human values in journalism, and empathy will always set real reporters apart. “Journalists can beat AI,” she said.
A reminder, perhaps, that despite the many obituaries being written for journalism, it isn’t dead yet.
Full list of winners
Hindi
Print/Digital: Mridulika Jha, Aaj Tak
Broadcast: Siddhant Mohan, The Lallantop
Regional Languages
Print/Digital: Jisha Elizabeth, Madhyamam
Broadcast: Mandar Ganjari, ABP Majha
Environment Science and Technology Reporting
Broadcast/Digital: Joel Michael, Down To Earth
Rohini Krishnamurthy, Down To Earth
Uncovering India Invisible
Print: Satyasundar Barik, Hindu
Broadcast: Vishnukant Tiwari, Ather Rather, The Quint
Politics and Government
Print: Maitri Porecha, The Hindu
Broadcast: Ashutosh Mishra, India Today TV
Business and Economic Journalism
Print: Twesh Mishra, The Economic Times
Investigative Reporting
Print: Mahender Singh Manral, The Indian Express; Mihir Vasavda, The Indian Express; Nihal AP Koshie, The Indian Express
Broadcast: Anurag Dwary, NDTV
Feature Writing
Shubhajit Ray, The Indian Express
Foreign Correspondent Covering India
Print/Digital: Nilesh Christopher, Rest of World
Sports Journalism
Print: Shahab Ali, Hindustan; Amarnath Kashyap, Hindustan
Broadcast: Tejas Vaidya, BBC Hindi; Enakshi Rajvanshi, BBC Hindi
Prakash Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism, 2023
Print: Jeet Mashru, Hindustan Times; Somita Pal, Hindustan Times
Photo Journalism
Print: P Ravikumar, The New Indian Express
Books (Non-Fiction)
AR Venkatachalapathy, Swadeshi Steam, Penguin Random House India
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