Resource person Thejoto Nienu with college officials and others.
Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 11
The Capital College of Higher Education (CCHE) Kohima on Friday organised a workshop on Media and Journalism at Sahitya Sabha Hall, Kohima, with Thejoto Nienu, Journalist of Eastern Mirror as the resource person.
The event was organised by the IT & Media Cell and National Service Scheme (NSS) of CCHE, Kohima.
Nienu said the rapid flow of information through WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube and other digital platforms has made it increasingly important for people to distinguish between verified information and content that is merely popular or widely shared.
Journalism, he explained, is the process of finding, verifying, explaining and communicating information that matters to the public. He emphasised that journalism is not simply about writing news, interviewing people or posting information online, but involves asking questions, examining evidence and understanding different perspectives.
Nienu highlighted the role of journalism in a democracy, describing the media as the Fourth Estate and stressing its watchdog role. He also pointed to the growing importance of media literacy amid the spread of AI-generated content, manipulated photographs, edited videos, synthetic voices and deepfakes.
Media literacy was no longer something required only by journalists but was necessary for everyone who consumes and shares information, he emphasised.
Nienu said journalism also develops skills that are useful beyond the profession, including clear communication, research, questioning, listening, understanding different perspectives, verification, working under deadlines and critical thinking.
Sharing his experience of the profession, he said journalism has a rewarding side, including meeting people, discovering stories, giving voice to those who may otherwise remain unheard, bringing issues into public discussion, exposing problems and documenting history. At the same time, he highlighted the challenges involved in the profession.
He, however, called upon the students to follow their passion and discover their skills and talents so they could capitalise on them adding that they all are all gifted uniquely. Drawing an analogy, he said a fish cannot climb a tree and a monkey cannot swim, stressing the importance of recognising one's own strengths and abilities.
Nienu also urged the students to cultivate critical thinking, ask questions, look for evidence and listen to different sides in order to develop a broader perspective on issues and events in their everyday lives.
Niekhoto Cürhah, Assistant Professor and Convenor of the IT & Media Cell, delivered the welcome note and stated that the workshop was organised to provide an exposure to the students to the world of journalism and mass media communication.
The programme was led by Vunthungo Ngullie, Assistant Professor and Programme Officer, NSS, while Tatongkala L. Lohe, Assistant Professor, Department of English, offered the invocation prayer.
A special song was presented by Sapfune, a BA fifth-semester student while vote of thanks was proposed by Kumuni, Assistant Professor, Department of History.
