Journalists, especially those wedded to the Print media are not a happy lot these days. Their more visible cousins in the TV and visual media are at the receiving end from social media and some of them are as the ‘Godi media’. The emerging types in the online and digital medium are struggling to win trust, though they do notch up high viewership.
In short the profession of Journalism, considered noble not long ago is under tremendous strain. Social media is on the rise and traditional media has yielded lot of ground. The Journalist, once upon a time held on a high pedestal has been literally floored.
All these developments did not deter the mood of alumni of one of the oldest Journalism Schools of the country-Osmania University Department of Communications and Journalism, from congregating, sharing experiences and recalling the highs and lows, the rough and rumble of the profession that bound them over decades at the century old Deccan Club in Secunderabad on July 3.
A quick flashback
The first batch of the OU Journalism Department was launched in 1954 under Dr De Forest O’Dell, a veteran communications expert and newsman from the US, who helped the University in the initial stages. The Journalism department was the envy of others in the University campus as it boasted of a rich collection of copies of foreign newspapers like The Daily Mirror, The Daily Telegraph, (Manchester), Guardian, etc, thousands of books gifted mostly by the World Literacy Inc. and a good number of brand new portable typewriters (dream possession of any reporter of the times) and cameras, recalls Dasu Kesava Rao of the 1970-71 batch and whose brother Dasu Krishnamurthy was the first student of the 1954-55 batch. Into his 1990s and based in New Jersey, US, the former Patriot Journalist and author continues to be an active penman.
The first Indian Head was S Govindrajan, who came from The Hindu. Thereafter, over the decades it has been instrumental in training media persons (Journalists, Advertising and Public Relations). It’s alumni are shining in all these fields both within India and in several foreign countries bringing laurels to the University.
The Department peaked during the Headship of Prof S Bashiruddin during the 1970s & 1980s. A passionate ambassador of the Journalism department, Prof Bash as he was known, popularised the department with his Public Relations and extolling the achievements of the alumni wherever he went. He too became an Ambassador of India to Qatar and to this day several alumni take pride in calling themselves-SoBs (Students of Bashiruddin).
Students have been fortunate to have benefitted from teachers like Dr P N Malhan, Prof Usha Vyasulu Reddy, Prof D R Mohan Raj, P L Vishweshwar Rao, Abdur Rahim, Nargis Abraham, R Akhileswari, CVS Sarma, Pradeep Krishnatray, Padmaja Shaw, Srinath Reddy to the present faculty of Stevenson, Nageshwar, Narender etc. It was supplemented by lectures by some of the top names in Newspaper, Advertising and PR as guest speakers. The trip to New Delhi and Mumbai to visit the best names in the media was a highlight of practical learning for every batch, which often had a meeting with the PM and President for several years, as the icing on the cake.
The alumni list of the department is very distinguished starting from senior editors like S Venkat Narayan, at present, President of the Foreign Correspondents Club, K Ramachandra Murthy, (Udayam), Amarnath K Menon (India Today), Vijay Joshi ( PTI), S Varadachari (Andhra Bhoomi) ; K Srinivas Reddy (Telangana Today); S Jaipal Reddy, former Union Minister, K Kesava Rao ( Adviser to K Chandrashekhar Rao, CM of Telangana); Mohan Guruswamy (ex-Adviser to Yashwant Sinha, Union Finance Minister); Syed Amin Jaffri, (ex MLC& senior editor); K Ramkaran (ex Indian Express); Prof Sridhar Madabushi, Ex CIC; Vasuki Shastry, Ex-IMF & author; Sunil G John ( founder President, ASDA in Dubai); Sarwat Hussain (World Bank Communications); X (editor, Toronto Star); Dinesh Sharma (award winning Science Journalist); Dr Usha Raman (author, Prof at UoH); Sanjeev Cherian Thomas (Doordarshan); Waheeduddin Khan (Advertising); B N Kumar ( ex-President, Concept PR); Mathew Joseph ( ex-Andhra Bank), S Vijay Kumar ( Breeze Ads);
Now, the making of the RRR
So, the prospects of the coming together of noted alumni, teachers and present day students in the get-together, the first after the Pandemic, raised huge enthusiasm. The social media, especially WhatsApp helped in connecting over 350 on one platform, with several smaller and active groups of different batches chipping in. A quick call to create a tagline evoked good response. The one that got selected was RRR -Reconnect, Relive & Rejoice, a takeoff on the super hit Telugu movie of the same initials.
On the appointed day, July 3, the venue-over a century old, Deccan Club in Secunderabad wore a festive atmosphere. The expectations of meeting batchmates of yore were palpable. The stage was set for a rendezvous of alumni to give vent to their outpourings of nostalgia.
True to the buildup, from the oldest alum, Bizeth Banerjee of 1962 batch to the current MCJ batch many illustrious past students and teachers turned up. It was the 4th, Reunion of the OUJA since the first one in 2017 held in a modest way at the Press Club of Hyderabad. The annual do was happening after, coincidentally 4 years. The final count of attendance was 215, far beyond the 180 in the last rendezvous at the DC in December 2019. Covid-19 had put a long break.
The Run Ups & Downs
The calls for revival of the reunion (previously held during December) began in right earnest in October 2022. The idea was to revive the event to the regular December 20-30 time period. Somehow, it did not materialise. The core organising team of Ramakanth, Steve, Rabindranath pushed for April. Again, not much headway was made.
Finally, on June 5, 2023-Ramakanth ( top executive of Doordarshan) , MP Rabindranath (ex Bureau Chief of the Deccan Chronicle, S Ramamurthy (ex DC) , Prof Stevenson and Me ( ex-The Hindu BusinessLine) met at the usual Adda-the DC. After a serious & spirited discussion the date- July 3 was frozen for the event. Immediately, it was posted on the WA Group. Interest was instantaneous. The main team of Ramakanth, MPR, Steve, Chandru, Ramamurthy and Me met a few times and tied up the programme and organisation part.
The momentum started to pick up. N P Chandrasekhar (the Ad & brand expert), K Venkateswarlu ( ex RE of The Hindu), Sumanth Paranje (TV expert) , Ramakanth, Nagarjuna Rao (Gulf News) threw up some ideas for a memento for the event-no mugs pl. the contest for the catchy tagline kicked up lots of interesting suggestions. Finally RRR -Reconnect, Relive & Rejoice won.
The Journalism students and research scholars as usual pitched in with creative posts, pictures from the previous reunions and got alumni to register. Cap won the carry home memento.
What should we do in the get together? There were suggestions galore: How about a discussion on serious issues confronting Media; Why not a Lecture on future of Journalism with tech taking over; Should we not honour veterans. On the other side we’re those who said: No bhashans and Gyan Batna please; ‘Itne Saal ke Baad milrey Yaaro-let’s just chill-meet, great and eat’ said others.
The consensus that was finally hammered out was to just felicitate 3 Professors of the Osmania Journalism Department—Prof K Nageshwar, Prof K Stevenson & Prof K Narender, who were retiring in that order from August to year end.
The MC and announcement part was handed over to Ms Fronia, Sneha, Fatima and team from the department & Harsha Bhargavi, all of whom came up with a cameo performance given the ‘free for all’ spirit prevailing in the hall.
The RRR Day
On the D- Day, from a trickle around 7 pm to a peak by 8.30 pm, the DC was humming with activity. Video interviews of reminiscences, photo ops with batchmates with nice backdrop, and mingling of alum from various batches lit up the proceedings.
From the oldest alum, Bizeth Banerjee of 1962 batch to the current MCJ batch many illustrious past students and teachers turned up. Prof Krishnatray, Padmaja Shaw, Srinath Reddy, Sunil Unny Guptan, Kavitha Mathur, Prem Kumar Aman, Suj Atha, Supriya (all Osmania teachers) and Prof Vinod Pavarala ( Univ of Hyderabad), Prof Sathi Reddy and Sudhir Kadiyala (Telugu University) were among the many who stayed through the evening.
The teachers, some turned consultant, had a fitting evening. Sudhir Kadiyala, made their day memorable by felicitating them on the sidelines to commemorate ‘Guru Purnima’, which happened to fall on the same day.
There were a few pleasant surprises too like Vijay Joshi, CEO of PTI, who came down from Delhi and shared his thoughts. There were politicians too- K Kesava Rao, MP and adviser to KCR, an alum of the mid 1960’s batch, recalled his days while Thungathurthi MLA, Gadari Kishore came, spent good time and pitched in with a generous fund support. Then, there was Devulapalli Amar, a regular at the reunion and now Adviser to the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy government in AP.
The active Journalists/media gang of Ravikanth Reddy, V Geethanath and Ravi Reddy from ( The Hindu), Moses Kondety ( DC), T Bhaskar, K Vijaykumar ( Hans India) , A Saye Sekhar (News Wrap) , Nagarjuna Rao, Basith ( US Consulate) and many more enlivened the evening with their animated discussions and spirited helpings.
The food was a hit–snacks got snapped up in a jiffy. The barman said, his business was a letdown. Was it because of a Monday evening? Drink and drive back issue? Is spirit coming down among journalists? Food for thought for the next Reunion, we thought.
There was this just retired gang too—Warlu, Y Mallikarjun (ex Media Adviser to Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu) , Mir Ayoob Ali Khan ( Ex Saudi Gazette & Editor siasat.com) , G Krishna Rao (ex EMRC), P Ranga Reddy (Ex Reg Manager, The Hindu) , Prof Rohit Raj Mathur (ex ASCI) , D Gowrishankar ( Ex Pol Editor, DC) , K Suryanarayana (Ex PR of UoH), Rukmini Vemaraju ( Ex AVRC), Chandrasekhar, Satyavathi (Freelance TV producer), V Rishi Kumar ( Ex BusinessLine), C Elbert ( ex PR, NTPC) , Arasthu ( Ad) , C Jayapal Reddy (ex AIR) who had a jolly good time, sharing their time pass activities and helping themselves to some drinks and food.
There were many who worked behind the scenes, from the Dept., the Club and OJA, whom I might have missed a mention.
But, it’s 3 Cheers to all in making July 3-RRR of OJA a memorable one and Osmania Journalism department one of the best in the country.
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