‘Speed and high sense of professionalism characterize modern mass media’: Lohit Chandra Deka

DOOMDOOMA: “Speed and high sense of professionalism characterize modern day mass media.” This was stated by Lohit Chandra Deka, programme head, All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD), Dibrugarh while delivering his speech as appointed speaker of 4th biennial conference of late Lambeswar Sonowal Memorial Lecture on “Role of Mass Media in the Process of overall development” organised by Economic forum, Doomdooma College on Friday.

He said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) brought about a sea change in the functioning of present day mass media. Explaining the concept of development as inclusive growth, he said that now the terminology of development had been broadened to include the happiness quotient as well.

He said that internet and mobile phones internationalized the jurisdiction of Radio and TV. He cited the example of AIR Dibrugarh station which had audience in United States, Canada and Australia nowadays. As for its ‘Bahujana hitaya’ Programme like ‘Seujia Anatar Prasar’ on environment, he said it witnessed tremendous impact on the audience when in 2006 some villagers working in the paddy field caught red-handed one high level officer of the rank of Commissioner for killing one ‘Bortokola’ (stork) bird. Again in response to its appeal for voluntary service for one hour per week for public, one 18-km road was constructed by the villagers of Badulipara. On the other hand, in its ‘letter from audience’ programme one youth Biplab Gogoi by name was guided to destroy illicit brewery in North Lakhimpur with the help of Excise department and local women.

Personnel associated with mass media must serve with a sense of dedication and must have the vitality or driven aliveness to face whatever came his or her way. It required discipline in our social behaviour. Now everybody is a medium in that information could be gathered from everybody as ‘citizen journalist ‘ and can be analysed with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deka said.

In the beginning Principal Dr Kamaleshwar Kalita lit the lamp before the portrait of late Lambeswar Sonowal who besides being founder head of Economics department of the college was a former deputy minister in Hiteswar Saikia’s ministry. Anju Konwar, head, economics department, welcomed the guests while Bina Devi Bordoloi, former head and former Vice-Principal of the college, gave an introduction about late Lambeswar Sonowal. Journalist Dhiren Deka also spoke briefly about him. The programme was anchored by Bohagi Barua, a student of the economics department and was attended by poet and programme executive Sanjib Koiri. With offering of vote of thanks by Assistant Professor Karabi Bora the programme came to an end.

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