media:common exam,licence for journalists– a crazy idea

Union Information Minister Manish Tewari’s suggestion to have a common exam and licence for journalists is a silly joke.
What sort of a standard, syllabus are they going to fix ? Journalism for ages has been a profession which needs nothing but common sense and some language proficiency.As Joseph conrad, one of the greatest writers of the era, has said “journalist is one who is able to see”. Not only that, he should also be able to smell news.All that he requires is common sense and scepticism– it is about asking questions, being dubious, not being gullible.My guru , C.P.seshadri, whom we affectionately called “master”, used to tell us ” be sceptical . Don’t take anything at its face value “. The sceptic says: I don’t think that is true. I am going to check it out.As journalists are deemed the unacknowledged legislators of  democratic society, why should there be any qualification for them  when the true legislators themselves do not have anything . Any Tom,Dick and Harry can become the  prime minister or chief minister– he\she requires no qualification.Do they have any experience ? More often than not  it is enough that they belong to a particular family — thus their experience is taken for granted.Being the wife\husband\  son\daughter\nephew\niece of a politician automatically confers upon someone the god-given gift of politicking, which is invariably misunderstood as governance.For becoming an administrator, one needs to pass UPSC exams.For becoming the netas who can boss over these IAS\IPS,et al  you need not even be an LKG. What a pity! “Self-regulation” is totally different from what the Minister now talks about.I know   some block makers have become even the news editors of some papers. In the early days, it is only matriculation that was considered the qualification  for becoming a journalist. Even now most of our photographers are incapable of giving a caption.Instead of calling for an exam and a licence what Mr.Tewari could have suggested is some sort of training for journalists. As vinod mehta points out in his Lucknow Boy- a memoir- most  young folks enter the profession fired up with idealism and a sense that the multiple and manifest deprivations,injustices , double dealings can be alleviated. Indeed, central to all great journalism is the conviction that there is no problem which cannot be criticially examined and remedies proposed. This conviction must remain with the neophyte till he dies. If you lose faith, you might as well pack up. And you don’t become a journalist to be loved. But, as former English PM stanley baldwin put it in 1931 itself ” press barons exercise power without responsibility, the prerogative of  of the harlot through the ages “. It is this cynical opinion regarding journalists, especially in the corridors of power, that  makes them come out with various prescriptions.and the latest among them are a common exam and a licence. However, trial by media, regarding everything is absolute  and atrocious nonsense. There are some who boast people love this type of bullying journalism.Bigger the noise that emanates from one’s vocal chords, more impressive is his performance in the electronic media. It is such trials by the media, with or without proper documents at their disposal, that has brought about a question mark over the genuineness of journalism.We should tell the world  the real picture. But as  Guardian’s founder C.P.scott said ” comment is free but facts are sacred”. If journalists can be accurate, we do not require the idiotic prescriptions like exam and licence