11th batch graduates sucessfully from Statesman Print Journalism School

Peter Rimmele, Resident Representative to India of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, during his opening remarks to the students

Subrata Nag Choudhury (center-left) , Director of SPJS, and Romina Elbracht (center-right), person in charge at KAS for the Indo-German journalism resarch project, with the graduates and two JONA-scholarship holders

Awarding the certificates towards the graduates: Dr Michael Feiner, German Consulate General to Kolkata, Sujatra Sen, CEO of "Future Hope" and former Journalist at the Statesman, Peter Rimmele, Ravindra Kumar, Editor and Managing Director at the Statesman (L-R)

A SPJS-graduate (right) receives her certificate from Sujatra Sen

Subrata Nah Choudhury, Director of SPJS, praises his students for their persistence during the past months

SPJS-graduates (back) with the guest of honors (front)

“I envy you for becoming journalists in times like these”, said Subrata Nag Choudhury, Director of the SPJS, in his concluding remarks on the evening of 13th of May during the convocation to the graduation of the SPJS students.  . While he stood in front of the assembled students and guests, pride was written across his face. The SPJS class of 2019 was the 11th batch to receive certificates of the nine-month postgraduate journalism program. Ravindra Kumar seized the opportunity to take a look back into history and remember fondly the longstanding support from KAS and the previous Country Representatives in building up the SPJS.

Hidden by the happy faces was the stress and immense workload of the past ten days that lay behind the graduates. Between the 3rd  and 12th of May, six journalism students of the SPJS worked together with seven German scholarship holders of the journalistic academy by the Konrad-Adenauer –Stiftung (JONA) in an Indo-German journalism research project on environmental issues in Kolkata and the surrounding East Kolkta Wetlands and Sunderbans (read the event report here. The final product of the project was presented during the convocation by the two German journalists, Annabell Brockhues and Giosue Tolu.

Peter Rimmele, Country Representative of the KAS India Office, congratulated  the Indian graduates and let them know: “After having seen the first cut of your magazine, I can`t speak to you as students anymore, but will refer to you as journalists.” He went on to highlight the role of media as a “fourth power” - especially during times where liberal democracies are increasingly under fire. “Say, what is”, by citing the German journalist and founder of the magazine Der Spiegel, Rudolf Augstein, Mr Rimmele urged the assembled journalists to follow this principle.

Dr Michael Feiner, German Consul General in Kolkata, praised the SPJS for teaching its students the codes and principles of responsibility that are eminent for high-quality journalism. “Fundamental shortcomings of a society are being addressed by media” was his statement towards the role of media in democracies.

Even Sujatra Sen, CEO of the charity organization Future Hope and former journalist of the Statesman, referred to the enormous importance of fact-based reporting and complimented the Statesman for being an independent and neutral newspaper.  She appealed to the journalism students to continue believing in the cohesion of the Indian society- despite differences in caste or religion. If the journalists needed a role model, Sen elaborated, they should look back to C R Irani, former chief editor of the Statesman, who has always shown the utmost integrity in exercising his job.