“News channels in India are in adolescent phase” : Arfa Khanum

By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net

Television journalism is one of the most glamorous jobs of new India. Arfa Khanum Sherwani as principal correspondent and news anchor for NDTV India holds one of those glamorous jobs. Her home in New Delhi is an example of simplicity. She used to be in front of her camera, but this time she was the subject of the interview. I asked her about television journalism in India which is barely a decade old.

While Ms. Sherwani is very optimistic about the future of news channels in India, she is also brutally honest in accepting the mistakes made by electronic journalists.

Arfa, originally from UP, is a Chemistry graduate. She did a one year course in journalism from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and joined The Pioneer. From there she moved to The Asian Age. Realizing that she is more comfortable in a visual medium, she found herself as a TV reporter and news anchor.



Arfa has won accolades and criticism for her courageous and investigative reporting on Sachar Committee Report, Batla House encounter, and a special on the performance of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

“News channels in India are in adolescent phase,” Arfa argues and that’s why they seem to be moving from one experiment to another, still trying to find a firm footing. She is critical of the abuse of the term ‘breaking news’ and over reliance on TRP, the rating system used by the Indian TV channels.

Arfa does not hesitate in calling the news dished out by TV channels as ‘infotainment.’ She calls for higher standard and believes that viewers are ready to watch quality journalism if given the opportunity.

She is passionate about the media and believes that she has so much to learn and excited about the opportunity to learn something new every day. She wants to be known as a serious journalist who is a face of authenticity who raises people’s issues and concerns and becomes their voice.

A sign of good journalist, she always keeps a notebook to record her thoughts and a book to keep herself informed of the issues.

Video: http://twocirces.blip.tv/file/2220056/

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