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“I am quite excited about the future when it comes to technology and information…where I’m a little worried is AI, with regard to AI and jobs,” says journalist Anita Pratap.
In conversation with The Hindu on the sidelines of a two-day National Women Journalist Conclave in the State capital recently, Anita says she does not buy the argument that AI will only replace/displace jobs. “AI is a game changer. I understand from people really in the know of it that there is going to be job loss galore, like we have never seen before. Job losses on such a scale will severely distress society,” she observes.
Anita made a name for herself in 1983 with the first interview ever given by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran to a journalist. She was only 24 then. She went on to interview him several times more. She has reported from around the world, including war zones, while working for various media organisations.
Did she ever feel the pressure of living up to the success of that first interview? “Never felt it. My father taught me ‘do your duty, reward is not your concern.’ So, I went on to my next story. I have never compared one story to another because each one brings delight in its own way.”
Anita narrates how she was trying to meet Prabhakaran in Jaffna after fighting broke out between the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) and the LTTE in 1987. She had to reach Vavuniya but heavy presence of security personnel forced the LTTE fighters to abort the plan. Anita and a photojournalist accompanying her decided against surrendering to the IPKF and kept going, evading detection at many check-posts.
Their luck ran out when a senior officer reached one such check-post. Anita had to divulge who she was, much to his amusement. She was allowed to leave though. She reached Jaffna, but not in time to meet Prabhakaran. “I failed in my mission to meet him, but saw a completely destroyed Jaffna. So we went around meeting people and did a story on life there. That became a cover story.”
Does she miss the newsroom? “No. Not at all, particularly in this news climate.”
Anita says she feels a lot of sympathy and sadness for journalists out there, but at the same time she keeps her hope when she sees their faces, happy and excited. “You need that kind of freshness and happiness and belief. They are the only ones left to do it.”
Besides writing a column for a magazine, mainly on international affairs, Anita has speaking engagements and curates programmes for ‘global outlook’ as part of the Arendalsuka, an annual festival of democracy in Norway where her husband is from. “It is grassroot democracy at work…It helps to make the Norwegian democracy very strong because people are not swayed by what they hear, even in their media.”
She also does the ‘Diplomatic Circle,’ a by-invitation only event where ambassadors of various countries in Oslo talk about various issues.
Anita mentions that the U.S. has seen the rise of the right wing because there is no real information. “It is all polarised, and complete disinformation. People are brought up on a diet of this. There is lack of clean information because it is mediated by a very partisan media.”
Published – February 20, 2025 08:03 pm IST
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