Jyotsna Mohan Interview
“Don’t rush to be the first—be the one who gets it right, because credibility once lost is hard to reclaim.”
1. What led you to move from news anchoring to writing?
I’ve always had a strong inclination toward writing—my first piece was published in a national daily when I was just 17. Coming from a family deeply rooted in print media, writing feels almost instinctive to me. Television news was a long and fulfilling detour, but writing has always been at the core of who I am.
2. How did your experience at NDTV influence your writing?
Writing for television news is very different from writing books. Each has its own demands and style, and I value both experiences for what they’ve taught me. They’ve shaped my approach in distinct yet meaningful ways.
3. Your books focus on societal issues—what drives this interest?
I grew up watching my family stand up for important issues through our newspapers, Pratap and Vir Pratap, which also form the basis of my latest book. That legacy of speaking truth to power is deeply ingrained in me and continues to influence what I choose to write about.
4. What was the hardest part of transitioning from television to writing?
Television comes with a certain adrenaline rush that’s hard to replicate. Beyond that, spending years in a newsroom means building relationships that feel like family. Leaving behind both the energy and those connections made the transition challenging.
5. How do you see the media's role in shaping public opinion today?
Today, legacy media is, to a large extent, quite biased, and that significantly shapes public opinion. Misinformation, selective narratives, and one-sided reporting are often presented as news, and many people accept it at face value. Those who question it are frequently trolled. Media and public discourse now often operate in a space that is unapologetically rigid—it's increasingly about “my way or the highway.”
6. Has any story or experience profoundly shifted your perspective?
My family’s journey of publishing Pratap during the British Raj, despite immense challenges, has deeply influenced me. It’s a story I explore in my book. Facing similar circumstances today, many journalists might find it difficult to hold their ground—but that legacy reminds me of the courage journalism truly demands.
7. What advice do you have for young journalists in the digital age?
Enter this profession only if you understand that journalism today involves much more than just reporting. Be prepared to face resistance and obstacles at many levels. Most importantly, don’t rush to break news just to be first—accuracy matters far more than speed. It’s always better to be right than to retract later, which, unfortunately, has become quite common.
8. If you had unlimited freedom, what issue would you write about?
I would continue writing about the issues I already focus on—stories that matter and need to be told.
Bio:
As an award-winning writer and journalist with nearly three decades of experience across TV, print, and digital media, Jyotsna has always sought to hold up a mirror to society. A former Senior Editor at NDTV, her journey led her to pen her debut book "Stoned, Shamed, Depressed" - an Amazon bestseller that dives deep into the secret lives of India's teens and reveals challenges that resonate with young people globally.
Based on the family newspaper, her latest book Pratap, A Defiant Newspaper, which she co-authored with her father, was recently released by HarperCollins India. It is already an Amazon bestseller. A columnist for publications in India and abroad, her writings reflect societal issues and challenge the status quo, which she says is her family legacy! She brings this outlook to her online talk show ‘Table Talk with Jo.’ Jyotsna is the recipient of the Sanatan Puraskar, 2025 for Literature.
Interviewed by: Niyati Gupta
Edited by: Shantanu Singh
0 Comments