In June 2026, Riddhim and I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Veeraraghav, the Executive Editor at NDTV, a journalist who has spent multiple years reporting on politics and events across India. He has covered elections, conflicts, riots, and a wide range of such stories from across the country. Mr. Veeraraghav has a BA and MA in Economics; however, he wanted to work in a field that involved writing and communication. “I love exploring, travelling, and have an inclination towards understanding India’s politics,” he told us. Journalism gave him the chance to do all three. Through his work, he has travelled extensively across India and met people from various backgrounds. When we asked him what he had encountered during his career, his answer showed just how diverse his experiences have been. “I have faced the grassroot realities of India — riches, war, suffering, and much more.” He has covered the Gujarat riots, Hindu-Muslim conflicts in different parts of India, the war in Sri Lanka, and around 25 years’ worth of elections since 1999. One of the stories that stood out was his coverage of the Cauvery conflict between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He interviewed farmers from both states and heard their respective sides of the dispute. “It’s clear that both sides have a right and wrong, and it’s difficult for me as a reporter to take a side on this,” he said. In the world of journalism, one of the biggest challenges has been and still is “reporting with an unbiased view.” This idea of looking beyond one side of a story is something he strongly believes in. He shared a line from the ‘Thirukkural’ by the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar: “எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு” (epporul yaar yaarvaaik kaetpinum apporul meipporul kaanpa tharivu) “True wisdom lies in discerning the actual truth of a matter, regardless of who conveys it.” “I firmly believe that it is the job of the journalist to discern the truth,” he said. But reporting the truth comes with its own set of difficulties. Mr. Veeraraghav told us that while he has never faced anything as extreme as death threats, he has received threats demanding that he take down news stories, as well as threats of defamation. Since much of his work involves political news, these have often come from politicians who disagreed with his reporting. We also asked him about some of the common perceptions people have about journalism as a career. One of the biggest reasons people hesitate to enter the field is the low salary offered by many news organisations. Mr. Veeraraghav agreed that journalism may not always be highly paid, but he believes that the experience it provides is valuable — “Good journalism does not come with great salaries, but rather it is the exposure and opportunities that matter more.” Through his work, he has had the opportunity to meet Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, and corporate leaders. At the same time, he believes that journalism has an important role to play in today’s world. “Regardless of the pay, in a world of misinformation and disinformation, good journalists are a necessity.” Speaking about his experience with The Hindu, he said that the organisation “inculcates enormous journalistic values in its work.” Although he described it as slower and more traditional compared to television news channels such as NDTV, he still considers it “a legacy news organisation, one of India’s best.” Towards the end of the interview, we asked him what advice he would offer to young people interested in pursuing journalism. His answer was simple: “In the world of journalism, it’s not about you, but rather about the story you tell.” He advised young journalists to form their opinions based on facts, stay truthful, and be aware of the agendas behind the information they receive. And in a time when going viral can sometimes seem more important than getting things right, he had one final piece of advice: “Don’t aim for viral content, aim for valuable content instead.” The interview gave us an interesting insight into the realities of journalism and the experiences that come with it. It gave us a glimpse into what journalism is actually like — the people you meet, the stories you come across, and the responsibility that comes with reporting them. More than anything, Mr. Veeraraghav’s words made us think about the importance of questioning what we hear, listening to different perspectives, and forming our own informed judgments. His experiences showed us how much there is to learn simply by listening to people and understanding where they are coming from.