Not doing a PhD

“”99% of your conversation is related to why you don’t want to do a PhD. Have you ever wondered that in 99% of instances, nobody asked you to do a PhD? You are obsessed with it and therefore you should consider doing it.” One of my colleagues from Rashtriya Lok Dal, where I was working as a researcher, said this to me.

My dream was to become a journalist. Although reluctant and not very keen on studies, I was a fast learner and did well throughout my school life. My father realized I was a gifted child and coaxed me into studying hard for my board exam by promising to buy me a mobile phone. Even my school lured me to study and get a top rank in Standard XII in exchange for a full scholarship and free books. Once I was done with schooling and had passed with flying colors, I went for a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication. Meanwhile, my friends and I also started a newspaper which became such a huge hit that we started earning at a tender age of 18.

I remember there was this course on ‘global media scenario’, that I particularly found interesting during my Bachelor’s. I made an extra effort to go to the library and read about world wars and cold war and how propaganda had shaped them. It intrigued me. I also had to submit a research project on the topic where I looked at the coverage of the nuclear deal between India and the US by both English and Hindi media. My studies showed that Hindi media…