Q: What is the state of press freedom in your country?
RB: India has a good record of press freedom. It is a democracy, the largest democracy in the world, and press is quite free. They can ask any questions now that we have the right of information act, and this also helps the journalists to find out about issues.
Q: What are the biggest challenges for women journalists in your country?
RB: Women in journalism in India today are quite prominent, especially in electronic media, and they are taking a lot of challenging jobs. I wouldn’t say they’re facing particular challenges because they are women, but yes, in some of areas, in the crime beat or some other beats, women are not supposed to report. It is supposed that they can only report on health issues or women and gender issues, but today the young generation of journalists -- many of them are coming out from mass communication institutes -- are taking all types of challenges. They are doing a very good job, and a lot of them are getting awards and recognition for their work.
Q: How do you and other women journalists face these challenges?
RB: I would say there is no challenge. In fact, the older generation of journalists -- women journalists -- have had to really work through it. They had to face a lot of challenges because they are women and because they are reporting in, let’s say, a conflict region…I personally also have some challenges when I had to go to rural areas reporting on situations. And sometimes because of Indian family background…we are not encouraged to go to places way out. …But today those challenges are less of a problem, less of a hurdle than they were before.