Nose for news with fire in the belly!
Five decades witnessing history, questioning power and championing environmental responsibility
The Literature Times: NEWSFIRE chronicles your remarkable 50-year journey through journalism, public relations, and environmental advocacy. What inspired you to document this extraordinary career in the form of a memoir?
B.N. Kumar:
People often ask whether NEWSFIRE is my autobiography. I tell them it is much more than that.
As I mention in the preface, the real inspiration behind NEWSFIRE was my late younger daughter, Shreya. She believed my journey deserved to be documented and had begun collecting anecdotes from my parents and sisters because, to her, I was an icon. Fate, however, had other plans. After fighting two courageous battles against cancer, she passed away at the age of 36 due to multi-organ failure. Completing the book became my tribute to her. I finished it in just 25 days without referring to a single note, relying entirely on memory. Every page carries her spirit.
NEWSFIRE is also the story of Indian media seen through the eyes of someone who has witnessed almost every phase of its transformation.
When I entered journalism in the mid-1970s, newsrooms ran on typewriters, teleprinters and instinct. Today, news breaks on smartphones and artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape journalism itself. I have been fortunate to witness that entire journey from reporting during the Emergency to launching digital news platforms and later using journalism to drive environmental action through the NatConnect Foundation.
The book is also about the remarkable people I met along the way. One of them was the late M. Chalapathi Rao, who autographed a copy for me with the words: “Facts are sacred. Comment is STILL free.” That single word STILL captured the spirit of journalism under censorship and has remained my professional compass ever since.
As we witness the rather pathetic state of sections of today’s media, I believe it is vital for young journalists to understand what our generation went through to uphold freedom of speech with courage, conviction and, above all, a spine.
The Literature Times: Your career began during the Emergency, one of the most challenging periods for Indian journalism. How did those early experiences shape your understanding of the media’s role in a democracy?
B.N. Kumar:
The Emergency was the toughest classroom any young journalist could have entered. I learnt very early that freedom of the press cannot be taken for granted. Fortunately for me, the Emergency was in its final phase when I entered mainstream journalism with The Free Press Journal in Bombay.
One lesson I learnt very early was that journalism cannot have favourites. We criticised the excesses of the Emergency, but we were equally unsparing when the Janata Government faltered. A journalist’s loyalty is never to a government or a political party; it is to the public.
Governments come and go, but the media’s commitment to citizens must remain constant. That conviction has guided me throughout my career, and it continues to guide me today.
The Literature Times: Throughout NEWSFIRE, readers encounter both the excitement of breaking news and the realities of political influence. What lesson do you hope young journalists take away from these experiences?
B.N. Kumar:
The biggest lesson is that speed should never defeat accuracy.
In my generation, getting a story wrong was simply unacceptable because there was no internet to quietly edit it later. You verified, re-verified and only then published. Yet seniors like Sekhar Seshan and my boss, Medhekar, had a habit of asking just one word: “Sure?” That one word taught us never to mistake confidence for verification.
But I also hope young journalists understand that every major story has a human dimension. One episode in NEWSFIRE recalls Pan Am, where amid the glamour of international aviation, it was the compassion and professionalism of ordinary people that left the deepest impression on me.
Objectivity is non-negotiable, but objectivity does not mean the absence of compassion. A reporter should never become part of the story, yet empathy helps us understand the people whose stories we tell.
The Literature Times: Having worked across journalism, public relations, and corporate communications, how did each phase of your career contribute to your perspective on media and public discourse?
B.N. Kumar:
I sometimes joke that I have seen the media ecosystem from every chair in the room.
Journalism taught me to question.
Public relations taught me to listen.
Corporate communications taught me to understand institutions and the pressures under which they function.
One particularly satisfying chapter was helping pioneer investor relations at VST Industries at a time when the discipline was still evolving in India. It demonstrated that good communication is not about publicity; it is about building confidence through openness, consistency and credibility. Those principles have guided me ever since whether engaging with shareholders, journalists, citizens or government authorities responsible for safeguarding our environment.
The Literature Times: Your memoir highlights several behind-the-scenes newsroom moments. Was there a particular incident that remains the most unforgettable in your professional journey?
B.N. Kumar:
There isn’t just one.
Some memories are exhilarating the race against impossible deadlines, exclusive stories and newsroom celebrations after beating the competition.
Others are quieter but equally significant. Watching political history unfold, earning the trust of people across professions and discovering that a carefully researched story could influence public policy are experiences no journalist ever forgets.
I had to leave out many such stories because NEWSFIRE had already crossed 70,000 words against my original target of 50,000. I managed to capture a few of them in the SPARKS section, but many more remain to be told.
If I had to pick one unforgettable scoop, it would be my flash declaring, “JP is Alive!” I can still feel the tension inside Jaslok Hospital. Prime Minister Morarji Desai had announced to the nation that Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan had passed away. Amid the confusion and conflicting reports, I persisted until I could independently confirm that JP was alive. That story taught me the first rule of journalism: never substitute authority for verification. Even the highest office can be mistaken.
Looking back, it is these moments of public impact rather than personal achievement that remain the most rewarding.
The Literature Times: After decades in mainstream media, you founded digital platforms such as BizNewsConnect and The CONNECT TV. What motivated this transition, and how do you see digital journalism evolving in the years ahead?
B.N. Kumar:
The transition was driven by freedom.
The Covid-19 pandemic unexpectedly became the catalyst. Many of my friends in public relations found it increasingly difficult to get even genuine stories published as newsrooms shrank. I launched BizNewsConnect initially as a service to fellow PR professionals. It soon evolved into an independent digital platform covering business, governance, sustainability and the environment.
Today, apart from winning an international award, BizNewsConnect has become a media partner for several global contests and conclaves. That recognition keeps me going at the age of 72. Retirement simply does not exist in my dictionary. There are still too many stories to tell and too many causes worth pursuing. As my friends say, BNK never retires!
I am happy that my long-held belief that even a press release can be presented creatively without compromising facts has been vindicated. Story treatment still matters. Having had the privilege of interacting with brilliant journalists such as Behram Contractor, I also learnt the value of looking at life with a slightly cock-eyed perspective.
Technology will continue to transform journalism, but editorial integrity will remain its greatest competitive advantage. Above all, digital journalism gives us the freedom to ask difficult questions.
The Literature Times: Alongside media, environmental advocacy has become an important part of your life through the NatConnect Foundation. What inspired this shift toward environmental conservation?
B.N. Kumar:
Actually, I don’t see it as a shift at all.
Journalism taught me to identify problems. NatConnect gave me an opportunity to help solve them.
Whether it is protecting wetlands and mangroves, conserving flamingo habitats, opposing reckless hill cutting or using RTIs and scientific evidence to influence environmental policy, the objective has always remained the same to serve the public interest.
One question has always troubled me: How long can we continue treating nature as expendable?
Some of our campaigns have resulted in policy interventions, legislative attention and, perhaps most importantly, growing public awareness. The response to our Climate Action Now for Mumbai Metropolitan Region initiative has been especially encouraging. Being invited to contribute to Mumbai Climate Week 2027 is recognition that citizen-led environmental action can make a difference.
Those successes reinforced my belief that journalism should not end when the story is published. Sometimes, that is where the real story begins.
The Literature Times: NEWSFIRE explores the changing relationship between media, politics, and corporate influence. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing journalism today?
B.N. Kumar:
The biggest challenge is not technology. It is trust.
Information has become abundant, but credibility has become scarce.
The pressure to publish instantly often weakens verification. Political polarisation encourages opinion over reporting. Commercial considerations sometimes compete with editorial independence.
Journalism must return to its fundamentals: verify every fact, separate news from opinion and remember that readers are not merely consumers they are citizens with a right to truthful information.
Another disturbing trend is the increasing pressure political as well as corporate to suppress inconvenient stories. That is why independent digital journalism has become so important. Its biggest challenge is financial sustainability, but its greatest strength is editorial freedom.
The Literature Times: Having mentored young professionals and delivered media training for years, what qualities do you believe are essential for aspiring journalists and communication professionals?
B.N. Kumar:
Remain curious. Question everything including your own assumptions.
Read beyond social media.
Understand history before commenting on current affairs.
Respect facts.
Learn to listen.
Technology will keep changing. Human values do not. Integrity, empathy and intellectual honesty will always distinguish outstanding professionals from merely successful ones.
If everyone agrees on a story, that is often the best reason to investigate it once again.
The Literature Times: Looking back on five decades of reporting, storytelling and public service, what legacy would you like NEWSFIRE to leave for future generations of readers?
B.N. Kumar:
I hope readers see NEWSFIRE not merely as the story of one career, but as the story of a profession that continues to evolve.
If the book encourages a young reporter to ask one more question, inspires a communication professional to choose transparency over spin, or motivates a citizen to protect a wetland, a mangrove or a hill, it will have achieved far more than I ever imagined.
Newspapers may fade, television clips may disappear and digital posts may sink into archives. But truthful journalism, ethical communication and responsible citizenship leave a legacy that outlives every headline.
If NEWSFIRE inspires even one young journalist to value credibility over celebrity, truth over trends and public service over personal glory, Shreya’s dream and mine will have been fulfilled.
