Kunal Majumder is an Indian journalist and academic. He investigates and documents issues related to press freedom and advocates for journalist safety as India's representative at the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Majumder has worked as a journalist with Tehelka, Indian Express Group, Rajasthan Patrika Group and Zee Media Corporation. He later served as a visiting faculty member at AJK Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
He has been honored with the UNFPA-Laadli Award for Gender sensitivity and the Statesman Award for Rural development. Additionally, he holds a fellowship from the Knight-Wallace Fellowship for journalists from 2024–2025.[1][2][3]
Education
Born and brought up in Jharia, Dhanbad, Jharkhand (then Bihar), Kunal did his graduation in English literature and post-graduation in convergent journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi in years 2007 and 2009 respectively.[4][5][6] During his master's degree, he did journalism exchange semesters at Sciences Po, Paris and FCP, Helsinki.[6]
Career
Journalism
Majumder began his career in journalism as a business correspondent at Tehelka in 2009. He later worked as a senior correspondent, principal correspondent and assistant editor at Tehelka.[7][8][9] In 2014, he joined Rajasthan Patrika and worked for its English news website The Catch.[9][10][5] He also worked for Zee Media Corporation in their online portal DNA.[11][12]
Kunal became an editor when The Indian Express Group introduced "inUth.com," a multi-platform, video-focused digital destination for Indian millennials, on October 9, 2016.[13][14] After this, he worked as a correspondent with the Committee to Protect Journalists where he worked for the freedom of the press and documented the cases related to this India. Currently, he has been India representative at CPJ since 2022.[15][16][6]
Academia
In January 2021, Majumder started teaching at AJK Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi as a visiting faculty. He was an adjunct professor at Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Rajasthan.[4][17]
Work
Kunal has been working for CPJ since June 2018 mainly working to promote press freedom and defend the rights of journalists.[18] While working with CPJ, Kunal has tracked the issue of curbing journalists' rights in India, making it a key issue for the free press. His commentary and reporting on the repeated arrests of journalists in Kashmir this year have been an important source and reference of discussion on the issue of press freedom globally.[16][19][20][21]
He has advocated for journalist safety at the ground level in India in front of the state.[22] The protection kit for journalists has been launched by CPJ and The Hindu under his leadership during the coverage of the Loksabha election 2024.[23]
See also
References
