The former editor of The Hindu Business Line spoke at length about the steps involved in gathering evidence, verifying facts and steering the direction of a story. 

He urged students to read more, learn to mine data, look beyond Wikipedia and government records, and take copious notes to become better storytellers. He also asked students to make sources across the board so that they never have to rely on just a single person for an important story. 

He encouraged students to have no-agenda meetings with potential sources, attend conferences and reach out to reticent sources through their spokespeople.