K.E. Eapen, a pioneer in journalism and communication education in the country, passed away in Bangalore on Saturday morning. He was 87.
Professor Eapen was actively associated with journalism for over 50 years, having set up three university departments of journalism and communication, and many organisations connected with the field. Besides teaching journalism, he also served on policy-making bodies and authored books on communication.
Professor Eapen was the first convener of the University Grants Commission (UGC) panel on mass communication, and the first UGC National Lecturer and Emeritus Fellow, Journalism/Communication. He served as consultant, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Vice-President, Commonwealth Association for Education in Journalism and Communication; and Vice-President, International Association for Media and Communication Research.
Professor Eapen was a pioneer in identifying the significance of the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) and initiated a SITE evaluation study in the Karnataka cluster in 1975-76 when the nation experimented with satellite technology in taking developmental messages to the underdeveloped areas. Dr. Eapen was recently honoured in New Delhi with the “AMIC Asian Communication Award.”
H.Y. Sharada Prasad, adviser to the former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who wrote the foreword to Dr. Eapen's book “Critical Issues in Communication: Looking Inward for Answers,” described him as “one of the most distinguished communication teachers and analysts in India” who shaped two generations of communication practitioners.
Dr V Natarajan has sent in the following announcement:
National Conference onEthical Issues and Indian Media
Nov 26 & 27 2010
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu
In association with Association of Communication Teachers of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
A two day conference on Ethical Issues and Indian Media is being organised to provide an opportunity for journalism and communication teachers and students to explore issues related to media content vis a vis their ethical dimensions and implications. Research and review articles are invited on the following themes.
1.News vs Paid News
2.What Ails Television Journalism: Political Ownership orCorporate Ownership?
3.News and Views: Blurring/Non-existent Boundaries of Content Categories
4.Fiction as News and Propaganda as 'Truth' in Contemporary Vernacular Newspapers
5.Invasion of Privacy: Bloodied Victims of Accidents and Murders in News Photographs
6.Caste, Religion and other Markers of Conflict of Interests in Journalism
7.Inter-Media Rivalry and News Blackouts
8.The Implications of Cross Media Ownership for Audience, Democracy and Civil Society
9.Let the Players Decide the Rules: Ethical Issues in the Absence of a Modern Media Regulatory Framework
10.Culture and Language Specific Ethical Issues in Tamil Nadu/South India
11.Western and Eastern Approaches to Media Ethics
12.What Ails Vernacular Versions of Investigative Journalism?
13.Case Studies of Ethical Violations by National and Local Media: Kargil War, Mumbai Blasts, Gujarat Riots, Nitahari Murders, Nithyanada Video etc.,
14.The Kantian/Thiruvalluvar's Philosophy of Ethics and Media
15.Indian Media's Coverage of Srilankan Tamil Genocide: The Ethical Downsides of Propaganda as News in Tamil and English News Media.
16.Privacy Issues and Sting Journalism
17.The Ongoing Politics of 'Little Magazines' in Tamil: Ethics Gone Astray?
18.Stars, Fans and Tamil Cinema: The Ethical Violations in Tamil Popular Culture
19.Ethical Issues of Neighbourhood/Downtown Newspapers, Citizen Journalism and Other 'Alternative' Variants of Mainstream Journalism
20.Ethical Issues in Online Journalism
--
Important Dates:
Submission of Abstracts and Letter of Willingness to Attend : Oct.25, 2010
Note of Acceptance/Non-Acceptance from the Organisers : Nov 01,2010
Submission of Full paper (hard and soft copies) : Nov 15, 2010
Note: Papers submitted after these dates will not be considered. Papers will be subject to the process of peer review. APA is the preferred citation style. A select list of papers will be published after the second blind peer review.Abstracts shall not exceed 250 words and papers shall be in the range of 4000-6500 words.
Registration fees:
Teachers, media practitioners, conference participants : Rs 1,000
Submission of papers only without attending conference : Rs 500
Members of ACT-TNP (to be paid to ACT-TNP) : Rs 750
Stipendiary research scholars : Rs 750
PhD and MPhil research scholars [non stipendiary] : Rs 500
Master and Bachelor programmes' students : Rs 300
Dr V Natarajan
Organising Secretary
National Conference onEthical Issues and Indian Media
Nov 26 & 27 2010
Professor and Head
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
Periyar University, Salem 636 011 Tamil Nadu India
Prof Mangesh Karandikar, HoD, Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai, has announced the following
National Seminar on
Journalism in India: From Mission to Profession - 1947 to 2010
November 18 and 19, 2010 in Mumbai
Academic support by – Prof Ram Mohan Pathak, Dean, M.M. Malviya Institute of Hindi Journalism, M.G. Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi.
CALL FOR PAPERS IN ENGLISH/HINDI/MARATHI
The themes are as under:
The theory and practice of ethics in journalism are reflected in ways that journalists go about the doing journalism. Journalism is shaped by the relations of power and by the institutional priorities within the organizations that employ them. These relations and priorities are not in equilibrium, but exist in an ongoing state of conflict that lead to journalism rules emerging from constantly evolving practices. The actions of journalists thus are constrained and defined by concrete real-life situations. One significant real-life situation is the transformation of journalism from being a mission to becoming a profession.
Theme 1
The real-life situations in which journalists are doing journalism in India has changed dramatically over the years. This first section will deal with the following question –
What are the key social, political and economic events/people that shaped journalism theory and practice during these years?
Theme 2
Journalism is an important player in the public sphere. It offers a platform for playing out conflict, consensus and confluence thus constantly shaping and re shaping the power structures within society. However, as media pervasiveness increases, journalism itself becomes a player and a power structure competing with other structures in society. Instead of providing a platform it becomes an ingredient of the power game.
How has the position and role of journalism in the public sphere changed? How has this affected narrative and representation of identity and social justice?
Theme 3
The public sphere stands on two important pillars – commerce and public participation.
Has the degree of dominance and influence that each exercises over the other changed? How has this affected journalism?
Theme 4
Convergence of media technology is shaping media, content, audience and media organizations.
How has television changed journalism? How will convergence change it further?
Theme 5
What are the factors that will shape the power relations, the institutional priorities and thereby the journalism ethic of the future?
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
1. A soft copy of your manuscripts should be submitted and should not ordinarily exceed 5000 words. They must be typed with double spacing and a margin of 1.5 inches on both sides to facilitate editing.
2. Articles which are published should not be reproduced.
3. Wherever copyrighted material is used, the authors should be accurate in reproduction and obtain permission from the copyright holders if necessary.
4. Papers submitted or presented in a seminar must be clearly indicated at the bottom of the first page.
5. Notes and references should be consecutively numbered and presented at the end of the article, and not at the foot of each page.
6. The articles can fall into any one of the above themes. Please indicate the theme clearly at the top of the paper.
7. The following format should be used for referring books, articles in journals. Etc. in the reference: Tawhney, R. H. (1984), Religion and Rise of Capitalism, New York: Penguin Books. Das, Jitendra Kumar (2002). “Responding to Green Concerns: the Roles for Government and Business” Vikalp, Vol.27, No. I, pp3-19.
8. Present each figure and table on a separate page. All tables must be consecutively numbered using Arabic numerals with appropriate titles.
9. Write numbers in figures (rather than words) for exact measurement and series of quantities, including percentages. Use thousands and millions rather than lakhs and crores.
10. Book review must contain the name of the author and the book reviewed place of publication and publisher, date of publication, number of pages and price.
11. A brief resume of the author/s should accompany the research articles.
12. Fees are as follows:
Submission of manuscript for Peer Review :Rs.500/-
Participation in the seminar Rs.1500/- (which includes stay on the seminar dates in the ICSSR Guest House and food). Those participating in the seminar will have to arrange for their own transport to and from Mumbai.
13. The fees should be paid in form of a Demand Draft in the name of The Finance and Accounts Officer, University of Mumbai.
Abstracts of Research Papers / Articles approved by the peer committee shall be printed after the seminar and a copy sent to all the participants and to authors/researchers whose papers are approved.
14. All manuscripts should be addressed to:
The Head,
Department of Communication and Journalism,
University of Mumbai,
2nd floor, Health Centre Building,
Vidyanagari, Kalina,
Santacruz East, Mumbai 400 098.
Subject :- Political events & legendary missionaries :- That Shaped Indian Journalism - (1947-2010)
(Special mention of Shri Baburao Vishnu Paradkar)
LUNCH BREAK – 2.30 TO 3.30
III Session :-3.30 TO 4.30
Paper Presentations
Theme 1
4.30 to 5.30
Theme 2
Paper presentation - "The changing role of journalism in the public sphere effects on narrative and representation of identity and social justice"
- TEA
DAY II
IV Session :- 9.30 to 10.30
Paper Presentations
Theme 3
Dr C.S.H.N.Murthy, Associate Professor in Mass Communication and Journalism,
Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Tezpur University, Napaam, Tezpur Assam 784028 has mailed me the following:
Our Department has organised a ICSSR-funded National Conference from Nov 26-28, 2010 at Tezpur, Napaam. The theme of the conference is
Research Methodology in Journalism and Mass Communication De-westernising Media Studies
Concept of Theme
The need to hold a national level conference on the research methods to be pursued in journalism and mass communication in Indian universities and institutes has been felt for long. The reasons for such a feeling are not too far fetching. Firstly, many scholars in India who are into research/teaching of journalism and mass communication, either pursuing M.Phil/Ph.D or guiding others for M.Phil/Ph.D, are not in a position to publish their work in peer reviewed international or national journals due to several reasons. One reason being that the Western scholars, who do peer reviewing of Indian scholars’ research work (when submitted to international journals), do not have any grasp on the kind of research problems and research questions which the Indian scholars find appropriate/relevant to the Indian media studies. Secondly, these research papers may suffer from the lack of ‘international references’ within which the peer reviewers expect the ‘research work in question’ and ‘methods’ to be situated. Thirdly, in Western media, there may not be problems or research questions which are identical to the Indian media issues as the cultural differences between India and the US or Europe are vast.
Further, there has been a lingering feeling among Indian research scholars/ Professors, guiding research scholars for M.Phil and PhD programs in media studies, that they have been compelled to follow the Western methods of media research though India, by virtue of its varying cultures and enormous diversity, offers a vast landscape, rather to say ‘mediascape’ in the words of Professor Appadurai, to develop research methods appropriate to native cultures. All this contributed either overtly or covertly to shroud the quality of research wok being pursued in journalism and mass communication departments in Indian universities/institutes.
Further, some scholars in India, trained in the US/UK, believe that Indian research in journalism and mass communication lacked in the ‘rigors of methodology’ to be acceptable as a standard work compatible with western methods (such as quantitative techniques as one can put it politely) of research into media studies. Therefore a lot of research work being carried out under M.Phil/Ph.D programmes in India goes unreported in any peer reviewed journals of repute such as Media Asia, Asian Journal of Communication (published by NTU, Singapore) or Global Media and Communication (published by Sage) . Some of the reviewers’ of these journals clearly show a western bias in their ‘peer review’ comments.
In fact, long ago J.S.Yadava (1980) proposed a research method called ‘Sadharanikaran’ to study the issues related to Indian media research.(Yadava, J.S. (1987). Communication in India: The tenets of ‘Sadharanikaran’. In D.L. Kincaid (Ed.),Communication Theory: Eastern and Western Perspectives, pp. 161- 171. San Diego, CA: Academic Press).
In the last 18th AMIC (Association of Media Information and Communication) International Conference held in New Delhi last year (Oct 17-19, 2009), many eminent speakers such as Professor Epem and Professor Binod C Agarwal exhorted the need to develop research methods in media studies relevant to the Indian national and regional contexts. In fact Professor Epem and Professor Kiran Thakur even argued for focusing research on ‘regional media’ than on ‘national media’. Both of them expressed the view that ‘the eagerness of the media scholars and their supervisors to focus research on national media or mainstream media’ is marginalizing the importance of ‘regional media’ which in fact is churning out more content in different formats than the mainstream media.
The need for having an indigenous research methodology for media research (-ers) in India is not an exclusive view held by a few of Indian scholars. James Curran and Myung Jin Park in their famous work ‘De-westernizing Media Studies’ (2000 Routledge) makes the case that the study of media should strive to extricate itself from ethnocentric perspectives, essentially western in orientation and hue, and seek-as Curran says in his ‘Introduction: Beyond Globalization Theory’-to broaden ‘media theory and understanding in a way that takes account of experience of countries outside Anglo-American Orbit.’ (Watson J:Media Communication-An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 2nd edition. 2003). Prof.Daya Kishan Thussu of University of Westminster, London and Prof.Indrajit Banerjee of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore were a few more eminent speakers who advocated the need to ‘de-westernize the media studies’. (D.K. Thussu: 13-31, 2009) and recourse to local paradigms.
There are several laterals to this complex but highly important issue. Firstly, media scholars of European countries have abandoned rather rejected the quantitative methods of Professor George Gerbner in media research (Divina Frau-Meigs: Media Regulation Self-Regulation and Education in Ed. Cecilia von Feilitzen and Ulla Carlson in ‘Promote or Protect?’ , p27: 2007).
Most of the scholars in the Europe pursuing research in media studies are pursuing qualitative communication research techniques (Euro-Atlanta Model of Research) and yet could manage to produce high standard research work worth publishing in international journals. They formed their own regional (among European nations) and national level (country wise) editorial teams and journals (e.g. Nordicom Journal Edited by Ulla Carlsson, Romanian Journal of Journalism and Communication edited by Raluca Radu, Quaderns del CAC Edited by Montilla Castillo Silva, Journal of Communication Studies Edited by Joao Carlos Correia, etc), which gained the international acceptance both at the level of international and national conferences/publication of journals and papers.
Though India is ten times larger than the European Union, we have not yet developed a national level body of eminent media scholars from different universities to constitute an editors panel for a national level peer reviewed journal/conference. In fact such media scholars’ panels could be constituted even region wise also for different peer reviewed media journals and peer reviewed conferences. Nor we are in a position to formulate a national level consensus on relevant research methods to be pursued in media research. As a result of this, most of the media research, barring a few, is not getting published in any international journals.
The present conference is therefore very much pertinent at this time to invite eminent media scholars and Professors together with media academics and professionals to discuss the issues-identified under sub-themes given below, threadbare as to why we, in India, are unable to identify appropriate research methods relevant to Indian media studies at the height of the campaign emanating from elsewhere calling for ‘de-westernizing the media studies’. Such a discussion and consequent emerging consensus not only lead for an introspection of the quality of research work being pursued in Indian media studies but also pave the way for formulating national standards in research on media studies.
The conference, further, expects to form a panel of editors to establish a peer reviewed international journal with the collaboration of Sage or Taylor and Francis (Routledge) from India side. It also engages a debate on the need to bring a consensus among the media scholars and Professors as to the relevance and necessity to follow the quantitative techniques involving distributive statistics in the media studies. It also acts as an important platform to discuss as to how the media scholars have to overcome the lack of ‘reference materials’ which would have otherwise placed their work in international situation/broad scenario.
At present there is a great dearth of ‘reference materials’ for researching on Indian media issues as also on different/diverse cultural aspects of India. Most of the ‘reference materials’ available in India are largely published in the West on Western media issues, and therefore, may not be relevant in terms of ‘research methods’ we need to follow in respect of Indian media studies. For instance an analysis of Indian reality shows can not be based on the reference materials or published works produced by the British or the US media scholars on the reality shows which are shown in Britain or the US. In fact the Western research approaches to the Internet content or social networks cannot be applied to Indian social networking as our social networking has a different cultural ethos and limitations of content.
The conference, therefore, proposes to lay out unambiguous terms for initial normative research in different fields of media studies in India without relying first on any bulk ‘reference materials’ or ‘previous literature review’. After a few years of publishing such works, perhaps, Indian scholars could develop ‘reference materials’ relevant to the Indian media studies.
The conference therefore would like to deliberate on the above theme with the following sub-themes in the form of paper presentations and panel discussions during the three days of the conference.
Sub-themes
1.What could be de-westernizing media studies and how to use it in terms of the following research areas? Content analysis, Analysis of Rhetoric and Whistle blowing with reference to survey methods and triangulation methods, ethnographic studies, etc.
2.What could be the theoretical frame works sufficient enough to examine local paradigms such as Regional Print/Electronic Media –Comparative studies on format, structure, web and hard copy selection of news content, news production processes, influence of market, politics and others on news production in news rooms, regulations, ethics, etc.
What could be native methods of research on Regional Cinema/National Cinema?-Comparative studies in film studies in terms of film forms, narratives, genres, theories and aesthetics, semiotics and cultural studies.
What could be the appropriate research methods for Cultural studies –Comparative studies and Cross cultural communication-Fashion, Life Styles, Internet, Semiotics & traditions, cross cultural trends, Religion, Tourism and Travel, etc. with emphasis on ‘nation-state’ and ‘container’ theories of cross cultural settings. Application of concepts of de-westernizing and internationalizing media research.
How should the native research methods relate to Communication research in other fields: Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology, Business and Sports, etc.
****
Call for Papers (CfP)
Extended abstracts/proposals for panel discussions are welcome from media scholars –faculty and professionals-pursuing media research in India or on fellowships from abroad on any of the following sub-themes, but not limited to them, in not more than 1200-1500 words. For submission of an abstract/proposal for a panel discussion Ph.D is neither a mandatory requirement nor considered an important eligibility. What is required is full participation of academic fraternity in media research with serious scope and concern for this them/sub-themes.
These abstracts could be on the current methods applied in their research or their illustrative understanding of the appropriateness of research methods concerning specific domain or area enlisted in the sub-themes above.
Senior faculty members who have considerable insight into media research though do not hold a Ph.D or M.Phil, and emeritus Professors who had guided scholars for Ph.D programmes in the past are also welcome to send the abstracts/proposals for the conference on the above lines.
The abstracts/proposals should clearly state the following:
i.The area chosen for the study
ii.The level-regional or mainstream
iii.Which methodology is suitable for the chosen area of media studies by the scholar? Is it own methodology or duplication of other scholars’ methods?
iv.Why (justification)?
v.Does it require ‘de-westernized’ approach or does it fit into the existing western models of research in media studies?
vi.Does the chosen area of media research get relevant ‘references’ within Indian context?
vii.How far the western referencing is helpful for the research in chosen area?
The abstracts and proposals should be sent to the Convener: C.S.H.N.Murthy Ph.D, Associate Professor in Mass Communication and Journalism, Department of Mass Commuunication and Journalism, Tezpur University, Napam, Tezpur 784 028 Assam, India. cshnmurthy@yahoo.co.in or cshnmurthy@tezu.ernet.in
Schedule of Conference
Due date for Submission of Abstracts/proposals for panel discussion: Oct 31, 2010
Notification of acceptance of abstracts: Nov 5, 2010
Due date for submission of full papers not exceeding 3000 words: Nov 15, 2010
Registration Fee Rs. 1250/-per person
Those willing to participate may kindly send a Registration fee of Rs. 1250/- in the name of The Registrar, Tezpur University, Napaam 784 028 Tezpur Assam India and e-mail the copy of the DD along with your willingness to participate/present paper in the conference to the convener: Dr.CSHN Murthy, Associate Professor in Mass Communication and Journalism, Tezpur University, Tezpur at the e-mail id: cshnmurthy@yahoo.co.in / cshnmurthy@gmail.com registering them to attend the conference. Last date for receiving the registration fees is Nov 1st,2010.
They must give the following details in their e-mail without fail.
1. Name 2. Designation 3. Student/Research Scholar/Research Guide 4. Will present an abstract/paper at the conference? 5. Will only participate in conference as a delegate? 6. Title of the abstract/paper to be presented 7. E-mail id 8. Mobile No for Contact 9. Full address to contact.
The Registration fee to be paid on or before the deadline Nov 1, 2010 to enable us to make arrangements for your accommodation and food.
Writing on the Nobel Prize for physics to two Russian-born researchers, the New York Times explained (on October 5, 2010) what Graphene, a the kind of carbon. In One paragraph, the paper said it all thus:
"Graphene is a form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged in a flat hexagon lattice like microscopic chicken wire, a single atom thick. It is not only the thinnest material in the world, but also the strongest: a sheet of it stretched over a coffee cup could support the weight of a truck bearing down on a pencil point."
Hard to find such simple explanation for so complex a thing for the ordinary reader.
Shall we ever manage to find such writing in India in English language newspapers?
I am Adjunct Professor at FLAME University, Pune (2009-, and have been associated also as Professor, Emeritus, with Vishwakarma University, Pune since 2020. Earlier, I worked as a professional journalist for over three decades. I began as a sub-editor with Pune’s daily Sakaal (1969-70) and worked with United News of India (1971-87), The Indian Post (1987-90) and The Observer of Business and Politics (1991-2000). I shifted to academics in 2001 as Professor and Head, Department of Communication and Journalism (DoCJ), University of Pune. My doctoral thesis and later UGC-funded study was on web editions of Indian Newspapers. After retirement in 2007, I was at the Mudra Institute of Communications Research, Ahmedabad, for a year. I have been associated also with University of Mumbai, University of Calcutta, North Maharashtra University, and Indira Gandhi National Open University in various capacities.
