Media Scene in India

Journalism Faculty needed in Cuttack/BBSR

2012-01-30T14:47:00.000+05:30

Prof Mrinal Chatterjee has posted the following at media educations

Sub: Recruitment Drive
We are looking for right candidate for faculty in our Journalism in Mass Communication Department. The details are as follows:
Requirement: Faculty in Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Dept.
No. of vacancy: 3-4
Place of Posting: Cuttack/BBSR
Salary: 15K-30K
Qualification: MA. In JMC; M.Phil/P.hd (preferable)
Experience: Min. 3 -4 years
(Fresher’s with excellent academic track record may be looked into)
Apply to: hvet_et@yahoo.co.in
Contact Person: Mahesh Patnaik (9937052335)
Company Profile
The HERITAGE VISION EDUCATION TRUST (HVET) is an approved agency by Dept. of Higher Education, Govt. of Orissa for running professional courses within the premises of Govt. Universities and premier Autonomous Colleges in collaborative mode like RAVENSHAW UNIVERSITY CUTTACK, BJB AUTO. COLLEGE BHUBANESWAR, G.M AUTO. COLLEGE SAMBALPUR, KHALLIKOTE AUTO. COLLEGE BERHAMPUR since last 10 years.
HR Policy
HVET have a sound HR policy, PF & Gratuity, LTC, Insurance, Benefits of pursing higher Education etc. We are functioning since 2002 with more than 100 plus manpower.

We would like you to circulate the above details to the interested candidates for participation in the Recruitment Drive. Looking forward for a positive response
Regards
Mahesh Patnaik
Trustee-in-Chief
9937052335

All India Essay Writing Competition for Post-graduate Students. Prizes to Win Rs 10,000, Rs 7000 and Rs 5000

2012-01-25T12:30:00.000+05:30

Prof Achyut Vaze, the Dean of FLAME School of Communication, Pune, has announced All India Inter-collegiate Essay Competition for post-graduate students in India. The prizes are Rs. ten thousand, Rs. seven thousand and Rs.five thousand.
For details, please visit
http://flame.edu.in/campus-buzz/events/inter-collegiate-essay-writing-competition

and circulate the message through posters, e-mail and other media.

Kiran Thakur

The theme video of the Kolkatta conference of January 10-11

2012-01-21T10:01:00.000+05:30

Prof U S Pandey has provided the following via a post on Media Educators

This was the theme video for the UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Journalism in the Age of New Media organised by Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication, Surendranath College for Women, Kolkata on January 10-11, 2012. All credit to Prof Somnath Gupta.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wke7Y3-r9U&feature=share

www.youtube.com

Thank you both, Prof Pandey and Prof Gupta! That was novel, educative, and entertaining.

IGNOU announces PhD programmes

2012-01-20T16:07:00.001+05:30

Here is an opportunity to seek admissions to MPhil/PhD programmes in various disciplines. The INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY (http://www.ignou.ac.in/) has announced the schedule for its admissions process. The list of the disciplines includes Journalism and Mass Communication.

Please click for details:

Research Degree Programs

Invitation for Applications to Research Degree Programme July 2012.

M.PHIL / Ph.D Programmes for July 2012 Cycle.

M.Phil/ Ph.D Programmes on offer for July 2012

Application from for M.PHIL / Ph.D Programmes

Who will bell the media cat?

2012-01-17T13:25:00.000+05:30

Reproduced from http://indiatogether.com/2011/dec/ajo-katju.htm with permission from the Editor of the Editor of India Together. Kiran Thakur

Who will bell the media cat?
If issues concerning media standards and ethics are not swept under the carpet as in the past, some good may result from the recent storm over Justice Katju's observations, writes Ammu Joseph.

3 December 2011 - Justice Markandey Katju, the new chairperson of the Press Council of India (PCI), stepped on many media toes and was widely accused of overstepping his authority when he recently aired his controversial views on the news media, with particular reference to television.

Admitting that he had a poor opinion of the media, he said they were 'not working for the interests of the people' and tended to 'divert attention from the real problems,' 'divide the people' and 'perpetuate their backwardness.' He also admitted he had a poor opinion of media people, their intellectual capacities and their knowledge of economic theory, political science, literature, philosophy, etc. Suggesting that fear was required to improve the situation he called for powers to stop government advertisements, suspend licenses, impose fines, etc., albeit only 'in extreme situations.'

Several media organisations, including the Editors Guild, the Broadcast Editors Association and the News Broadcasters Association, were quick to respond, registering their strong opposition to both the tone and the substance of his comments and proposals. The NBA even appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter, which is ironical considering their customary stance against governmental interference.

Justice Katju may have won back some friends in the media by promptly going public with his disagreement with the orders of the High Court of Bombay and the Supreme Court of India in the matter of the Times Now news channel and its wrong use of a photograph of Justice P B Sawant (instead of Justice P K Samanta) in connection with the Ghaziabad Provident Fund scam. 'With great respect to these orders,' he said, 'I am of the view that they are incorrect and require to be reconsidered.' He also suggested that the Rs.100 crore fine imposed on Times Now was "grossly disproportionate" to the offence.

However, his diagnosis of and prescription for the media's ills remain defective and disturbing at many levels. His subsequent clarification has done little to alter the perception of oversimplification and lack of discernment and balance, not to mention condescension ' even among media professionals who are genuinely concerned and critical about many current media trends and practices. According to Justice Katju, however, his criticism was meant only to 'remind the media persons of their historical duty to the nation' and help them 'to give up many of their defects' so that they can become 'better media people.'

Need for debate

Having recently assumed charge of the PCI, Justice Katju was well-placed to initiate a serious, informed and constructive public debate on the subject with the participation of all stakeholders in the media, including journalists and members of the public. He may have won more friends and influenced more people and, more importantly, served the cause of media reform better if he had opened up the conversation before airing his own somewhat superficial and provocative opinions.

But perhaps such an initiative can at least be the next step. Certainly the time is more than ripe for an honest exchange of information and ideas which can lead to meaningful action that respects and protects freedom of expression and, at the same time, upholds and fosters media standards, ethics, responsibility and accountability.

If there was any doubt that the credibility of the news media is currently at an all-time low, the disenchantment of a substantial section of the media audience can no longer be ignored. For example, a recent television survey showed that nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of the viewers who responded supported Justice Katju's views, while comments in the social media and blogosphere also revealed widespread agreement with his remarks. It is also significant that several journalists have argued that the baby of professional principles and practice must not be thrown out with the bathwater of the PCI chairperson's generalities.

Justice Katju is not the first person to notice or point out that the priorities and preoccupations of significant sections of the news media today are far removed from the realities and anxieties of the majority of citizens. Quite a few journalists and media-watchers have been documenting and critiquing the skewed nature of present-day media coverage, which accords inordinate attention to certain people, events and issues while giving short shrift to a wide range of other situations and developments that critically affect large numbers of people across the country.

Similarly, the falling standards of journalism (in terms of both content and language) and the 'dumbing down' and 'broadloidisation' of even the so-called quality press have all been regularly highlighted and criticised within and outside the profession. Among the deplorable trends evident in influential sections of the media (principally but not only TV) are the growing tendency to trivialise and/or sensationalise news; the regular jettisoning of basic tenets such as accuracy, fairness and balance; the frequent blurring of lines between fact and opinion, investigation and speculation; the common disregard for the privacy and dignity of ordinary people caught up in news events; the inclination towards high decibel 'media trials; the ultra-nationalism bordering on jingoism that often underlies coverage of international relations (especially with Pakistan); the alarming proclivity for sabre-rattling if not war-mongering, etc. The communal, caste and ethnic biases of some sections of the media are also widely recognised.

If criticism is to be taken seriously, however, credit has to be given where it is due ' and there is little doubt that the news media have, at the same time, played a positive role by helping to highlight a number of important issues, including some that Justice Katju has referred to, and to expose dereliction of duty, misuse of power and corruption in high places.

Watching the watchdog

Justice Katju is also not the first person to moot the idea of a Media Council to cover print, broadcast and online media. The concept of such a body has been floating around since at least 2004, though the idea appears to have been mooted in 2001, too. It is actually quite astonishing that the proposal has remained in the realm of general, intermittent discussion over the years, despite the rapid expansion, transformation and convergence of the media sector over the past decade and more, thanks in large part to the fast-paced development of information and communication technologies.

One problem that has dogged efforts to move towards a broad-based Media Council has been the virtual absence of consultation and debate. Official statements every now and then have rarely, if ever, been followed up with any attempt to involve the media, let alone the public, in serious discussions on the proposals. The latest such announcement was made earlier this year, when the government revealed that it was in the process of setting up a National Broadcasting Content Complaints Council, the description of which closely resembles that of the PCI.

Interestingly, there has been no mention of this initiative in the furore that followed Justice Katju's comments.

Similarly, periodic attempts by the government to introduce some form of regulation for the broadcast sector (most recently in 2006 and 2007) have also failed primarily due to the communication and dialogue deficit that has led to the perception that the purpose of any such move is to control or even muzzle the media. A more transparent and inclusive process of informed, tripartite (at least) discussion about media regulation in a democracy could create a more conducive environment for a dispassionate assessment of what forms and levels of regulation would best serve the inter-dependent interests of the media industry, the media profession and media audiences (not to mention society as a whole).

Experiments in self-regulation

The furore over the draft Broadcast Bill and Content Code of 2007 did have a positive fallout in the formation in 2008 of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), with a membership of 20 news and current affairs broadcasters (representing 45 news and current affairs channels), which set up a News Broadcasting Standards Authority to deal with complaints about coverage. From the nine decisions covering the period March 2009-October 2011 posted on the NBA website it would appear that not many specific complaints are lodged despite the fairly widespread criticism of TV news practices in the public sphere.

The governing body of the Broadcast Editors' Association (BEA), set up in 2009 'to raise the bar of journalism and strive to protect the freedom of expression, comprises representatives from 11 news channels (eight Hindi and three English). Of course, the ability of these organisations to be impartial arbiters has occasionally been called into question.

Meanwhile, the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), made up of non-news broadcasters representing over 250 TV Channels (according to their website), has also set up its own Broadcasting Content Complaints Council and drafted a set of self-regulatory guidelines. The summary of complaints received in the last quarter (June-September 2011), which is posted on the site, suggests that viewers of non-news channels are more active in registering their grievances (relevant or otherwise) than those who watch TV news.

It is another matter that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting lists 727 ' permitted' TV channels (as of July 2011) and that 359 of these are classified as news channels. Even if not all the channels that have secured licenses are actually on air yet, a substantial number seem to be operating outside the ambit of the industry/professional bodies that presently serve as the self-regulatory platforms favoured by private broadcasters over any other form of regulation.

It is surprising that Justice Katju made no reference to the Supreme Court's 1995 judgment, which held that 'the airwaves or frequencies were a public property (and that) their use had to be controlled and regulated by a public authority in the interests of the public and to prevent the invasion of their rights.' Both the government and the broadcast industry have so far conveniently ignored the court's instruction to the former 'to take immediate steps to establish an independent, autonomous public authority representative of all sections and interests in society to control and regulate the use of the airwaves.'

Among the weaknesses of Justice Katju's critique of the media is the fact that it scarcely addresses some of the contentious but vital issues that media regulation in the public interest cannot afford to ignore.

Questionable ethics

For example, the so-called Radia Tapes brought the unholy nexus between the news media and public relations outfits/corporate lobbies tumbling out of the closet in which it had been able to flourish without attracting much public attention. It is interesting that the NBA website makes no reference to the scandal that rocked the media world after selected transcripts of the tapes were first published in November 2010. Close to two months later, in January 2011, the then chairperson of the PCI (Justice GN Ray) seemed to think it was 'too premature' to take any action on the matter; no statement or press release on the subject has appeared on the PCI website to date.

The question of whether the journalists ' including senior editors ' named in the Radia Tapes expose were guilty of naivete, self-importance, poor judgment, vaulting ambition and/or worse is still up for debate. However, a development recently highlighted by Hartosh Singh Bal, political editor of Open magazine, concerning a substantial investment in NDTV by a US-based hedge fund company soon after it entered into a joint venture with one of Radia's client companies raises more troubling questions. Information about the deal was first reported by financial journalist Sucheta Dalal in Moneylife magazine over six months ago.

Similarly, eyebrows have been raised over some aspects of NDTV's coverage of the ongoing financial crisis faced by Kingfisher Airlines in view of the fact that the group's lifestyle channel, NDTV Good Times, was launched in 2007 in collaboration with Vijay Mallya's UB Group, which is believed to have made a five-year advertisement commitment worth Rs. 100 crore to the channel.

This is reminiscent of the 'private treaties' pioneered by Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (BCCL), which owns the Times of India group that has interests across all media sectors, and reportedly imitated by several other media houses. Launched in 2004, the initiative involved BCCL picking up stakes in various companies in return for long-term advertising and publicity. It is widely known within the profession that favourable coverage ' and the flipside: no negative coverage ' are among the benefits offered to partners in such private treaties.

Then there is, of course, the infamous practice of 'paid news,' which came to public notice during the 2009 general elections and the assembly elections in Maharashtra later that year, but is clearly not confined to election coverage. A new documentary film, titled 'Brokering News' and made by Umesh Aggarwal for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, focuses on other forms of paid news in coverage areas ranging from movies to sports, as well as related unethical practices.

Unfortunately, no section of society including the apparently awakened civil society ' seems inclined to tackle the problem of media misconduct in any serious, sustained, democratic manner, as media critic Sevanti Ninan recently observed.

It is significant that the PCI, which set up a two-member sub-committee to inquire into the practice of paid news in election coverage, ultimately chickened out and suppressed the report put together by two of its own members, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Kalimekolan Sreenivas Reddy. The report, titled 'Paid News: How corruption in the Indian media undermines democracy,' also looked into the private treaties phenomenon. The official PCI report on the subject was a watered down version of the original. Only when the Council was directed by the Central Information Commission in September 2011 to post the latter on its website did it do so ' with a disclaimer making it clear that the document was uploaded under duress and that 'the sub-committee's report was not accepted by the Council and was only relied upon' for information for drawing up the final report.'

Clearly Justice Katju will have his hands full if he wishes to put the PCI house in order so that it can fulfil its function as an independent watchdog charged with preserving the freedom of the press and maintaining and improving standards in the press. To begin with, it may be worth exploring the possibility of a more broad-based structure ' with more public participation, such as those adopted by Media Accountability Systems elsewhere in the world ' whether for a new, improved PCI or a multi-pronged Media Council or both.

Full disclosure

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) recently used the Right to Information legislation to access and analyse the Register of Interest of members of the Rajya Sabha. The register, mandated by the RS ethics committee in 2005, provides information about the financial interests of members of the 'upper house' of Parliament. According to the ADR/National Election Watch, this information is important because it can help deal with issues of conflict of interest with regard to discussions in Parliament, the formation of various standing committees and panels, and so on.

It may not be possible or advisable to mandate any such disclosure by media houses/proprietors and media professionals but the questionable practices of some sections of the media certainly raise questions about possible conflicts of interest vis-a-vis coverage. The adoption by the media of the kind of transparency they often advocate for governmental and political affairs could serve to repair their damaged credibility.

Some commentators point to what they see as the power of media consumers, suggesting that 'they have an inherent protection: protection by the market.' According to one writer, While the downside of competition is a herd-like tendency to follow trends, the upside is that for every view there is a counterview and for every plug there is an alternative. Don't like paid news? Cancel your subscription. Can't stand the opinions of a certain anchor? Switch channels.' Certainly audiences can try to choose between various anchors, but how is the average reader or viewer to know whether what they are reading or watching is peddled news of one kind or another?

There is, no doubt, a section within the media who think there is nothing wrong with the industry or the profession and/or that the current trends are inevitable in today's world. However, many media professionals are not at all comfortable with the state of affairs and are willing to participate in efforts to improve the situation that are respectful of the freedom of expression and the right to information of the media as well as of citizens. Sections of the public are also obviously looking for course-correction that would restore their faith in the news media as an important means through which they can exercise their right to know as well as to express themselves.

Perhaps the time has come when issues concerning media standards and ethics can no longer be swept under the carpet as soon as the heat and dust of the increasingly regular, if sporadic, eruptions of official or public criticism have diminished. If so, some good may result from the recent storm over Justice Katju's observations.

Ammu Joseph
03 Dec 2011

Ammu Joseph is an independent journalist and author based in Bangalore, and writing primarily on issues relating to gender, human development and the media.

I don’t read rival newspapers: Bhaskar Das

2012-01-17T13:04:00.000+05:30

As a News Writing teacher in media schools, I used to take students to task if they attended the class without reading local news in the mornings of the city. Such students were asked to leave the class, go to library and come back after reading the dailies. My class would begin only the students told us important stories based on which we would discuss local issues and understand politics, crimes and so on. I remembered this today because the title, I don’t read rival newspapers: Bhaskar Das, of the following story in http://www.mxmindia.com/2012/01/i-dont-read-rival-newspapers-bhaskar-das/ . Had he been a student in my class, I surely would have insisted that he read all the local dailies. Jokes apart, the feature throws light on the approach and attitude of the influential group of newspapers in the Times of India stable. Read on..

By Anil Thakraney

I have met Bhaskar Das on and off. (I once even secretly freelanced for him in my advertising days.) During my stint with Mumbai Mirror, I got to know him a little better. He has always come across as a cool, calculating and sharp business manager… but someone who’s smart enough not to build his own image over that of his company. In a long conversation inside his plush corner office (previously occupied by Pradeep Guha), Bennett Coleman’s president answers searching questions on his long career with the Times, the group’s ideologies and sometimes controversial practices.

The one new thing I discovered about Bhaskar during this discussion is that he’s a deeply spiritual person, and often, as he himself said to me, uses learnings from The Gita to ‘sanitise’ his various marketing strategies. Wonder what Lord Krishna would have to say on Media Net.

But I must say the man who heads the nation’s largest newspaper house retained his composure even when facing tough queries. Spirituality at work, I suppose.

Boss, when do you retire? You are 58.
See, retirement has two different connotations. For me, it’s ‘Retyrement’. Like re-treading tyres. And that means adding new capabilities. Coming specifically to Bennett, I have a flexible retirement plan. As per the company’s desire, I should stay as long as I am mentally, physically and intellectually fit. But I must add that I live by the day. So I am only bothered about the now.

You’ve been with the company for 32 years. Never got bored of the same place?
Boredom only happens when you don’t love your job. I have continuously rediscovered and redefined my space, so the journey has always been very exploratory. I don’t know whether the excitement would have been there if I had worked in a bank or in some other financial company. Newspaper is a 360 day product. Because of my personal liking for content, I have always been involved in it in some form or the other. Honestly, for me, 32 years feels like 32 days.

The flip side is some people would say Bhaskar is risk averse.
It’s not the question of being risk averse. By that logic if you continue in a marriage you are risk averse! I don’t believe in changing jobs for the heck of it. People use it as a spring board for becoming financially more solvent, and that has never occurred to me. For me, a job is a gateway to learning and it’s not for pay slips. Also, even if I have worked in the same company, I have done multiple roles in multiple markets. Our shareholders have always been great teachers. So, I have updated myself continuously, and I can challenge anyone in terms of my cognitive bandwidth on various industries.

Your biggest achievement in all these years?
I am proud of having been a part of the company when it re-invented itself. The process started post-1985, when our Vice Chairman took over the reigns of the company and subsequently the Managing Director. And finally, in the last six years, I have been able to drive the ambitions of the company to such great lengths, that today the company is the biggest media house in terms of both, turnover and profitability.

Bhaskar, the real challenge lies in turning around failed, small brands. Anyone can build on success.
That’s the classical model. For me, taking a giant brand and making it bigger and taking it to a different level also requires equal guts. And even for a loss making brand, we have done that. Mumbai Mirror, when we started, was making losses.

Today it is a Rs200 crore brand. This has become possible over a period of six years. And I have to add that I have taken many risks, in terms of launching new brands and making them successful. A number of big groups have also folded up, they screwed up. Success is its biggest enemy. When you are No 1, there’s only place for one person. To stay there requires more energy than reaching there.

How many years do you give newspapers to survive in India?
I am very optimistic about news per se. Today, we are leveraging the core and also investing in the embryonic and the emerging media, in terms of a news channel, websites, and so on. We are seeing ourselves as a complementary option as opposed to a substitutive option. Point is, TOI of 1830 and TOI of 1990 and TOI of 2020 will be a very different paper. We are constantly re-inventing to develop the complementary utility of the brand. We have become very futuristic, we are creating more and more niches. As for the newspaper itself, it is a matter of conjecture. I think in the Indian context, there’s a peculiarity, which is that English language is a big deal. Let me explain. To think of India as one nation is a mistake. There is a developing India, there is a developed India and there is an under-developed India. The developed India’s behaviour is more or less like the West, so there might be some erosion of the newspaper in this segment as they shift to Iphones and Ipads. But for the other two Indias, newspapers will continue to prosper for some time. For them, English is a gateway to career and growth.

Coming back to your question, I am not an astrologer, but I do agree with the gentleman who said that in 2040, the last copy of a newspaper will get printed.
Having said that, I do not suffer from format myopia, because that would kill a corporation. I think of news as a genre, not as a format.

There’s been some buzz of an IPO from your group. True?
This can always be on the agenda of any corporation, including ours. But as of now, nothing has been decided. I am not saying it will never happen, but not in the near future.

Do you admit that competition has been good for the TOI as a newspaper? Pre HT and DNA, the TOI in Mumbai had lost its edit focus. Now, the news coverage is remarkably superior.
I have always believed competition is good. Obviously, one has to respond, not react. If, while responding, the quality of the product improves, then that’s damn good. But it’s a part of the re-invention process. In Calcutta, we are the dominant force now. Or for that matter in Bangalore and Delhi, where we became the competition. But not all market leaders have responded positively. We are a dynamic group; it’s in our genetic core to re-invent.

What are the innovations Bhaskar Das has masterminded in the last five years?
I have not, it’s all a team effort. ‘I’ as a word does not exist in my dictionary. In our group we all work as a team. No individual is bigger than the team.

Private treaties, for which your group has been both, admired and dissed… it hasn’t eventually paid off, right?
It’s thriving; it’s a part of our deep strategy. We didn’t want to make money on these.

Whoa, the whole idea is to do a space and equity barter for revenue. And to encash on the acquired equity.
If we wanted to encash on the equity we would have gone to the stock market. Our strategic intent has not been understood, and we want it to remain not understood. It’s a demand-side innovation, and nothing else. Private treaties are now called Brand Capital out here, we have re-invented it and it’s doing extremely well.

Is Pradeep Guha your mentor?
I have had many mentors in my life, and he is one of them. He has been a great teacher for me.

Some years ago, in this very room, Guha said to me that for the group, the target audience is the advertiser. Do you agree with this ideology?
This kind of question cannot be answered with ‘one size fits all’ sort of a thing.
We have two customers: Readers and advertisers. Agreed, that our business model is so skewed that we are dependent on advertisers, but we have never forgotten that the reader is the franchise that leads to advertising revenue. The point is to get ad relevant audience… which means people who are culturally and financially solvent enough to engage with the advertisers. But for getting that also you need interesting content. So it’s both, Lakshmi and Saraswati.

In 2004, you were about to buy Mid Day. What went wrong?
Nothing went wrong. We wanted to buy and even Mid Day wanted to sell, but in any such deal both the partners have to have a buy-in on terms and conditions. That didn’t happen.

Regret losing out on Mid Day?
Now that Mirror has come, Mid Day is not required.

It’s generally believed Reponse calls all the shots in your group. True?
There’s no truth in this. I worked in Response for 30 years, and I have never seen any semblance of power. Only thing is, because of the business model, which is that advertising gives us 90 percent of our revenues, it’s perceived to be the most powerful. Every division plays its part. We have no say in the content. If that had been the case, the TOI wouldn’t face the maximum ban from clients (amongst newspapers). We have the Chinese wall, though we do Brand Capital. The editorial is completely independent.

Cross your heart and tell me. You have never gone to one of your editors to ask him or her to plug an advertiser?
I have never done it.

That’s very hard to believe.
Trust me. I cross my heart. When clients approach us, we ask them to approach the editorial director. Because it will never work if it goes through us.

Funny that happens in a media company that runs Media Net.
That’s because people haven’t understood Media Net. Others do it secretly, we are very clear we do it only for the entertainment publications, and with clearly defined protocols. Others do it as legitimate coverage.

Truth is, Media Net sowed the seeds of paid journalism in this country.
I don’t think so. There have been enough examples in the past, where, for financial and public issue ads, journalists always got a bad name. I would say it is much more transparent and protocolised out here.

Are you proud of MediaNet?
(Slight hesitation.) See, it’s not the question of being proud of it. Life is not black and white. It’s a part of the strategic process we have done. I feel what used to happen previously was more unethical, where, if you knew a journalist, you could get a plug. And we have openly announced these are promotional supplements.

You’ve kept a very low profile. Looks like you don’t want to repeat Guha’s mistake.
(Smiles widely) No individual can be like another person. I can’t be what I am not. I don’t think Mr Guha was high-profile; the job is such that you get noticed. Now, maybe there’s nothing noticeable in me! I always say that ultimately it’s the corporation that gives you the halo. And I have no personal halo.

I think you have decided to be clever about it.
That’s your conclusion. I did exactly what I believed in. That my work is to serve the company, which I do.

An Indian editor you admire. Someone not from your group.
Unfortunately, I can’t comment because I have not worked with them. Also, I don’t read competitive products.

You don’t read rival newspapers?
I don’t.

Don’t you want to know what the competition is doing?
For that my MIS reports are there. My brand team is keeping an eye on the competition, I don’t have to do it. I don’t have the time to read everything, it’s better to read a few publications in-depth.

Vir Sanghvi said to me that even if it was the last job in the world, he would still not work at the TOI.
It’s a democratic country, we respect individual opinion. These things don’t affect me at all. I am a spiritual person.

When did you become spiritual?
I have always been spiritual, it’s a journey. We are all expressions of god. And so you must love everyone and not be judgmental of others. When you are spiritual, you love everyone.

I think the Jain family’s spiritual beliefs have rubbed off on you.
It would have happened anyway, even if I had worked in any other corporation.
--

National conference in Pune on Technology, Communication and Culture

2012-01-09T21:24:00.000+05:30

Prof Dr Madhavi Reddy, head, Department of Communication studies University of Pune

has sent me the following:

A national conference on

Technology, Communication and Culture

Department of Communication Studies, University of Pune is organizing
National Seminar on “Technology, Communication and Culture

in Pune from March 8 to10, 2012.

About the Conference:

Technology has always been considered as a great determinant of societal changes. While the popular perception generally tends to give technology the status of the most critical factor for a variety of social and cultural changes, the academic response has- besides following this view with more qualifications- also included a minority view of technology itself being shaped by social and cultural milieu. Whether one takes up the discussion in popular domain or academic, whether one follows technological determinism or cultural, there is unanimity about one position- the relationship between technology and culture remains complex but irrefutable.

For further details click the following link:

http://www.unipune.ac.in/dept/science/dcs/NationalSeminar2012/index.html

(Note: Before you raise a query, please make sure that you have read the relevant information in the corresponding conference webpage link.)

Contact details:

Mail: seminar.dcs@gmail.com

Seminar Co-ordinator - Mr. Vishram Dhole: vishramdhole@unipune.ac.in

Head of Department - Dr. Madhavi Reddy: hod_dcs@unipune.ac.in

Telephones 020 - 25696348 / 49

DoCJ Pune Annual Get-together on Sunday, February 05, 2012

2012-01-02T15:58:00.001+05:30

Prof Ujjwala Barve has sent in the following invite for the annual get-together:

Invitation

Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune has organized "Annual Get-together" on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at Ranade Institute Campus on Fergusson College Road from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. All past/present students and staff; visiting faculty and well wishers of the Department are cordially invited for the event, which will be an opportunity to be in the department once again, meet old friends and colleagues and revive the sweet memories of days spent in the Department. So please do come. We are waiting for you…

Head, faculty, staff and students

Department of Communication and Journalism

University of Pune

-----------------------------

For more details contact:

Dr. Ujjwala Barve,

Head, Department of Communication and Journalism

University of Pune

(25654069, 25673188. head.dcj@gmail.com)

DoCJ Mumbai initiates 'Marathi Novel Writing Month' Movement

2011-12-31T08:31:00.000+05:30

The global ‘National Novel Writing Month’ movement that lured millions of lay persons to attempt to write fiction has now been launched in Marathi also.

The movement in Marathi has been initiated by the department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai.

The idea is that you have to begin writing a novel on January 01, 2012 and complete it by March 31, 2012.

Click here www.jamlekhan.org for details.

जाम लेखन उत्सव म्हणजे?

Nanowrimo म्हणजे National Novel Writing Month. तीस दिवसात पन्नास शब्दांची कादंबरी लिहिण्याचा हा एक भन्नाट वार्षिक प्रकल्प आहे. ‘आयुष्यात निदान एकदातरी कादंबरी लिहायची आहे’ असं वाटणार्या जगातील असंख्य लोकांसाठी हा प्रकल्प ख्रिस बेटी या मुक्त लेखकाने जुलै 1999 साली सॅन फ्रांसिस्को बे या अमेरिकेतील शहरात सुरू केला. पहिल्या वर्षी 21 लोकांनी यात भाग घेतला होता. 2000 साली ‘वाईट हवामानाचा फायदा मिळावा’(जोरात हिमवर्षाव झाल्यावर घरी अडकल्यावर काय करावं?) म्हणून हा प्रकल्प नोव्हेंबर महिन्यामध्ये करावा असे ठरले. त्यावर्षी 140 लोकांनी या प्रकल्पात भाग घेतला. इंटरनेट, सोशल नेटवर्किंग साइट्स, वर्तमानपत्रे, दूरचित्रवाणी या सगळ्यांनी या प्रकल्पाला इतके उचलून धरले की हा राष्ट्रीय प्रकल्प बघता बघता आंतरराष्ट्रीय झाला. यामध्ये सहभागी होणार्यां ची संख्या इतकी वाढली की यासाठी निर्माण केलेले संकेतस्थळ गडबडले. 2010 साली दोन लाख लोकांनी यात भाग घेतला आणि 2,87,26,82,109 शब्द लिहिले. यावर्षी हा आकडा 3,07,31,76,540वर जाऊन पोचलाय. आहे की नाही भारी?

जामलेखन 2012

जागतिक मराठी लेखन उत्सव अर्थात जामलेखन उत्सव हा मराठीतून लेखनाभिव्यक्ति करू इच्छिणार्‍या जगातल्या प्रत्येकाचा उत्सव आहे. ताई, माई, अक्का, दादा, अण्णा, आप्पा, विन्या, पम्या, विनी, सोनाली अशा घरातल्या मोठ्यातल्या मोठ्या आणि लहानातल्या लहान लिहिणार्‍या व्यक्तीसाठी हा उत्सव आहे. आपल्या मनातली गोष्ट सांगून पाहावी एकदा असं वाटणार्‍या प्रत्येक व्यक्तीसाठी हा उत्सव आहे.

आठवतात का त्या कथा, कादंबर्‍या, ती नाटकं, चित्रपट, इतिहासातल्या त्या घटना आणि पात्रं ज्यांनी आपल्याला भारावून सोडलं? आठवतात त्या लेखकांशी झालेल्या भेटी आणि त्या सगळ्यातून ती जबर्दस्त उफाळून आलेली लिहायची इच्छा? आठवताहेत त्या टीव्हीवरच्या, रेडिओवरच्या लेखकांच्या, प्रकाशकांच्या मुलाखती? त्यातून झालेली ती इच्छा की आपणही काहीतरी लिहिलं पाहिजे? आठवताहेत त्या स्पर्धा शाळेतल्या, कॉलेजातल्या? आठवतात का ते दिवस जेव्हा आपण कामात आणि कुटुंबात व्यस्त होतो आणि राहून गेलं लिहायचं? ती संमेलनं, चर्चासत्रं, गप्पाटप्पा नदीकाठी जेव्हा मित्रांनी पाठीवर थाप देत सांगितलं होतं 'लिही गड्या एकदा हे सगळं'? आठवते ती मैत्रिणींमध्ये आपण म्हणून दाखवलेली छोटीशी कविता? गणपती उत्सवात केलेलं नाटक, कॉलेजातल्या गॅदरिंगसाठी लिहिलेली एकांकिका? आपल्या आयुष्याला वळण देणारी ती माणसं, आपल्याला आह्वान देणारी माणसं, आपल्याला हरवणारी, आपल्यासमोर हरणारी ती सगळी माणसं, ती परिस्थिती, आपल्याला पडलेले प्रश्न, काही अजूनही अनुत्तरित तर काहींची आपल्याला सापडलेली उत्तरं या सगळ्याची करा नोंद, मांडा आपल्या आयुष्यावरचे आपले उपनिषद जगापुढे यावर्षीच्या जामलेखन उत्सवात.

कागदावर पेन गिरवा किंवा की-बोर्डवर बोटं आपटा....तुमच्यात असणा-या सृजनतेला मोकळं करा. डोक्यातल्या विचारांना शब्दांच्या माध्यमातून बाहेर काढा. खच्चून लिहा, अक्षरांच्या राशी रचा, विचारांनी पानंच्या पानं भरा, भावनांना शाईची वाट करून द्या, अलंकारांशी खेळा, स्वरव्यंजनांच्या माळा गुंफा, जामलेखन करा.

पन्नास हजार शब्दांची कादंबरी, चित्रपट पटकथा, नाटक, आत्मकथन, जीवनचरित्र नव्वद दिवसात लिहा. 1 जानेवारी ते 30 मार्च, 2012 (31 मार्च तारीख ठेवली तर एक्याणण्णव दिवस होतात ना???? म्हणून), या नव्वद दिवसांत पन्नास हजार शब्दांचे वर उल्लेखिलेले काहीही लिहा आणि व्हा यावर्षीचे जामलेखक.

थोडासा भागाकार वगैरे केलात तर दररोज लिहायचे आहेत केवळ 555 शब्द. बस्स्स! अगदी सोप्पं आणि सहज शक्य आहे. मग वाट कसली पाहताय? येऊ द्या बाहेर मनातील ती पात्रे, त्या घटना, ते संघर्ष, ते वादविवाद, ती स्वप्नं, ती मजा, ती मौज, ती सुखदु:खं, ते सगळे आठ रस (की नऊ, की बारा...की.....) आणि चार भाव. अवतरू दे शब्दांत तुमच्या मनातले जग. करा धमाल, खेळा शब्दांशी, अलंकारांशी, स्वरांशी, व्यंजनांशी. करू देत त्यांना धमाल तुमच्या मेंदूत आणि बाहेर पडू देत एक मस्त कलाकृती. एकदा पहा बनून विश्वकर्मा.

अलिबाबाची ही गुहा नवीन वर्षाच्या स्वागतासाठी 1 जानेवारी रोजी 00.00 वाजता उघडेल आणि 30 मार्चला 23.59 नंतर त्वरित बंद होईल. मग 1 तारखेला तयार व्हा 'खुल जा सिमसिम' म्हणायला आणि उतरा या अभूतपूर्व लेखनोत्सवात.

For those who could not understand the approach explained above, here is what the original NaNoWriMo explains the concept at http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/ywp

“The is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2010, we had over 200,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.”

Two posts in UoHyd for electronic Media and Print/New Media journalism

2011-12-22T15:46:00.000+05:30

The following has been sent to me by Prof Vinod Pavarala:

Please pass the word around

Two of our unfilled posts have been advertised again. The posts are as follows:

1. Associate Professor (SC) -- Electronic Media Production
2. Assistant Professor (OBC) -- Print Journalism and New Media

Both posts are under the 2010 UGC regulations, which means that Post 1 also requires a PhD. We would be grateful if you could suggest suitable candidates, if any, to apply. The deadline is: January 25, 2012.

The details are available in the university recruitment announcement at the following link:
http://www.uohyd.ernet.in/uploads/morelinks/Recruitment/UHFACAD.pdf

Thank you for much.

regards,
Vinod

columnist/ good tech review writer required

2011-12-13T18:55:00.002+05:30

I have received the following from a consultancy that is looking for a columnist/ good tech review writer

Proposal Editor' - TL
ï‚§ A Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Communications, or a related discipline. Master’s degree in English would be preferred.
ï‚§ Minimum of 6 + years of experience as a proposal editor or writer for Software Company, applying the rules of US /global English; understanding of IT software lifecycle will be highly preferred
ï‚§ Excellent command of the US/global version of the English language and its application, both written and verbal.
ï‚§ Highly developed interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with technical writers, peers, and Subject Matter Expert (SMEs).
ï‚§ Previous experience in developing and documenting department-level style and applying it to documentation; a highly developed knowledge of style guide principles.
ï‚§ A high level of competence with industry-standard technical writing tools, including, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat. Familiarity with other standard office environment software tools, including Microsoft Office.
ï‚§ Excellent cross-discipline communication skills.
ï‚§ Strong problem solving and decision-making abilities
ï‚§ Significant experience with file-management and version-control systems

Contact details:
E-mail: nausheen@icsconsultancy.com
Website: www.icsconsultancy.com
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nausheen-minaz/6/495/868

International Seminar on Media in Kolkatta on January 09, 2012

2011-12-06T11:34:00.002+05:30

I have received the following announcement from Prof Tapati Basu, Head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Calcutta, about an

International Seminar on Media

on 9^th January, 2012.

“Issue of Journalistic Ethics and Freedom in
the Contemporary Age of Digital Media”

Sub – Theme:-

I. Technical Strides and Development

II. Significance and Role of Media

Political Influence
Commercial Influence
Priority
Credibility and
Timeliness

III. Impact on Security, Economy, Society and Entertainment

Last Date for submission of Abstract and Full Paper for the publication with ISBN No. that will be

released on the 9^th January 2012 in the Inaugural Day is on 31^stDecember, 2011.

The soft copy of the abstract and full-paper to be sent to–

cujmcseminar2012@gmail.com and tapatibasu@tapatibasu.com

The Hard Copy of the Abstract and Full Paper along with the Demand Draft should reach within 31^stDecember, 2011.

For registration: - Demand Draft of Rs. 500/- to be drawn in favour of “Journalism Congress” payable at Kolkata to reach:

For details, Please visit http://tapatibasu.com/call_for_papers_for_international_seminar_9_january_2012_calcutta_university

Professor. Dr. Tapati Basu.

Head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication,

University of Calcutta,

Senate House,

87/1, College Street,

Kolkata – 700 073.

Email: tapatiindia@yahoo.co.in

tapatibasu@tapatibasu.com

tapatiindia@gmail.com

Call for papers for UGC-sponsored seminar in Kolkatta on Journalism in the age of New Media

2011-11-28T09:19:00.002+05:30

I received the following from Prof Uma Shankar Pandey. Please spread the word around:

---------------------------------------------------------

UGC-Sponsored National Seminar on

Journalism in the Age of New Media

Organized by: Department of Journalism

& Mass Communication,

Surendranath College for Women

24, M G Road, Kolkata 700009 (India)

In Association with Calcutta University

January 10-11, 2012

Call for Papers
Abstracts Due: December 12, 2011
Full Papers Due: December 27, 2011
Seminar Dates : January 10-11, 2012

Registration Fee: Rs 500.

Venue: Gitanjali Auditorium, Kolkata

Mail: uspcalseminar@gmail.com

Introduction:

This national seminar will explore intersections between new media, journalism and technology in order to enhance our understanding of the influence of information and communication technology, specially internet technology on traditional journalism. Are new media fundamentally changing the practice of democracy? Recent years have seen a significant transition in the role computer mediated communications play in the political sphere. A technological revolution driven by economic and market forces is undermining settled practices, established institutions, and traditional communications norms.
The digital revolution in information and communication technologies has created the platform for a free flow of information, ideas and knowledge across the globe. The new media (internet) has been able to incorporate all other means of communication the newspaper, magazine, radio, television, cinema, photographic image, and video. The consequence is the Internet divergence from mass communication. Not only has it led to normative rethinking on the traditional role of the press, it has also led to the adaptation of publication roles. Apart from the more apparent evolution of the content in mainstream mass media, it has also led to a rethinking of the role of the media professionals. Added to this is the greater ’interiority’ and also ‘interactivity’ of the audience , which is no longer regarded as a passive entity.

The hyper-local media is now accessible on the international platform. New media outlets have now made it possible for highly differentiated local discourse to be available to a wider transnational media. Interest groups now easily access alternative voices that were hitherto available only to a smaller community audience, across national boundaries. Apart from a plethora of content available for dissemination, new technology also makes it possible for patterns of similar events and issues to be associated across various societies. Solutions to local problems are no longer restricted to the community themselves but are picked up by interest groups, the world over and projected as exemplars.

Classical theories of mass communications are being reworked for the new media, because of its structural differences. The new media has also removed passivity among the media audience by enabling simultaneous reception, alteration and redistribution of cultural objects. It dislocates communicative action from the posts of the nations, provides instantaneous global contact and inserts the late modern subject into a machine apparatus that is networked.Marshal McLuhan had first associated technology with content in his celebrated treatise. He outlined four different media cultures. The first was the ancient culture of oral communication, exemplified by many of the old Sanskrit texts followed by a literature culture using the phonetic alphabet and a handwritten script which coexisted with the oral culture. The third progression, according to McLuhan described as ‘The Gutenberg Galaxy’ was that of mass-produced mechanical printing. Finally we are in the midst of what is known as the culture of the ‘electric media’ — radio, television and computers.

But as we have seen earlier, computer mediated communication provides a separate media culture altogether. The important characteristics of the new media are that media texts are dematerialized in the sense that they are separated from their physical — newsprint — form. The data can be compressed into very small spaces and it can be accessed at very high speeds in non-linear ways.

The seminar, in addition to the usual program of contributed presentations, posters and invited presentations, the main conference will include a selection of keynote talks from prominent media educators and professionals.

Suggested topics for papers include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Alternative journalism
Analyzing the relationship between new media and mainstream media
Best practices in online journalism
Business models for news
Challenges to journalism education
Changes in journalists’ professional identity
Changes in the relationship between journalists and the public
Changes in workflows and news production routines
Changing relationship between editors and reporters
Citizen journalism
Conflict of Interests in Journalism
Democratization of Communication
Digitization and journalism practice
Doing more with less resources
Education, ICT and Media
Ethical and legal issues related to globally accessible journalism
Ethical Issues in Journalism
Globalizing tendencies of Indian journalism
Human computer interaction; social media tools
Innovative news formats
Inter-Media Rivalry
Internet and Participatory culture
Marketization of news
Media Ecology
Media and Education
Media Literacy
New social media applications; interfaces; interaction techniques
Participatory journalism
Political Economy of ICTs
Politics of access and transparency in E-Governance
Psychological, personality-based and ethnographic studies of new media
Qualitative and quantitative studies of new media
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.) and news
Soft news, infotainment and political life
The commoditization of news
The effects of the changing nature of journalism on democracy
The impact of new technologies on reporting
The Implications of Cross Media Ownership
Transnational journalism in India

ONLINE SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS

Please submit your abstracts and papers via the conference management system, EasyChair.

Kindly create a username and a password to access the system. Save your password since you will need it to access the system. Click the link
below to submit abstract online.
https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=janm12

All accepted papers and abstracts will be published in the conference proceedings.

Send me an email at uspcalseminar@gmail.com or call me at +919433180755 for any clarifications. Spot registration is welcome. Local accommodation can be arranged for Rs 300-400 per person on a twin sharing basis at hotels close to the seminar venue. Prior booking is advised

Kolkata, the third largest city in India is regarded as its cultural capital. It is the only city in India to have produced Nobel laureates. Rabindranath Tagore, Mother Teresa and Amartya Sen are all identified with Kolkata. It was the capital of British India till 1911. It is regarded as one of India’s busiest tourist destinations.

Mid-January is the best time to be in Kolkata with minimum temperatures around 12degrees and the maximum around 25 degrees Celsius.

The seminar venue at 24, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kolkata-9 is very close to the Sealdah Railway station. It is a 10 minute walk from the University of Calcutta, College Street campus and 4 km from Howrah station. The city airport is just 15 km away. Being located in central Kolkata, access to different parts of the city is extremely convenient.

Uma Shankar Pandey

Seminar Convenor

uspcalseminar@gmail.com

+919433180755

Call for papers for the July-Dec 2012 issue of Media Watch

2011-11-18T10:21:00.000+05:30

I have received the following announcement Prof Dev Vrat Singh

The Media Watch, research journal on Journalism and Mass Communication, invites research papers on:

Media and Human Rights
For its forthcoming issue July-December 2012.
With the cooperation from media researchers, teachers and eminent media scholars, the Centre for Communication Studies has been regularly bringing out mass communication research and studies journal, ‘Media Watch’ for some years now. In its earlier issues, the journal has published papers and articles on some of the important issues in journalism, new media, broadcasting, and information and communication technologies.

The journal has been publishing articles and research papers on specialised themes in journalism and mass communication from its inception.

The current issue of the journal, July-December 2011, has published specialised research papers on ‘On-line Advertising/Internet Advertising.’The next issue of the journal, January-June 2012 will focous on ‘Changing Face of Indian Media.’
Themes for July-December 2012 Issue. Human Rights have become an important part of media debate recently. It is therefore, bounden duty of a research journal to highlight the issues in this area.

Logically, therefore, the next issue of Media Watch journal, July-December 2012 will
concentrate on diverse areas of research on media and human rights.
Papers are invited for publication in the journal by March 30, 2012. Suggested topics are as
under:

1. Freedom of expression Right to information
2. Corruption and criminalisation of politics Political violence by non-state actor
3. Disability HIV/AIDS
4. Labour and child rights Environmental disaster
5. Domestic violence

Please Note
Authors are requested to adhere to Media Watch’s style sheet posted on Media Watch Website (www.mediawatch.org.in). Contributions may preferably be sent preferably by e-mail.
Acknowledgement will be sent immediately.

For any inquiry, please write to Editor, Media Watch at mediajournal@ymail.com
Dr. R.C. PATTNAIK
Editor, Media Watch (Mobile : +91-94395 37641)

Media Watch: Home

www.mediawatch.org.in

MICA's Free online help for PhD and MPhil scholars

2011-11-03T17:52:00.000+05:30

Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Gujarat, has started a new initiative called MiDOCS. It is an online doctoral thesis facilitation service in the communication discipline. Now students of MPhil and PhD programs can ask queries through this service and will get answers from experts.

Moderator: Prof. Pradeep Krishnatray, Dean Research, MICA, tells me: It is free of cost.

This service addresses doubts, questions and apprehensions that students face such as: How to chose a topic for research, how to review relevant literature or where to find it, how to identify gaps and frame questions or hypotheses, what methodology (ies) to use, how to analyze data and write the dissertation.

You can have a look at it through following link.
http://www.mica-apps.net/micablog/

Here are details from this web page:

About MiDOCS

MiDOCS is MICA’s online doctoral thesis facilitation service in the communication discipline. It is designed to support and encourage MPhil and PhD students to complete their doctoral thesis. Its structure and focus keeps the doctoral students’ concerns in mind. It addresses doubts, questions and apprehensions that students begin to face the moment they enrol into a MPhil or PhD program: How to chose a topic for research, how to review relevant literature or where to find it, how to identify gaps and frame questions or hypotheses, what methodology (ies) to use, how to analyze data and write the dissertation. Click on the relevant category in the sidebar to write in your questions or respond to queries students have.

The MiDOCS service recognizes the role and importance of the research supervisor. But good dissertations often are products of peer and expert consultations, learning from others, and seeking help. We encourage you to share what you read here with your supervisor.

Please note the views and opinions expressed here are authors’ own and do not reflect the views and judgement of Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA).

Moderator: Prof. Pradeep Krishnatray,
Dean Research, MICA (Email: pradeep.micore@micamail.in)

For any queries related to administration of MiDOCS, please contact: Himanshu Dandotiya (Email: himanshu.micore@micamail.in)

Sports journalist Gautam Sathe no more

2011-10-22T09:54:00.002+05:30

Mumbai, Oct 21, 2011 : Senior sports journalist of India Gautam Sathe of the United News of India passed away in neighbouring Thane last night at his residence, following a massive heart attack.
Sathe, who was a journalist with the news agency for more than a decade, was 42 and is survived by wife, mother, brother and sister, according to family sources.
Sathe, an epileptic, was found lying on the floor by his wife when she returned home and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.
He had covered a number of sports assignments for UNI, and had narrowly escaped death from a stray bullet near Metro cinema during the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai in 2008.

Technical Writer wanted

2011-10-15T10:54:00.000+05:30

Technical Writer wanted

Location: Noida | Role: Lead Technical Writer; Technical Writer | Experience: 2-7 years| Qualification: B. E/ B. Tech/ M Tech / MCA

The ideal candidate should possess:

· Responsible for producing documents adhering to the customer standard

· Responsible for review of technical documents

· Experience in creation of User manuals, Release Notes, Developer guide in networking domain.

· Good analytical and communication skills

Primary Skills : Author-IT, Wiki based documentation

Please contact:

thakurdhananjay@gmail.com

National Conference on “Science Communication – addressing women’s issues"

2011-10-10T11:42:00.000+05:30

The National Centre for Science Communicators (NCSC), Mumbai, in collaboration with the National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata has organized a National Conference on “Science Communication – addressing women’s issues" on 7^th and 8^th January, 2012 at Kolkata.

Following are the details:

Dates: January 07 and 08, 2012

Venue: Auditorium of Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, 19 A, Gurusaday, Kolkata - 7000019

Registration Fee:

Students: Rs.500

NCSC members: Rs. 1000

Participants from Educational Institutes, Government Organisations, Public Sector Undertakings & Industries: Rs. 1500

The registration fee includes Conference kit, accommodation, lunches, tea/coffee and conference dinner.
All those who are interested may please confirm their participation in the conference by filling the attached registration/ Booking of accommodation form and mailing it to the General Secretary, latest by November 30, 2010.

Please contact:

Suhas B. Naik-Satam, General Secretary, suhasnasa@gmail.com

National Centre For Science Communicators

Vidnyan Bhavan, V.N. Purav Marg, Sion-Chunabhatti, Mumbai 400022

Tel. :091-22-24054714/7268 Fax. 091-22-24057268

Economic Times needs two reporters in Pune

2011-10-10T11:29:00.000+05:30

The Economic Times needs two reporters in Pune. Two years experience in journalism and familiarity with Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and neighboring areas are the pre-requisites.

Any one interested?

Mumabi seminar's date for full paper: October 15, 2011

2011-09-17T11:27:00.000+05:30

Good news for those who have not been able to catch the deadline for submission of abstract for the seminar being organised by Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai. Ms.Meenakshi Upadhyay, the coordinator of the conference, has sent the following announcement:

As we have received an overwhelming response to our national seminar "Media, Literature and Language" on November 11th -13th, 2011 to be held at the University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, we have decided to extend the dates to those who missed the abstract submission date. Now you can submit an entire paper by October 15 which would be subject to peer review before notification of acceptance for presentation at the seminar. Themes remain the same as mentioned earlier.

Visit http://mediasceneindia.blogspot.com/2011/08/national-seminar-on-media-literature.html for details.

Asia Journalism Fellowship 2012 opens for applications

2011-09-15T20:11:00.000+05:30

AMIC Newsletter has the following announcement: Pl pass on to your friends and colleagues in journalism

Asia Journalism Fellowship 2012 opens for applications
The fourth round of the Asia Journalism Fellowship will run from 27 February to 18 May 2012. The programme is accepting applications until 14 October 2011 from accomplished mid-career journalists.

The annual programme is an initiative of Temasek Foundation and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It brings journalists from across Asia to NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information for three months.

Away from the deadline pressures of their jobs, Fellows pursue their intellectual interests in one of Asia's leading universities. The semi-structured programme is designed to sharpen professional skills and deepen understanding of trends in media and communication at a time of rapid and sweeping change.

It also provides access to key newsmakers in Singapore's public sector, business community and civil society, offering insights into the challenges faced by one of Asia's most cosmopolitan hub cities.

Applicants should have five years of experience and the potential to make a difference in their profession and their home country on their return. Journalists working in any news medium – newspapers, magazines, television, radio or the web – can apply. The programme is in English, but welcomes journalists from local-language media. Visit http://www.ajf.sg for details on how to apply or email applications@ajf.sg if you have queries.

Utility of the Mediasceneinindia blog

2011-09-15T09:09:00.001+05:30

I had sent a mail recently to request all those whom I had been sending this blog to let me know if I should delete their e-mail address from my contact list. There are over 800 of them. Nobody asked me delete his/her name. Some insisted that I should continue to keep them informed about the Media Scene in India.
Very often communication teachers, when they meet me, say that they get to know through this blog, details about conferences, seminars, and workshops organised by media schools. Only last week, I met two vice chancellors, professors, researcher scholars, and senior journalists. They too asked me to keep it up.

I feel happy when mails like this reach me unexpectedly:

I want to express my thanks to you for sending me very important mails. As a research student the information is valuable for me. Thus I connect with the research activities of various universities. Your expertise and kindness as a mentor is invaluable. I can now look forward to my future.Thank you so much for your professional and effective help.

I have sent my abstract entitled "Media Convergence Energizing the Worldwide Integrated Ethical Frame for Communication". [Under proposed Theme: Ethics in Diversified Communication]. I inspired [& dare too] to send the same only because 'Guru' like you. Thank you so much.

Apologize for the delay to reply. I value our professional relationship. This will never happen again.

Sincerely,

Trupti Vilas Diggikar
Research student,
Mass Communication & Journalism,
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University
Aurangabad.

I request all of you, particulars heads of media schools and organisers of various activities to mail me the details well in advance so that research students and faculty everywhere can be benefited.

Yours,

Kiran Thakur

Revised Dates of Abstract and full paper for the Bhopal conference

2011-09-12T18:57:00.000+05:30

This is about the

International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media - Reflections of Society, being organised by the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal.

Prof Devesh Kishore informs us that the dates for sending the abstract has been extended to October 15th and full paper to Nov. 30, 2011, due to number of holidays coming in between.

Dates of the conference: 27th and 28th December, 2011. For details, visit :http://mediasceneindia.blogspot.com/2011/08/international-conference-on-diversity_16.html

and contact deveshkishore@hotmail.com, deveshkishoreus2000us@yahoo.co.in

Veteran journalist Nanduri Rammohan Rao is no more

2011-09-04T11:09:00.000+05:30

Vijaywada- Veteran journalist Nanduri Rammohan Rao, former editor of Andhra Jyothi , passed away in a city hospital here on September two due to multi-organ failure and brain arrest. The end came at around 7.30 p.m. after prolonged illness.
Aged 84, Mr. Rammohan Rao is survived by wife, three daughters and two sons. He was admitted to hospital on August 18 . He had the distinction of having nearly five decades of outstanding service in the field of vernacular journalism ever since he first joined Andhra Pathrika in 1948.
Born on April 24, 1927, at Aarugolanu village in Bapulapadu mandal in Krishna district, Rammohan Rao studied at Nuzvid and Bandar. He was known for his translated books of Mark Twain and Robert Stevenson. He worked for Andhra Pathrika from 1948 to 1960 after which he joined as the associate editor of Andhra Jyothi in 1960. In 1976 he succeeded Narla Venkateswara Rao as the editor and retired in 1994. Mr. Rammohan Rao authored Viswa Darsini book. His translations of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Raju Peda and Treasure Island are still popular among readers. These translations were first published during 1950-`51 in the Andhra Pathrika weekly.

(Source: UNI)

IGNOUs Media Schools to develop pool of faculty resourses for Master's and PhD programme

2011-09-03T16:20:00.000+05:30

Prof Subhash Dhulia, the Director of the School of Journalism and New Media Studies has announced the following:

We the IGNOUs School of Journalism & New Media Studies are in the process to launch new programmes and activities. As you might be aware IGNOU, initially was a Distance Mode University, has now become dual Mode University. We are conducting two full-time M.A. programmes and also have introduced Ph.D. programme.
We are in the process of developing a pool of faculty resources in different areas of journalism and communication whom we will be associating as experts in our various activities, such as, guest faculty, development of study material, paper setting, evaluation of answer scripts etc.

This is to request you to circulate the information to all concerned. Interested resource persons may kindly email their brief CV (with contact details) indicating area of specialization/interest to me at: sdhuliya@gmail.com
Thanking you,
Subhash Dhuliya

PS: I have recently taken over as Director of the School of Journalism & New Media Studies

Seminar on CONFLICT REPORTING AND PEACE JOURNALISM at COIMBATORE

2011-08-26T21:37:00.001+05:30

Prof Sudha Venkataswamy has announced the following:

One day seminar on CONFLICT REPORTING AND PEACE JOURNALISM is organised on September 16, at COIMBATORE by AMRITA SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION, AMRITA VISHWA VIDYAPEETHAM,

CONCEPT NOTE & DETAILS

We would like to start this proposal with a few recent news headlines:

Kashmir interlocutors create sceptical buzz in the Valley (The Hindu)
"Don't leave Afghanistan, India told U.S." (The Hindu)
"Maoists renew attack, kill 10 cops" (The Indian Express)
"Kashmir paralysed by rape protest" (The Times Of India)
"India blamed for rights abuses in Sri Lanka" (Deccan Herald)
“Karzai: Afghanistan, US in peace negotiations with Taliban” (Wire services)

--
Two distinct themes can be drawn from the above headlines: conflict and its resolution. Many Asian countries have been areas of bitter conflict in the last few decades. Whether it is the war in Afghanistan, the conflict in the Pak-Afghan border, the recently ended Sri Lankan civil war, or the pockets of conflict in India that include Jammu and Kashmir and the Maoist conflict, they have all led to the loss of life and disruption of daily life in the affected areas. Citizens live in fear and often without basic necessities like food and shelter. A car bomb in the vegetable market or a suicide bomber in a place of worship: families are torn apart as innocents are murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These areas are isolated worlds in themselves.
The outside world comes to know about the conflicts and the resultant deaths only. Journalists cover the conflict areas in terms of death toll and attempts at resolution. Many journalists feel that they should never play a part in resolving conflicts and that their role is to report events and leave it at that. However, there have been an increasingly large number of media practitioners who feel media coverage of the background and causes of conflict can lead to quicker resolution and normalcy in the affected areas. The concept of peace journalism emerged from this school of thinkers.
Peace Journalism is a relatively new concept that emerged in the 1970s, and was first used by Johan Galtung, a Norwegian sociologist and a pioneer in peace and conflict studies. Peace Journalism is suggested as an alternative to war reporting. This disregards the traditional journalistic value of objectivity to some extent, and calls for the reporters to be advocates of conflict resolution.

The one-day seminar seeks to expose students to subtle and overt issues relating to conflict reporting, interactions between media, government, army and the intelligence, and the relevance of peace journalism. The seminar will try hone the students’ critical thinking on the following crucial questions:

1)      How should journalists approach conflict reporting?
2)      How should journalists overcome the stress and trauma that is a natural, human reaction to conflict reporting?
3)      How do government and military organisations view media coverage of conflict?
4)      How practical is peace journalism in a media industry that is event-driven?

DATE : Friday, September 16, 2011

LIST OF SPEAKERS

1) Mr. N Sathiyamoorthy, Senior Research Fellow & Director, Chennai Chapter, Observer Research Foundation (ORF)

THEME: The Srilankan Conflict: The Covered and the ‘Un’covered

Mr. Sathiyamoorthy will address the various issues of Sri Lankan ethnic conflict to outline the difficulties faced by the news media in covering war-torn areas of Sri Lanka. He will discuss the influences of government restrictions on coverage, self-regulatory mechanisms in place for the media, if any, and the sensitivities of covering the human angle of conflict.

2) Mr. P K Hormis Tharakan, former chief of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and former DGP, Kerala

THEME: Intelligence and Media Interactions for Conflict Resolution

Can the Intelligence wings, the Police and the Media work together to provide meaningful, resolution-oriented coverage of conflicts? What is the right amount of information that can be revealed to the media in an ongoing conflict situation? Mr. Hormis Tharakan will address these questions and more in an attempt to expose students to the intricacies of breaking and sustaining news coverage of domestic conflict including terror-attacks, rioting and communal strife.

3) Mr. Ifthikar Gilani, Daily Times,Kashmir Times, Dawn

THEME: The Kashmir Conflict: The Relevance of Peace Journalism

Mr. Gilani will talk about the possible role of the news media in bringing about peace in conflict-stricken areas of Kashmir and the need to bring the plight of the common people to the public eye. He will expose the participants to the issues of Kashmir Conflict at the grassroots level, and the facilitator’s garb that the media can wear to bring about resolution

4) Lt. Gen (retd.). K. Nagaraj, former chief of the South-Western Command, who has also served in Jammu and Kashmir and has first-hand knowledge of insurgency in the state and its reporting by the media

THEME: Managing Media in conflict areas

Where does the freedom of media end and national security begin? Army officials and journalists are never likely to agree upon an answer to this question. Lt. Gen Nagaraj will talk about the need for self-regulation in the news media, the difficulties faced in imparting all information to the media, the techniques employed and the difficulties faced by both parties concerned in conflict areas.

PARTICIPANTS

1) All students and Faculty of Amrita School of Communication

2) Interested students and faculty from other schools and departments of Ettimadai and other Amrita campuses

3) Students of Journalism and Communication from Departments of Mass Communication & Journalism in Universities and Journalism schools.

Registration Fees: Rs 500/-

Students: Rs 250/-

Accommodation if required will be provided at a nominal fee on prior request.

Contact: Sudha Venkataswamy sudha_venkat@cb.amrita.edu

National seminar on Media, Literature and Language from November 11 to 13 in Mumbai

2011-08-26T21:09:00.001+05:30

Prof Meenakshi Upadhyay, Assistant Professor, of the Department of Communication & Journalism, University of Mumbai, informs us that

the Department and Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Communication & Journalism, Bhopal, have organized a national seminar on Media, Literature and Language on November 11^th -13^th, 2011 at the University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus.

Is news writing literature? Is it literature in a hurry? Is it the responsibility of the media to upgrade language? Can media shoulder this responsibility? What is the interface between media, literature and language? These are the questions that the seminar aims to address.

Proposed Themes

Ø Cinema, Literature and Language

Ø New media, Literature and Language

Ø Globalised media and Language

Ø Media and the emerging diasporic cultures

Ø Multiculturism, Literature and Language in Media

Submission of abstracts and full papers

Send the abstract and full papers to Prof. Meenakshi Upadhyay on the following email address: dcjconferences@gmail.com

All abstracts are peer reviewed by an expert committee in the respective fields. Only abstracts accepted for presentation will be notified for submitting the final and full papers.

Abstract Submission	September 15, 2011
Abstract acceptance notification	September 18, 2011
Paper Submission	October 10, 2011
Paper acceptance	October 15, 2011

Abstracts Submissions should include the following:

Title of abstract (maximum 150 words);

Names and titles of presenter and co-authors

Contact details of authors to include: Full name with preferred title, designation, affiliation, address and email address

Registration Fee

	Fee
Delegates (Outstation) Boarding and Lodging	Rs. 3000/-
Delegates (Local)	Rs. 1000/-
Students (Outstation), Boarding and Lodging	Rs. 1500/-
Students (Local)	Rs. 500/-

Demand Drafts for registration to be made in the name of ‘The Finance and Accounts Officer, University of Mumbai’.
Please send the draft on the following address:

Department of Communication and Journalism,

2nd Floor, Health Centre Building,

Vidyanagari Campus, Kalina,

Mumbai 400 098.

Receipts of those registered will be given at the time of the conference.

Please note:-

Accommodation is on a sharing basis
The accommodation will be provided between 10^th evening to 13^th afternoon
Accommodation is on a first come first serve basis. Seats limited.

For any query on registration of the programme contact:

Ms. Archana Ramesh

Alumnus

Email id: archana.ramesh11@gmail.com

Conference Secretary
Meenakshi Upadhyay
Assistant Professor
DCJ, UoM
Contact: 022-26526068

Email id: dcjconferences@gmail.com

Revised dates for International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media

2011-08-26T19:13:00.000+05:30

Pl refer to http://mediasceneindia.blogspot.com/2011/08/international-conference-on-diversity_16.html, the earlier post of this blog,

Prof. Devesh Kishore, the Director of International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media - Reflections of Society, has announced that

On the request of participants the date of International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media - Reflections of Society has been extended by one day. Now it will be held from 27 to 28 December, 2011. This change has been made due to Christmas holidays.

The Hoot offers research internships for Media students

2011-08-22T19:09:00.000+05:30

The Hoot is offering ten short term research internships for students, to be completed between October and December 2011. The last date for applying is September 30.
Proposals should be related to monitoring or studying Indian media, in English or a regional language, print, television or online. Regional media proposals, relating to media catering to regional (state) or language audiences, are especially welcome. For example, any media local to Andhra Pradesh or Gujarat or West Bengal, be it in Telugu or Gujarati or Bengali or English.

Student applicants are advised to pick a narrow, manageable subject of enquiry based on a trend or topic of media coverage they wish to explore. The proposal will have to explain the scope of the study, and the methodology. They can choose any topic related to TV news or entertainment, or any aspect of newspaper or magazine coverage, in a regional language, or in English. They are also encouraged to come up with research topics related to online media. They can explore a specific query related to social media, or blogs or websites.
Student applicants should be from a recognized media department and will have to have an academic supervisor who will guide them both in shaping the proposal and then executing it, if it is selected for the research internship.
For each selected project there will be a first draft deadline, and a final deadline.
There is no specified word length, but the final findings have to be written up in a maximum draft of 2500 words.
These internships are open to graduate, post graduate or PhD students from any part of the country. Completed projects will be published on the Hoot, and we will pay Rs 10,000 (ten thousand) for them.
Each application must be accompanied with the name and contacts of the academic supervisor, who will be expected to confirm that they will be supervising execution of the project.
The last round of research internships was conducted in the first quarter of 2011, and links are given below to these projects to give some idea of the subjects selected, and the manner of execution. Students are advised to pick manageable topics.
Send your proposals to editor@thehoot.org. Deadline for proposals: September 30, 2011.

Links to 2011 student research projects on the Hoot:

Corruption rules TV talk Part 1

The commentariat in July Part II: DD ducks corruption issue

Reporting the 2010 agitation in Kashmir
Localisation at prime time
Language newspapers in a metropolis
Express way to using RTI

Visit:

http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=5067&mod=1&pg=1&sectionId=36&valid=true

Hindustan Samachar organises seminar on Challenges Before Indian Democracy

2011-08-22T18:58:00.000+05:30

Mr Pranav Bhonde, the Chief of Bureau (Maharashtra and Goa), the Hindustan Samachar, has sent me the following invitation for the seminar on Challenges before Indian Democracy

Hindusthan Samachar (The Multilingual National News Agency)

Maharashtra & Goa Bureau, Mumbai,

Director and Chairman, Regional Managing Committee

& (Bureau Chief), Maharashtra & Goa Bureau

Shri. Ravindra Sanghvi

Shri. Pranav Bhonde

Cordially invites you for

The Seminar on

“Challenges Before Indian Democracy”

Key Note Address : Smt. Sushma Swaraj, (Leader of the Opposition, Lok Sabha)

Chief Speaker : Dr. Subramanian Swamy, (President, Janata Party),

Shri Eknath Thakur, (Chairman, Saraswat Bank & Former M.P. Rajyasabha) to preside

On Saturday, 27 August, 2011 at 05.00 PM

Venue: Vasant Smriti Auditorium, Dadasaheb Phalke Road, Near Ranjeet Studio, Dadar (E.), Mumbai 400014

RSVP On : 9869866814 / 9869408976 / 022-22048262

hsmumbai@gmail.com

International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media- Reflections of Society in Bhopal

2011-08-16T14:36:00.000+05:30

Makhanlal. Chaturvedi National, University of Journalism and Communication, has organised an International Conference on Diversity & Plurality in Media- Reflections of Society, On December 26-27^th 2011 in Bhopal.

Overview

The foundation of ancient Bhartiya (Indian) civilization is based upon the eternal concept of unity in diversity. To be diverse is the law of nature but there is an element of commonality in every creation. Integral Humanism is a social philosophy that explains the intricacies of human relationship within and outside world. Communication as an essentiality of human behavior and media as its extension has to be diverse in nature and scope.

But the organized media is structured in such a manner that it is conditioned to ignore the spectrum of the diversity and project certain activities, events, thoughts and ideologies more than the other . This does it have the capacity to be objective. Do we live with these aberrations? Or else scholars and media persons should look for alternate structural option?

Conference plans to address the issues related to Diversity and Plurality from an Asian Perspective.

Proposed Themes

· Unity in Diversity: Concept and Manifestation

· Dynamics of Diversity in Media Structures

· Democracy and Diverse Media Content

· Ethnic Group and Diversity in Media

· New Media: Reality and Virtuality

· Measuring Diversity and plurality in Media

· Training for Diversity and plurality in Media content

· Social Exclusion and Media

· Strategic Communication and Managing Change

· Defining Role & Function of Media in terms of Integral Humanism

· Caste & Class in Media structure & Content

· Media and Politics of Minorities

· Social Diversity and its Reflection in Media

· Ethics in Diversified Communication

Notification inviting abstract (300-400 Words) August 30^th,

Deadline for registration 30th September,

Deadline for submitting full papers 30th October, 2011

Registration Fee

	till 30th Sept	After 30th Sept.
Foreign Delegates (With boarding & lodging)	US $500	US $600
Indian Delegates (With boarding	Rs.6000	Rs 8000
Students ( with Boarding &lodging)	Rs 4000	Rs 5000
Indian Delegates (Without boarding & lodging)	Rs 4000	Rs 5000
Students (Without boarding & lodging)	Rs 2000	Rs 2500

Travel and Accommodation

Faculty, Post doctoral fellows Research Scholars may avail different kinds of travel grants/ fellowships under various exchange programs to attend the conference.

Many Institutions abroad and in India as well, offer travel grants for the purpose of research, presenting papers or to attend conferences overseas. We wish to well come all those to avail such opportunity to attend the conferences. Over 50 international 150 national delegates would be accommodated in the conference. Hence we would like to invite the enthusiastic scholars, having such grants to visit India and present papers, to submit their abstracts early registration fees (both online).

Submission of abstracts and full papers

Send the abstract and full papers to Prof. Devesh Kishore. All the abstract are peer reviewed by the experts committee in the respective fields. Only abstracts accepted for presentation would be notified for submitting the final and full papers.

Responsible for organization of Conference

Prof. Dr.Devesh Kishore,

Director International Conference & Professor Research,

Mob. 09871448931,

e-mail. deveshkishore@hotmail.com,deveshkishoreus2000us@yahoo.co.in

Registration and Details of Programme:

Dr. Pavitra Shrivastava,

Makhanlal. Chaturvedi .National, University of Journalism and Communication,

B-38,Vikas Bhawan, Opposite, Dak Bhawan ,Press Complex, Zone-1, M.P.Nagar, Bhopal,M.P.-462011, Mob.09827258572, e-mail- mcuread.pavitra@gmail.com

Prof TDS Alok is no more

2011-08-14T21:52:00.001+05:30

9:38pm Aug 14

Prof Virbala Agrawal informs us about the demise of Prof TDS Alok

It is very sad to share with my all friends and colleagues that my colleague and friend Prof TDS Alok is no more. He was ill for the last many months. He joined the department as a Reader in 1997. He suffered many set backs in the life. When he regained the life, luck did not favour him. It is a big set back not for me only but for the entire department and the journlism fraternity. He was very soft spoken and friendly to everyone. Let us pray that His soul rest in peace.

Prof Vir Bala Agrawal
Department of Journalism nand Mass Communication
HP University Shimla

8:36pm Aug 14

Prof Ajai Srivasatva writes:

Professor T.D.S. Alok's sad demise has shocked the entire teaching and journalist community of Himachal Pradesh. Prof. Alok was critically ill for the last couple of months and died of renal failure today in Shimla. He was born in 1954 in a remote village of Kullu district. He started his career as primary teacher and later joined the Information and Public Relation Department of Himachal Pradesh and remained Editor of state government's weekly Giriraj. In 1996 he joined the Deptt. of Journalism and Mass Communication of H.P. University, Shimla as Reader and at present he was Professor and Chairman of Journalism and Mass Communication Deptt. He wrote a number of books on Media. He was not only an eminent scholar but a sensitive poet and above all a man of humanity. May God give rest in peace to the departed soul.

International seminar on global communication and PR in Bangalore on Nov 17 and 18

2011-08-08T09:52:00.000+05:30

Received the following from Mr M.B.jayaram, CE & CM Public Relations Council OF India:

An INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON GLOCAL COMMUNICATION and COMMUNICATION FEST will be organised on November 17 and 18 in Bangalore. It is jointly organised by Mass Communication Dept, Bangalore University & PRCI,, associated by 12 Universities & 102 Colleges who teach Journalism < &Communication in Karnataka. supported by Media Academy of Karnataka, & Press Club of Bangalore
The venue is Jnanajyothi Auditorium Bangalore University you are requested to kindly inform all Universities& colleges coming under your jurisdiction & your zone to participate in this Mega Event.
Since this is one of the biggest EVENT in India you are requested to kindly see that more number of academicians students & members to attend the International seminar.
Kindly log on to the website mentioned below for submitting the papers & other details
regards
M.B.jayaram
CE & CM PRCI
For Public Relations Council OF India

www.conferencealerts.com

Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh is new Vice Chancellor, Patna University

2011-08-02T19:18:00.000+05:30

Prof. Shambhu Nath Singh has today taken over as new Vice Chancellor, Patna University. He relinquished the post of Director, School of Journalism & New Media, Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Now Prof. Subhash Dhulia is the new Director, SOJNM, IGNOU, according to Dr. C P Singh,
Professor In-charge, University School of Mass Communication (USMC), GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi.

Helena newspaper to begin charging for online content

2011-08-02T13:45:00.000+05:30

The Internet has become a great medium for delivering and reading the news, and with news websites and social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the news now comes to you - on your computer, phone, or tablet.
But are you willing to pay to get the news online? Many newspapers are struggling and are exploring ways to make money after seeing a fall in revenue.
Now the Helena Independent Record and several other Lee Newspapers in Montana are following suit. The IR announced on Sunday that the time has come for them to introduce a subscription plan for their digital customers.
The plan, slated to begin on Monday, August 1, will be a metered system that will keep track of how many times a reader clicks on a news story; readers are allowed 15 pages of content for free during any 30 day period on the IR website.
Here is an excerpt of what the Independent Record announced):

We will not be charging to view the following content online: the front page, classifieds, all advertisements and advertising promotions, special sections, auctions, community calendar or customer service pages.
Webpages that will be charging for viewership - after 15 free views per month - are local, state, national and world news pages; local and regional sports; news accessed by Facebook and Twitter; opinion pages; obituaries; entertainment (except AP wire); health, outdoors, weddings, anniversaries; births, lottery; weather; archives; comments; photo galleries and videos.
A monthly online subscription is $4.99; if you have a print subscription, your online subscription is only $1.99 per month. An annual online subscription is $49.99 per year; or if you have a print subscription, it is only $19.99.
Breaking, local, state, and national news that matters the most to you - all free. We have the most advanced weather system with live radar, all free.

Articles invited on CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

2011-08-02T10:40:00.000+05:30

Prof. C.K. Sardana has sent in the following announcement to me:

UPKRAM, a quarterly magazine on and for Public Sector, published from
Bhopal, announces theme for the issue July-September 2011 -- CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE IN PUBLIC ENTERPRISES. articles are solicited from
professionals, economists and writers on economic and associated
matters. these may be emailed to casardana@gmail.com latest by August
20, 2011. For any clarifications, Executive Editor, Prof. C.K. Sardana
can be contacted on Mobile 09893556483.

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Articles invited on CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

on 9^th January, 2012.