Media Watch launched

Let me welcome Media Watch, a new journal dedicated to research and news & features on journalism and mass communication.
I know I am a little late in welcoming the efforts of my colleagues, but better late than never!
It is the flagship journal of Centre for Communication Studies of Puri in Odisha.
It does not appear to be a peer-reviewed research journal which I believe is a must in the Indian subcontinent and I have said so in my earlier blogs. Yet the Media Watch fulfills the need for a platform for scholars and professionals to report and discuss issues that concern the communication field in India.
The editor, Dr R C Patnaik, promises that the journal would encourage a lively debate on media issues. He has urged national and international media scholars, media professionals and post-graduate students to submit scholarly articles, critical essays, research findings, book reviews, opinion pieces, and news features. I do hope they will respond to his appeal.
The January-June volume of the journal covers various aspects of print, television, radio, telecommunications and online media. It has contributions from veterans in the field, such as AK Dash, Dr Priyadarshi Pattanaik, Dr Damodar Suar, Dr Pitabas Pradhan, SMA Hussain, Dr Pradeep Nair, Dr G K Sahu, Sameera Khan Rehmani, S B Nayak, Prof M S Parmar, RC John, Prof J S Giri, Dr S N Pattnaik, and Pradumna Sathua.
I have a feeling that the section on Media Matters and even page-fillers will have good reference value particularly for the students, teachers, and those who appear for NET & SLET exams.
The Centre for Communication Studies has hosted a web edition of the journal, http://mediawatch.org.in. It should, however, quickly provide contents in the website’s sections most of which tell you nothing beyond ‘Under Construction’.
The inaugural issue of the print journal demonstrates that it is not the monopoly of Delhi and other metros to offer quality in terms of richness of contents as also the art work and printing. Here is wishing all the best to Dr Patnaik and his teammates for the future issues.
Kiran Thakur