Tag: media

The imbalance in cricket’s Ecosystem

Credits- wall arts

Cricket has shifted completely in the last 10 years. T20 cricket gives the game such a high economic drive that every other format lives in the shadow of it. With that said, people have constantly raised their voices and have made efforts to keep test cricket alive. We’ve seen some great test matches in the last 3 years. One of the biggest problems the game faces right now is scheduling. There’s so much cricket being played all over the world. The majority of it is franchise cricket. Franchise cricket brings the majority of the money to the game and every player wants to be a part of it because of how economically convenient it is. Now, these tournaments take a big window out of the calendar. That leaves very little time for international bilateral series.

South Africa cancelled the one-day international tour to Australia to make sure that all top South African Players are available for CSA’s newly announced T20 franchise league. It seems clear which way the game is heading. Although, we cannot solely blame CSA for choosing franchise cricket over international cricket. If they didn’t make that decision, they could’ve almost been on the verge of being broke. They require investment to kick off their new league and that could’ve only been possible if the investors were sure that the international South African players will be available for the league from the start. Opting out from the Australia series means South Africa might not qualify for the world cup directly and will have to go to the qualifiers first. That’d indeed be something to keep an eye on.

One great issue is the imbalance in international cricket. There are only 3 cricket boards that can sustain their cricket on their own. India, Australia and England. Everyone else is dependent on each other. For example- if India tours West Indies for a test series, West Indies will make so much money that they won’t have to play cricket for the whole year because of how bad their economic situation is. Boards other than the strong 3 find it difficult to ask their players to play for their country rather than their franchises because they cannot offer the kind of money these Franchises do.

Credits- wikipedia

Cricket has reached a tipping point now. With more games being played than ever before. Players retire from a particular format because they cannot see a way to play all formats and sustain. Franchise cricket taking a huge chunk of time out of the calendar. All these things have made a lot of administrators reach to a conclusion. They’ve planned to reduce the number of bilateral series. Especially ODIs. The future for ODI looks rather bleak. Test cricket is not going anywhere and the same goes for the Revolutionary T20 form. ODI format finds itself in a tough position because it seems irrelevant in today’s age. The quality of cricket is not the same anymore. It feels like an extended version of T20 cricket. The most prominent ODIs that we’ll see in the future will be the World Cup. Cricket has truly changed.

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As Frank as the Ocean…

Credits-frankfan76

Blonde was released in 2016. The album has completed 6 years since its release. An album’s success is divided into 2 parts. The first one is the quality of the lyrics and the story of it. The second and a really important one is sound production. Sound production means the quality of sound. When you listen to any of the blonde’s track, you’ll realise how well produced the sound is. Every beat is so clean and soothing to the ears. Sound production makes a huge difference in the overall quality of the album. For example, Donda’s sound production was not very well done and lets the album down in a lot of ways. Blonde’s production was probably the best of this decade. The transition in the song “Nights” is so sick and is the highlight of the amazing sound production.

The album has some of the most diverse tracks. Ivy is a melodic soft indie lost love song whereas solo (reprised) is a fast and very catchy beat with a really good flow. Futura free is 10 mins long and continuously progresses its flow. There are abrupt audio clips filled in this album and that is a signature of frank ocean. Self-control starts in a very poppy fashion and translates into a coming of age song quick. Be yourself is a voice note from frank’s mom telling him not to get addicted to alcohol, drugs or marijuana because it will make him stupid, lazy and unconcerned. She also speaks about the importance of being yourself. Frank always finds a way to make his album feel more personal and intimate as he did with channel orange. After her mother’s voice note, he talks about rolling a solo for himself right in the next track. The album feels like a very honest and a true deep dive into frank’s life.

Credits- miranda devis

I think this is the reason people relate to it so much. I listen to some of the tracks every day like Self Control, Nights, Good Guy and Futura Free. Good guy is a cute lofi track where he is talking about a girl jasmine and reminiscing about how the relationship actually had more substance than he thought it had. Soon after good guy, Nights kicks and boy it kicks in so well. Everything about that song is perfect. The Pacing, Lyrics and the Transition. Apple Music in its description of blonde writes “an album we’ll be talking about for years to come” and here we are after 6 years of talking about it.

In the song solo, frank is talking about how he was very loud in public once and the police turned them down and suddenly very abruptly he says “I forgot to tell you how much I vibe with you” this feels so abrupt but so personal at the same time. It’s like you’re talking to someone about something and suddenly you tell them something totally different. Frank does it so beautifully. Another instance of his lyrical genius is spotted in the song self-control. He’s having some poolside conversation with a girl about her summer and this translates into something more. He says “ cause I made you use your self-control and you made me lose my self-control “ this is just brilliant writing. In the end, Blond is a very catchy, a very poppy but at the same time a very deep and personal album. Catch it if you still haven’t somehow.

Role of media in modern world

The importance and also the impact of the media, written or electronic can not be marginalized within the world of today. within the modern times of quick communication and data, media plays a hugely crucial role.

Photo by picjumbo.com on Pexels.com

The original role of the media was and still is to relinquish the general public all relevant information about occurrences within the country and therefore the world. Now the written media includes a bunch of publications, dailies, fortnightly, weeklies, monthly all giving information about events with the supplement of suggestions and comments by learned people. Today, the medium has acquired such proportions that, there’s absolutely no avenue of data or information that’s not noted. Multifarious avenues are being touched upon, whether it local, national, or international. All avenues of stories, business, health, sports, films, and entertainment are being dwelt upon at great length. the nice advantage of this media is spreading news, knowledge, and knowledge through the length and breadth of the globe. In nowadays of awareness, even the remotest of villages of India get a minimum of one newspaper daily in their local language. This keeps them informed of the newest news and happenings of the globe. Moreover, written media is that the cheapest medium of collecting all important information of the district, city, country, and everyone on the planet. We can see how Huhle Media is playing its role in modern world.

Next in importance come the electronic media, ie. the radio and therefore the television. I call it second to the medium because it’s dearer and then, less common in far-flung areas of the country. With ever many channels on the radio and also the television, there’s no information that’s left untouched. This media specially caters more to urban areas because it is costlier to shop for and than to take care of.

Thus, the media, whatever or not it’s print or electronic media, its importance a minimum of within the present can’t be denigrated. While we are sitting in our drawing room reception, we will get all the knowledge of all happenings around the world. We get a sea of data and every one the data, relaxing reception.

So much so good, but, what we notice today, with the liberty of the press taking new proportions, the media is becoming slightly out of control and also partial. the newest trend within the media is that it’s tainted with the signs of utmost partiality.  To some extent, media is occasionally overstepping its limits and missing its freedom. the duty of the media is simply to administer the information of what happens and to not add its won partial views to the data. the work of the media should remain restricted only to reporting facts on when and the way they occur and leave the readers to create their own opinions. However, this is often no more true of the trendy trends of the media. They get news and print them as per their own personal learnings and beliefs. This I’d say isn’t correct reporting because it is probably going to paint the views of the readers or viewers. The task of the media is simply to report and not color the views of the people.

It would be good if the media restricts itself only to passing on correct and exact information, with no comments for and against any organization it’d be doing its job correctly and sincerely.  and also during this corona period, creating awareness furthermore as spreading more positivity is far needed in today’s world.

International Media Conclave 2021

We at School of Journalism and Mass Communication in JECRC University are all set to host our first International Media Conclave ‘Manthan’ from September 15 to September 17.
The Conclave will have three dozen speakers from over half a dozen countries. It will have six sessions, six keynote addresses and an inaugural address.

For registration and e-Certificate, Register to below link
https://forms.gle/xXJFXzFp2uifcyHv6

Joining link
JU International Media Conclave Day 2Time: Sep 16, 2021  3PM India
Join Zoom Meetinghttps://zoom.us/j/98619567328?pwd=SFQ2RVlmdEVLdUV2aUNodGhKMWROdz09

History of Indian Stamps

India got independence on 15th August of 1947 assured in a new era in the history of the country but philatelist had to wait another 98 days for the release of India’s most commemorate stamp on 21st of November 1947.

First stamp

The Postal Telegraph Department however came out with a large Kashi postmarked with the slogan “Jai hind” for the occasion and letters mailed that the major post offices of the country were cancelled with this post mark.

The India’s first commemorative stamp features the Lion capital of Ashoka which had one set on the top of a column of Sarnath near Varanasi. The lion capital has since been around at the state emblem of India the denomination of the stamp was one and a half annas and an inspiration of “Jai hind” in Hindi was also depicted in the stamps.

Other stamps

Actually three stamps were planned to release at the time of Independence. The rest two stamps were released in the 15th of December 1947 with the three and a half annas stamp with portray of the national flag in tricolor Saffron on the top, white in the middle and green in the bottom.

The twelve annas stamp depicts an aircraft a symbol of the modern age. These stamps also have inscription “Jai hind” in hindi, they are also known are Jai Hind stamps.

The stamps were printed offset lithography. As the three and a half annas stamp was printed in three colors in three steps because difference in inking at different stages, because specimens having the top of the flag in deep orange or pale orange and the lower part in pale green and deep green were coming across.

The Role of Social Media in Raising Health Awareness

More and more people are dependent on social media for healthcare news and resources in this new era. Today, the idea of following doctors on Facebook is typical. Social media and healthcare go hand-in-hand. When Social media matters across all the industries, then why should healthcare be avoided right? 

Since more people are engaged on social media, the medical field has now understood the importance of social media in healthcare and has started incorporating such practices. Healthcare organizations have seriously started examining the role of social media in the patient-physician relationship. Leaders in public health have begun realizing that a comprehensive healthcare brand can be built with the help of social media marketing. 

Social Media Engagement in Healthcare | Digital Marketing for Hospitals

Raises Awareness

Social media has always been a key to increase public awareness about emerging, new, and annual health issues. It facilitates raising awareness in a way that is as simple as reminding followers about the basic sense of health practices. 

When the world around is changing fast, social media is the key that ensures that the public is aware of the latest medical guidelines, issues, and advisories. One of the ways of sharing information is to share them directly through your social posts. Another way is to use social media to direct followers to credible sources of the latest news. 

Combat Misleading Information

Social media, due to its very nature, helps spread information quickly to distinct groups of people. That’s great when the information shared is helpful, clear, and fact-based. But unfortunately, there is also a lot of misinformation on social platforms. At times, this misinformation comes in the form of false statements and they are easily ridiculed. 

You can cite published research from a credible health resource like the CDC or WHO. But sometimes, the creators of misinformation may use a reputable institution to give credibility to their statements. Then, the institution needs to clarify that they are not the source.

Social media offers institutions a platform to generate statements to stop the masses from believing false facts. So, make your healthcare brand a platform where you share useful information with your followers and stay away from spreading misinformation. More detailed research can help you identify the true facts. 

The more the research, the better!

Answer Common Questions

Health organizations and authorities working in the healthcare sector are valuable for all kinds of health concerns. Social media tools offer a creative way for healthcare professionals to address common issues. 

For example, the government of India has developed a Facebook Messenger Chatbot. It allows answering questions, directing citizens to the right source, and countering misinformation. 

Everything is shrouded in the media’s shadow. If we claim that the media is counting the feathers of the flying sparrow, we are not exaggerating. The role of media has created a stir and sensation in the world , rich or poor, fair or dark, wise or unwise, are enjoying lucretian pleasures and are in the air. Media could play a leading role in creating awareness on the various health issue and this role can’t be disputed. Hillary Clinton Secretary of State of the US has recently commented on AIDS and while speaking that the disease is incurable, she said efforts are to be made. Many efforts are made on health-related issues and role of media have to be included also. There are many health-related problems confronting our country and these include both communicable and chronic diseases. Health department at the center and state play a leading role in the eradication of diseases, including international agencies and governments of other countries. Media has been promoting health-related causes in a big way in helping government departments spreading awareness on various issues relating health and family welfare programs. The MOHFW has various schemes and these are promoted in many private and government-owned media outlets.

JOURNALISM IN INDIA

Media interview

Gathering, creating, preparation and distribution of reports of current events based on facts and information is journalism. The term journalism is used for the profession whereas a journalist is a person who is responsible for collecting and presenting the news. 

Journalism is mainly classified into two sections – Print Journalism and Electronic (Audio/Visual) Journalism. Print Journalism involves newspapers, magazines and journals. Different work profiles in Print Journalism includes reporters, editors, correspondents, columnists and many more. Meanwhile, Electronic Journalism is dissemination of news or information through electronic media like radio, television and web. Prominent work profiles in electronic media include anchor, reporter, editor, correspondent etc.

Journalism Courses:

Here is a list of mainstream journalism courses:

  • Bachelor of Mass Media and Journalism (UG, 3 years)
  • Bachelor of Communication and Journalism (UG, 3 years)
  • B.Sc. in Journalism and Mass Communication (UG, 3 years)
  • BA in Media and Communication (UG, 3 years)
  • BA in Journalism (UG, 3 years)
  • BBA in Mass Communication and Journalism (UG, 3 years)
  • MA in Journalism and Mass Communication (PG, 2 years)
  • M.Sc. in Mass Communication (PG, 2 years)

The Scope in Journalism

In the recent years, the communication channels have widened from radio, television to digital and social mediums. India has one of the biggest media industries in the world providing ample number of job opportunities to the suitable candidates. Currently, Journalism has become one of the most prestigious careers in India. Candidates can avail job as a journalist in English, Hindi and many other vernacular languages. Candidates can also avail jobs in different types in different types of journalism mentioned below:

Types of Journalism
Broadcast JournalismCommunications
Fashion JournalismForeign Correspondent
Freelance WritingInvestigative Journalism
Newspaper ReporterPhotojournalism
Social MediaSports Journalism

Print Media

Below are some important job profiles and their roles in print media.

  • Reporter:  The role of a reporter is to gather news and report with accuracy. News sense, objectivity and timeliness are few important qualities, which a reporter should possess.
  • Correspondent: Correspondents are also known as special reporters who are assigned for a particular purpose. Correspondents can be of any beat like politics, sports, crime etc.
  • Feature Writer: The responsibility of a feature writer is to write soft stories with deep research and observations on particular subject.
  • Proof Reader: The role of a proof reader is to assess the edited copy. A proof reader must have good grammatical and punctuation skills.
  • Leader Writer: The role of a leader writer is to write their views on the current topics through editorials.
  • Editor: Editor’s responsibility is to maintain a journal’s reputation. He also ensures that article corresponds with the media in-house style guides.
  • Columnist: The role of a columnist is to write for a specific column in detail in the newspaper or magazine. The column can be related to any topic highlighting his viewpoint on any subject like politics, fashion or films.

Photo Journalists, Cartoonists are some other profiles.

Electronic Media

Here are various job profiles included in electronic media.

  • Researchers: The role of researchers involves deep research on a particular topic. Significant qualities required for this job profile are creativity and excellent research skills.
  • Electronic Media Reporters: An electronic media or broadcast reporter should have good verbal and presentation skills. He should have a news sense.
  • Presenters/Anchors: A presenter should be confident. He must have excellent communication skills, ability to remain balanced in stressful conditions.
  • Freelancers: Apart from the above-mentioned job profiles, freelancers are informal employees who are assigned particular task and are paid according to it.

Areas of work for a journalist

Below are few areas where a journalist can work at different profiles.

Journalists and Their Work Areas
News AgenciesPress Information Bureau
Legal Affairs DepartmentTelevision Industry
NewspapersCirculation and Public Relations
All India RadioJournals
BlogsWebsites

Pay Scale in Journalism:

Most of the aspirants chose journalism due to interest and passion. Check out how well journalists are paid in India.

According to a report in Glassdoor, the annual salary of a journalist at The Times of India ranges from Rs 2.33-9.58 lakh. Meanwhile, the annual salary of a reporter at The Hindu is Rs7.30 lakh.

The pay-scale of a journalist in print, television and radio with similar experiences differ. For example, a senior journalist in electronic media is paid more than a journalist in radio and newspaper with similar experiences. The major difference is because of the higher advertising revenue in television.

Pros and Cons of Journalism:

Journalism is a profession for curious people and like every other profession; journalism too has both pros and cons.

Pros:

  • New opportunities and challenges
  • Opportunity to work with informed people
  • You learn for a living
  • Opportunity to meet people
  • Opportunity to travel
  • A strong sense of achievement
  • You get paid for writing
  • Benefits of a press card

Cons:

  • Not very lucrative
  • Challenging and demanding
  • Long workdays
  • Work pressure
  • Stressful
  • Risk to life

A new version of Censorship.

 As per the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITy), social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram have to follow the new Guidelines of government failing which can lead to a ban. guidelines were issued in February 2021, and social media platforms had around 3 months to acquire these guidelines. The companies are yet to respond to the Intermediary Guidelines. The decision taken due to the fake headlines do nothing but spread fear among people. 

According to the constitution, India is a democracy at least on pen and paper. However, certain powerful people in the Central Government, to strengthen power, are now trying to silence free speech on social media. Free speech is a right granted to all human beings globally. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) recognizes it as a fundamental right. India happens to be one having this right. This means, Indian citizens should have access to this right, and it’s the government’s responsibility to see that this right is being protected.

Yet, these powerful individuals within the Central Government, have time and again gone to unbelievable measures to control this right. 

. The disappointed young people of today turn to social media to express their objections about everything they found mistaken or unsuitable. Be it a person of any class, culture, community, and religion. everyone turns to the internet. And the only way to check these critics would be by introducing “Agreement Officers”.That is exactly what the government has done through its intermediary guidelines to check who’s saying what on the internet.

If this guideline came into being. There exists no mechanism for the common mass to raise their voices. The only time when the masses get to raise their voice is during the elections. But then again, it’s the media that controls the elections these days. Unfortunately, reporting is done in such a way that we’re persuaded in support of a particular political party. This plan, if achieved, will badly affect the very foundation of our democracy.

Criticism makes democracy strong. But these guidelines go against it.

Maybe government believes that criticism isn’t important anymore and hence has concluded that the internet should be controlled. It’s dishonest of this country to say that other countries are trying to crush free speech.

The government needs to come into a discussion with the social media companies and the common people. But the government didn’t give a single thought to it. It is nothing but censorship in disguise.

Enlightenment as a mass betrayal

The radio, newspaper, and TV. All are mediums of communication. They all were invented to enlighten human beings. Every creation has its purpose So they have. It’s true that for daily information we depend on this medium but does this products assisting us. Or it’s just deception. The reality is they are a tool in hands of cooperation to earn profit. And increase their business. Providing information is just a business. we get only that much information that cooperates giants want. As half of the media is dominated by politicians and giant cooperates. That influences their credibility. Hard to believe but this is a bitter truth. this invention acts like a tool in those hand who have money. consumerism is created intentionally through media in the form of advertisement. Advertisement creates a desire in human beings. This desire resulted in more consumption thus adding profit to the big giants. That shows how people are betrayed. Today content is created in such a way that doesn’t make a person intellectual. But merely a passive consumer.
In this gamble and deception, along with corporate giants, politicians are also involved. They use the mediums to propagate their message. Thus people consider the propagated message as truth. Start believing it and thus there ideology and perspective got to change. These tactics can be a hindrance to the democracy and sovereignty of the country. The enlightenment that media promise somehow vanishes because of the huge enrollment of money. People themself need to enlighten. By becoming the active audience by actively analyzing, understanding every message. We can be saved from this mass deception through the mass medium. Just we need to be vigilant in our approach whenever we encounter a media product. we need to understand the hidden motive behind that content. We need to know who is the creator of the content. And what purpose the content fulfills for the creator. Thus content by media or medium of communication needs to be observed. To better understand them. To save ourselves from enlightenment as mass deception.

Media mere puppet for politicians and giant corporations.

Media, the fourth pillar of democracy act like a puppet in front of politicians lately. With many toolkits, cases highlight. Excessive paid news reporting during Election. Exhibits how media is governed by political parties. Today massive advertisement by the political parties shows the nexus between media and political parties. Showcase their close economic connections. Media also alleged for running agenda and propaganda for their allied politician during elections. Which hampered the credibility of the media. Many journalists appear to favor their alleged political parties openly in their text, report, and debate. Even the questions asked in interviews are biased one sustaining only one side or party. Its been observed during elections, this funding increase manifold. To dominate media investment partnership, toolkit, gifts, privileges are some tactics that political parties used without coming into suspicion. Such malpractice is performed by political parties to bribe the Media. To use it as a weapon during election campaigns. witnessed in the way media seems divided in their message. They showcase only the positive side of their party, their positive work shaping the idea and ideology of the common people. Media runs agenda and propaganda to deviate audience from the basic problem of the society and shift towards the direction their funders want. media propagates only those messages there supportive parties want. Maximum paid news reports are linked with political parties. Many politician leaders names are highlighted and summoned by the election campaign. But lack of proof and unwillingness lead to no fruitful result. And no severe action was taken place. Now media listen and write only what there investor wants. The incomplete, partial and biased information shared by the news channel became a hindrance for the sovereignty of the country. Severe actions and identification of the political parties became the necessity of time. the large number of manipulation on the part of the media shows that it has lost the credibility and trust that people have in them prior. Passive audience are consuming the biased or manufactured message that can hamper the autonomy and sovereignty of the country. Nowadays, Beside politicians many private institutions and cooperate giants seem to invest their large chunks in the media .For example, Mukesh Ambani, his family and friends owned INX Media recently. That show media became a puppet now.

Traditional Television vs OTT

Electronic television was originally invented Sir Philo Farnsworth, on September 7th, 1927, who was an American. On earlier days, having a Television was of a great deal. It was considered as a luxury because of its High cost. If one person had a television set, others gathered his home to watch news or sports. Televisions came after radio which became hugely popular worldwide as it provided audio also as well as videos. Television is a media where we ought to find and surf across a lot of channels, films and television shows in various languages, by paying off a fixed price. Shows such as Ramayana, Mahabharata on Cable television broke all the records and attracted a lot more viewers. Traditional television mandatorily needs Cable connectivity. There are several dealers all over India who provides these facilities to people regularly. This media works by sending transmission signals and transmits them through antennas, also Satellite televisions are also available which takes the help of Satellites for communications . Televisions basically confers people to their homes and it is a favorite time pass for many. Various shows all over the world are made specifically for this platforms. The Target audience for media platform is all the age group from children to old age. A person can choose any show according to his preference and watch the same. Televisions created a vast impact on people as because people from all over the world can enjoy these shows if it is live telecasted. Cartoons, Music, games also can be relished on. Televisions serves a great bundle of entertainment for those elders or the housewives who watch particular serials on their free times. T.V. can be used for a student’s purpose as well as it can help as a means of knowledge to children, in a funny way, without going anywhere else, when special classes are provided. Television is probably the best platform for Broadcasting International News.

OTT stands for Over the Top which is in fact a relatively new Technical concept. This is an online media platform which provides content entertainments like Films, Television shows e t c. OTT do not requires a cable connectivity. the best part here is that several latest films are being launched here, or directed and made for this platform only, hence this created an immense trend across the world, and is also adopted by our country. OTT mostly refers to such media field via high speed Internet connections rather than the Cable connections, as used by televisions. By charging appropriate data, these contents can also be passed through smartphones supporting the same. Television was more of an offline Platform whereas OTT is an online platforms. Here you can make your own time to watch a series or even download that to see it afterwards. OTT is so much well-liked and approved by the youngsters because they have a busy study schedule for which they do not have time to watch regularly. OTT cuts off a lot of costs as you get to see only what you pay for, not extras. Also you don’t have to sit and watch unnecessary advertisements in between. You do not have to go to Cinema Halls, just have to download the movie and watch it for free. OTT has encouraged raw talents to show their creativity and gave new life to dynamic entertainment shows. Televisions basically has single handedly controlled the market and distribution o such creations till this day before onset of OTT platforms. OTT holds the copyright of the shows to and is the sole supplier. OTT is also known as Online or Media TV.

According to KPMG Media and Entertainment report 2018, the Indian OTT market is expected to grow 45 per cent to reach R.s. 138 billions by end of Fiscal year, 2023. Reports by Ernst and Young states that number of OTT users in country will reach 500 million by 2020, making India 2nd biggest market after US. 5 most subscribed OTT platforms are Disnep + Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Sony LIV, Netflix and Voot.

Assam is Fighting Alone?

Assam is a state in north eastern India known for its wildlife, archaeological sites and tea plantations. In the west, Guwahati, Assam’s largest city, features silk bazaars and the hilltop Kamakhya Temple. Umananda Temple sits on Peacock Island in the Brahmaputra River. The state capital, Dispur, is a suburb of Guwahati. The ancient pilgrimage site of Hajo and Madan Kamdev, the ruins of a temple complex, lie nearby. The state was the first site for oil drilling in Asia. Assam is home to the one-horned Indian Rhinoceros, along with the wild water buffalo, pygmy hog, tiger and various species of Asiatic birds, and provides one of the last wild habitats of the Asian elephant. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Nagaland and Manipur to the east, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south.

Flooding and mudslides are an annual occurrence in Assam, but because of global heating their frequency and intensity are increasing. This year’s monsoon rains have affected 28 of the state’s 33 districts – some of the worst flooding in years. Successive governments have made promises to strengthen the state’s flood defences but projects have remained mired in corruption and inefficiency. Kaziranga national park and tiger reserve which is home to 2,400 of the one-horned rhinos – the largest concentration of them in the world – has been severely affected by the flooding, with 85% of the 407 sq mile (1,055 sq km) park underwater. Officials said that 59 of the 223 anti-poaching camps had been inundated and as well as the rhinos, among the dead animals were deer, porcupines and Asiatic water buffalo.

Severe flooding in India’s Assam and neighbouring Nepal has killed at least 200 people and displaced millions, severely hampering efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus.

In Assam, heavy monsoon rains burst the banks of the Brahmaputra River, causing more than 2,000 villages to be enveloped in floods and mudslides and displacing 2.75 million people in the past two weeks. There have been 85 deaths reported in the state.

Keshab Mahanta, Assam’s water resources minister, said: “The flood situation remains critical with most of the rivers flowing menacingly above the danger mark.”

Officials voiced concern that the flooding and hurried evacuation of millions of Assam residents would cause a significant rise in cases of coronavirus in the north-eastern state, known for its tea plantations. At the moment, 50,000 people are sheltered in cramped relief camps but because of the scale and urgency of the evacuations, officials admitted that no physical distancing measures were being enforced.

Media is more interested in covering news which are of those people who have so many other people to look after them or just a call away. Celebrities who turned positive in Covid-19 have more media coverage than 1.16 million people in India who are affected for the same reason. Similarly, no media cover the news of Assam flood which is getting worst year by year. It seems northeast regions are not the part of India so why will media houses will talk about it.

North east people are bullied by other state people for the cuisine they eat, the way they look, the way they dressed. But we ignore the fact that many great sports players belong to north east.   

North east is a part of India, we should treat them equally as they belong to our country. We should take some preventive measures to control the flood. As we cannot control flood from coming as it’s a natural calamity but we can take certain measures to prevent Assam from larger amount of destruction. Assam is part of India in their difficult times we should unite and come together to help them.

New Media And Reporting Gender Based Violence

Trigger Warning: Mention of Rape and Sexual Assault

New Media has also changed the style of journalism, such as the rise of online journalism, where facts, information, and reports are produced and distributed through the internet. News in the New Media era is enabled to spread more widely and rapidly. News content is now enriched by lots of digital elements such as images, embed videos, comment box. These elements make the information presented becomes more attractive. One of the salient characters of online journalism is its dependency on speed in delivering information. When we talk about the emerging trends in media, we cannot afford to overlook the role of online media in changing the scenario in the context of women’s issues. The content that the online media produces reflects the pattern of value the society. The prevailing attitude of society gets revealed through the way subjects dealing with women are treated by the media (Arpita Sharma, 2012). 

Media has the choice of acting as both, a protagonist and as a perpetrator-it can either reinforce the gender-based discrimination by portraying sensational and stereotypical images of women or it can provide balanced reportage that empowers women and not degrades them while exposing acts of gender-based violence. Rape cases and sexual assault cases are not a recent trend in the society but sensitive reportage and wide coverage by media while also bringing these issues forefront are relatively very new. 

Gender-based violence or GBV is violence that is directed against a person because of their gender. Both women and men experience GBV but the majority of victims are women and girls. GBV and violence against women are terms that are synonymous as it is widely acknowledged that most gender-based violence is inflicted on women and girls, by men. The issue of GBV reaches every corner of the world. The numbers of women and girls affected by this problem are shocking. According to the World Health Organization’s data from 2013, one in every three women has been beaten, compelled into sex or are abused. One in five women is sexually abused as a child, according to a 2014 report.

In coverage of GVB, several stereotypes are often perpetuated by the new media. These include that rape is similar to sex, that the assailant is motivated by female lust, that the assailant is perverted, crazy or a monster, that the woman provokes rape or assault, and that only women are only victims. Scholars have found that these stereotypes and myths are pervasive in media coverage of rape and assault cases. Not only the language and the framing of the headlines but also the visuals used in the articles regarding GVB play an important role in the general perception of these issues.

In Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (UNESCO, 2012), under Category B- Gender Portrayal In Media Content, B1.5- Strategic Objective 5 states the indicators for the coverage of gender-based violence. Three of them are-

  1. Use of non-judgmental language, distinguishing between consensual sexual activity and criminal acts, and taking care not to blame the victim/survivor for the crime 

2. Use of the term ‘survivor’ rather than ‘victim’ unless the violence-affected person uses the latter term or has not survived 

3. Use of background information and statistics to present gender-based violence as a societal problem rather than as an individual, personal tragedy 

Terms such as ‘victim’ or ‘survivor’ are often used to describe individuals who undergo these experiences. The term ‘victim’ reiterates feelings of helplessness and lack of female agency, while the term survivor connotes a sense of strength and resilience. However, the affected person should have a say in what to refer them as. The ‘victim’ terminology limits individual self-agency and identity. It is important to note that experiences of violence do not define the individual, but rather are a piece of a larger self-identity. Such labels focus on experiences of violence and presuppose an individual’s inability to change or undergo any personal development to transform their identity into a peaceful, empowered personality. 

Images of sexual violence in the media often depicts women as covering their face, being silenced by looming hands, teary faces, large shadows near the woman, are some of the visual examples. These images not only fuel the stereotypes of women as helpless and weak, but also these images are also extremely triggering for the survivors of sexual assault and rape. 

When media reports women who have been assaulted or raped as nothing but victims, society can disengage and fail to take the issue as a broader societal issue and fail to take responsibility for any individual or group action to change it. It is crucial then for journalists to report on GBV in an informed way and to have a good theoretical understanding of the roots of these gender based violence’s and what needs to change in society. Otherwise, they can do harm by perpetuating patriarchal stereotypes and falsehoods. 

Lets Defeat Insta-Anxiety

The new common question that pops up in everyone’s mind is- How do we move past our anxieties and insecurities so we can grow our personally on social media?

1. Unfollow your celebrities

This can be hard, and it can even take a long time, especially if, like me, you follow hundreds of celebrities alone. It can be hard to break from the habit of constantly checking what your favourite celeb is doing or wearing but for the sake of your mental health you need to make this move.

You can easily find any ground breaking news of your favourite in the on sites like BuzzFeed or Cosmopolitan. 

2. Follow real and actual people

Instead of page 3 celebrities, follow more people who are like you, real people. If you are a writer, follow more writers. If you are a local blogger owner, follow other local bloggers. If you are an illustrator, follow more illustrators. If you just appreciate any form of art, be it singing, dancing, spoken poetry, follow more such artists. You’ll come to realise that everyone has flaws, no one is really perfect. On the upside, you’ll be lifting other talented people up, and they will be lifting you up. All will grow together. 

3. Do your own photoshoot

Take your phone and a tripod if you have one, and just walk around your house. Wander around and see what catches your eye, maybe it’s a well-lit corner in your house that you never noticed before or a tiny window with a sky view. Snap a picture or ten, then move onto the next thing. 

Look for the beauty in yourself and the world around you. Be raw, you don’t always have to filter your photos, you are beautiful as you are. Be as much or as less artistic you want to be while taking pictures. The more photos you take, the better you’ll get at it, don’t give up.

4. Try scheduling your posts

For me, scheduling Instagram posts saves me from a lot of fear. It’s less scary when you aren’t actively thinking about posting something. 

With Facebook’s Creator Studio, you can easily schedule your Instagram posts. For this all you need is a Facebook page and an Instagram page that are connected to each other, that’s it, it is that easy!

No more third-party scheduling apps that don’t even automatically post the images. Now, you can plan everything out in advance, schedule it for whenever you want, sit back and (try to) relax.

How Social Media Affects Your Self Awareness

I recently acquainted myself with a new term called ‘Smiling Depression’. This term is unusually used for people who appear happy on the outside but are in actual fact not happy. Because of social media, this condition has become more prevalent in social media users. 

We all know of Maslow’s hierarchy of our basic needs- self actualisation is one of the needs we have as an individual and we are constantly making efforts to craft this image that is better than the current one. We try so much that this becomes almost obsessive. As humans, we are set up with the basic instincts of self-improvement and we always somehow seem to know how to identify someone who we feel is ahead of us. This creates the an endless loop of ‘smiling depression’. 

Social media is an easy and dreamy out to reality. To create the image of a person who simply wakes up fresh and rejuvenated face, has time for make-up and heads out stylish without even trying to be, but how many of us can testify it as that easy? Very few if any. We all need to realise that regardless of the amount of time we spend creating these social identities online, we are only simple humans. Others are just better at creating and embracing these images and facades on social media.

So next time you are scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook feed, realise these points before you slip into ‘smiling depression’:

  1. You need a time-out from social media, maybe even for the rest of the day. People are not who they are online, their image on social media is highly curated and does not always represent reality. 
  2. Confront the negative thoughts and ask yourself  ‘Where are they coming from?’. Remind yourself we all wear a mask online, no one is as happy as they appear to be on social media. Everyone has problems, even celebrities. 
  3. If social media is your boredom killer where you scroll endlessly the whole day, logout and grab a book or download gaming app or do something that you like and you’re good at. Be more productive in real life and less online.

The New Watchdog

Mainstream media to new media- how has the shift affected political reporting

Politics is undoubtedly a game for supremacy solely played in the name of the people for evoking national interest. Fred Fedler was right then he said “journalism is built on reporting government”. The idea of ‘the watchdog’ means that the journalist, as an independent observer without any vested interest in any side of the controversy, can inform the public about what is going on, particularly if the government is corrupt or even incompetent. However, the political journalists do not play this role flawlessly. 

There is a paucity of good political reporting in India- reporting with an insight, reporting that captures in action the trouper of the political field, reporting that exposes the petty politics and the never ending hypocrisies of political parties and the conspiracies of those in power.

The grave situation that the Indian democracy is in, is that it is they who guide and shape the destiny of some 135 crore people. Lacking ideas, bereft of intelligence and character, they exploit religion and caste to stay in power. 

Most political commentators and reporters on traditional medias like mainstream news channels and newspapers have glorified politicians and never truthfully presented their failures as much as their achievements. Programmes of political parties are rarely critically evaluated by reporters of most traditional media and their flaws are never commented upon so that the people are carried away by their rhetoric or patriotic postures. The Inadequate political coverage, not judged by the quantity of the news brought in or reported but by the quality of it, brings down the credibility of the traditional media. 

The mediatization of the political news necessitates that media content is governed by media logic rather than political logic, and can be indicated by media interventionism where the journalists are in control of news making. (Esser, 2008, Strömbäck and Dimitrova, 2011, Zeh and Hopmann, 2013). 

The way we use social media today impacts what we read and how we read or listen to news. Consider politics for that matter- Political parties bank on news channels, such as ZEE News or NDTV to get their updates on how the election campaign is going. Unbeknownst to many, both of these news outlets are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. If you tune into Zee News, you will get a completely different view of any candidate than you would on NDTV and viseversa. This type of controlling what people read and hear causes a lot of misinterpretation. This is where political reporting in new media comes into, where you not just read what the journalist has to say but also what others think about it and more importantly why they think the way they do. Unlike the traditional media, you don’t hear one side of the story, on new media platforms you can view multitude versions of the same story. With the advent of political reporting via social media and news portals, journalists who act like the watchdogs are now backed up, not only by their organisation, but also by their viewers, readers and followers who make an informed choice. 

At the same time, the new media has initiated trends time and again. exposed how the traditional political reporters undercut the ideal aims of a free democratic press. The watchdog role is now played by the new media which had previously only been performed by trained political journalists who even under the worst of circumstances focused on uncovering the facts surrounding serious political wrongdoings.

Knock knock. Who’s there? Democracy. Democracy who?

Democracy in layman terms is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. Media is being considered as the fourth pillar of democratic society after executive, legislature, and judiciary. One of the crowning glories of the democratic system is the freedom of expression and the space that is provided to views from different sections of the society. The last few years witnessed an enhanced interface between the media and the common man, thanks to social media

The role of Social Networking Sites in Indian politics has risen tremendously in recent years. Different Indian political parties have their websites and some of them also use other social mediums to interact with people. With every party having its website and leaders being active on different media it makes the citizens feel that they are within their reach. It feels like the leaders are a touch away. Mr. Shashi Tharoor of Congress Party was one of the first politicians to start tweeting and has a separate fan base for his tweets now. Through social media, politicians now constantly display their message through endless campaigns, see direct responses to their actions via Facebook or Twitter, and connect with the public. One of the most recent example is Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ campaign with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders, where an auto-generated response was sent to all those who tweeted to the PM, giving the illusion that they were contributing to something large.

It is important to note that political engagement through social media is not limited to adults, but young potential voters increasingly use social media for online political participation. Especially younger people are using social networking platforms such as Twitter to develop an individualised form of activism that they connect to most. Unlike Mainstream media where narratives are indirectly controlled, influenced and favoured by the business houses and political parties that are funding the channel, Social media is comparatively a less regulated space.

Ravish Kumar on his Prime Time show on NDTV urged everyone to stop watching television back in March 2019. Why would someone who earns his living through mainstream television media tell you to do that? This shows how grave the situation was and still is. Public issues have disappeared from the channels, when Indian states were reeling under floods, the channels were still flooded by anti- Pakistan narratives, tukde-tukde gang narratives and the never-ending glorification of the honourable PM. Is TRP more important than highlighting important issues? Is selling news more important than upholding the fourth pillar? If we see the current media scenario then the answer to the latter question seems too easy.

Wouldn’t you agree if I said that the watchdog, or in other words the press and the media have a significant influence on society? Then is it fair to have corporate houses and political parties with vested interests invest in the media?

India News is owned by Karthikeya Sharma, son of a Congress leader. News 24 is controlled by Rajeev Shukla, a Congress leader and his wife Anuradha Prasad who is the sister of BJP leader, Ravi Shankar Prasad. Times Group is owned by Bennet & Coleman. The Italian, Robertio Mindo who has a share in the group is a close relative of Sonia Gandhi. CNN- News 18 is owned by Mukesh Ambani. Republic TV is owned by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd and one of its biggest investors is Rajeev Chandrasekhar, a BJP leader- These are just a few examples out of the many news channels.

Editors are pulled up for putting their opinion, journalists are asked to toe the line, and media houses align themselves with different political ideologies and the interests of the owners and sponsors. Is it really possible to have a free and a fair media with this direct hold?

‘Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.’

Walter Cronkite

India is the world’s largest democracy, and the media mustn’t be controlled by any political party, big corporate houses or any other sector. The Press and the media is the voice of the voiceless and should promote the rights of not just the majority but also the minority; it is the duty of the press of any country to ensure that the government is functioning properly and no section of the society is left behind.

Sources-

  1. Role of media in Indian democracy https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/203650/11/11_chapter5.pdf
  2. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/critic-inside-ravish-kumar-speaks-tnm-state-indian-journalism-109378
  3. Participatory Politics: New Media and Youth Political Action- University of Chicago
  4. Who owns your media?- https://www.newslaundry.com/2014/02/05/who-owns-your-media-4https://cablequest.org/index.php/news/channels-owned-by-polticians