IIJNM ANNUAL CONVOCATION 2008
The media enjoys public confidence: Vinod Mehta
 Bangalore, May 3—All our democratic institutions are in disrepair, but the two that still enjoy public confidence are the media and the higher judiciary, said Mr. Vinod Mehta, Editor-in-Chief of the Outlook group.
Mr. Mehta was speaking at the Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM, www.iijnm.org) here this morning. Addressing the students, he said that they were privileged to be journalists, especially at a time when people thought that the media was one of the pillars of democracy.
 Mr. Mehta urged the students to be professional journalists and to become familiar with the basic rules of the game. These included a need to correct what is wrong and to be skeptical while avoiding cynicism.
While journalists cannot avoid having to work with politicians and public relations people, they must not get friendly with them, Mr. Mehta said. A journalist can still be professional while dealing with these people on an every day basis he said, adding that being friendly with them could lead to the journalist becoming corrupt.
It was a good time to be in journalism just now, Mr. Mehta said. He explained that working conditions of journalists had improved tremendously, they got better salaries and newer technology helped them work faster. The economic growth had fuelled more opportunities for journalists today, he said.
 Advising the aspiring journalists to take up print, Mr. Mehta said that they could learn a lot in print. Television journalism has no time for detailed research he said because there is a need for instant gratification and instant scoops in television in India today.
Describing sting journalism as a double-edged sword, Mr. Mehta said that it should be used only when no other way could be found to do a story. All the best scoops in the world were not stings but well-researched stories, he said, giving the example of the Watergate scandal.
 In his address, Dean Dr. Abraham George told the students to remember that a free press was the voice of the people; it was one of the main pillars of a strong democracy. He said that they must strive for the ideals of social justice and economic fairness that India had embraced when it became independent.
After the graduating students received their post-graduate diplomas in television, radio, print and new media, some of them were honoured for having excelled in various fields.
|
Graduating
Class of 2008
|
|
Outstanding
Students of the batch who placed on the
|
|
Roll
of Distinction
|
Gayathri Vaidyanathan
Print & Online Journalism Student
of the Year |
Vaishnavi Vittal
Television Journalism Student of the Year |
|
|
Roll
of Honour
|
Akansha Pradeep
Excellence in Radio Documentary |
Amiteshwar Singh
Excellence in International Reporting |
Dielle D'Souza
Excellence in Magazine Writing and Production |
Divya S Gojer
Excellence in Television Documentary |
Itika Sharma
Excellence in Business Reporting |
Shalu Yadav
Excellence in Televison News Reporting |
|
|
Snigdha
Poonam
Excellence in Development Reporting
|
|
|
Dean's
List
|
|
(for
meritorious endeavours in journalism studies)
|
Debasis Mohapatra |
J Jagannath |
Komal Chaudhary |
Supriya Khandekar |
|
Spotlight -
14 Jan, 2008, EducationTimes.com
Alleviating poverty and journalism education
Abraham M
George, Dean, IIJNM, wants to churn out professional journalists
with integrity. He tells Poonam Jain about issues plaguing the educational
sector and the future of journalism, among many other things.
 A
professor, a social activist and a philanthropist, Abraham M George
has been a force to reckon with. He migrated to the US over 30 years
ago, but larger issues that needed redress brought him back to India
in 1995. The importance of democracy and free press led to the creation
of Indian Institute
of Journalism& New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore. He also founded
The George Foundation,
a non-profit organisation, for the welfare of economically and socially
disadvantaged people. His work in the field of environmental health
was instrumental for the removal of lead from gasoline throughout
India.
A graduate of
the National Defence Academy, Kharakvasla, and an MBA, MS and PhD
in business administration from Stern School of Business, New York
University, Professor George, wears many hats. Apart from his work
in India, he is also the chairman of eMedexOnline LLC, a medical
diagnostic software company in New Jersey, USA. Authored three books
in international finance, his most recent one is on the experiences
of working in rural areas of Tamil Nadu, titled “India
Untouched: The forgotten face of rural poverty”.
One can’t
help but wonder if he is secretly bestowed with more hours packed
in a day. He also serves on the board of International Center for
Journalists, Washington DC, and also on the US board of Christian
Medical College, Vellore. He is a member of the New York and South
Asia Committees of Human Rights Watch.
How did you
foray into the teaching profession?
The
main motivating factor in my decision over eight years ago was to
start a good journalism institution. It was my conviction that a
free and independent press is essential for strengthening India’s
democracy. Only through an investigative and fair press can the
nation address issues of good governance.
What are
the issues plaguing the education sector today?
In
my conversations with owners and senior editors at media organisations,
the impression I get is that there is a serious shortage of good
reporters and editors. Further, many lack a clear understanding
of the role of the press, the ethical standards that must be adhered
to and the necessary skills required to be a great journalist. At
IIJNM, we are striving to turn out our graduates who meet those
requirements. We want our graduates to acquire something more than
being good reporters– we want them to be professional journalists
with integrity.
Can you comment
on the importance of industry participation in the educational sector?
Journalism
is in the great traditions of liberal arts education. Well trained
journalists are able to make significant contributions to the society.
Journalism education did not receive sufficient attention until
recently. IIJNM is the first (and probably only) non-profit journalism
college that is run privately and dedicated to quality education
in the field.
What are
the new developments taking place in the field of journalism?
Journalism
today is an exciting field. It offers many new opportunities as
more media organisations have sprung up in India. Hopefully, it
will become even more competitive in the near future. Consumers
of news are demanding better and fairer coverage of events and issues.
As the profession receives more recognition, its stature is also
improving. Practically all our graduates are absorbed by media organisations
well before they graduate. Starting salaries have increased from
barely Rs 5,000 per month in year 2000, to Rs 10,000-24,000 per
month today, again depending on the media organisation and its location.
What are
your contributions to IIJNM?
My
main role as the Dean and founder of IIJNM is to provide IIJNM all
the required financial resources and support to conduct an excellent
academic program. To-date, there has been over Rs 8 crores in investment
toward IIJNM. IIJNM has the best infrastructure, media labs and
faculty of any journalism college in India. Further, we have established
an association with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
whereby Columbia has assisted us in developing our curriculum and
provide guidance.
Can you give
us more information about the courses offered?
Our
goal is to improve on what has been accomplished in the past eight
years. Today our program covers all journalism fields– print
(newspaper and magazine), television, radio and web. Our media labs
are equipped with modern computers, advanced software and high speed
Internet connections. Our studios and editing stations employ the
latest technology and hardware. Our faculty comes from the industry
with wide experience. We want to build on these strengths and offer
programmes and activities that will enhance the quality of our curriculum.
What is the
student strength and the student-teacher ratio at IIJNM?
In
the current academic year, we have 54 students. We are building
additional residential facilities now to accommodate up to 75 students
in the next academic year starting July 2008 (ours is a residential
programme). There are 14 full-time and part-time faculty members–
a ratio of less than four students per faculty member. We plan to
maintain a ratio below five.
Can you mention
some prominent guest lecturers visiting the institute?
There
is a steady stream of guest lecturers at IIJNM. Among them some
recent ones being Thomas Friedman, columnist for the New York Times,
Nidhi Mahesh - Principal Correspondent, Times Now and Naazreen Bhura-
Resident Editor of Asian Age.
Tell us about
the placements IIJNM provides. How have the placements shaped up
this year?
Campus
recruiting usually starts in March. Our students have been recruited
by practically all major English dailies, Google, ANI, Reuters,
CNN-IBN, and others. Starting salaries have ranged from Rs 10,000
to Rs 24,000 per month. One of our graduates was recruited by the
New York Times– the first among any journalism college in India.
What are
the innovative teaching methods used at the institute?
Our
main focus is in offering the craft of journalism– how to become
a good reporter and editor. Hence, we require our students to go
out to the city and elsewhere to cover the news two to three days
a week. They return with their stories, radio recordings and TV
tapes and work on them until late night to produce the news story
for our internal publications. Many stories find their way into
mainstreams newspapers.
What are
the future plans for the institute?
Our
goal is to improve our curriculum offerings, attract good teaching
staff from within India and abroad (we have had several Knight Fellows
from the US) and keep up with modern technology in editing, video
shooting, recording etc. We want to build closer associations with
the journalism community in India and increase the job opportunities
for our students. We are constantly working to meet the needs of
the industry and improve the quality and stature of the profession.
You may read
his blogs at http://www.abrahamgeorge.blogspot.com/
Seminar
on Digital Photojournalism
 Bangalore,
January 12, 2008: “Be down to earth and realistic. Unless you
experience the moment yourself, you will never be able to capture
it on your camera,” said Dr T S Sathyan, the renowned photojournalist,
at a seminar of digital photojournalism, held by the Indian Institute
of Journalism and New Media, here, today.
Senior photojournalist from The Hindu, K Gopinathan, and Editor
of the Bangalore edition of the Kannada daily, Udayavani, Dr R Poornima,
were also present at the seminar. The editor of Karnataka Photo
News, S Ramaswamy, also the professor of digital photojournalism
at the Institute, moderated the event.
 Dr
Sathyan told the students not to play gimmicks with photos. He said
that a photographer should never get his subjects to pose for him.
“Lay emphasis on the composition and the lighting- even in
the case of street photography- unless it is a fleeting moment,”
he said.
“Show your photographs to senior and experienced photographers
for their critiques and also readily accept them. Review your own
old photographs,” he added.
K Gopinathan tipped the students on photojournalism. “Make
the photograph as simple as possible. Let it be direct and convey
the message easily. Emphasize on your subject. Have a news sense
necessarily,” he said. Gopinathan also advised the students
to be photographers first and then try to be photojournalists.
 Dr
Poornima too insisted on the importance of having an interest in
photography as well as a news sense. “You should have a third
eye, to be a good photographer and capture the mood right,”
she said.
All the three journalists agreed that art is an integral part of
photography.
The seminar was followed by a question and answer session, between
the present and future journalists.
The Institute had an exhibition as well as competition of the photographs
captured by the students. The guests at the seminar gave away the
prizes for the winners of the competition.
The seminar concluded with enthusiastic students queuing for an
autograph of Dr Sathyan on his book, “Alive and Clicking.”
IIJNM
faculty gets Rajyotsava Award
 Prof
Nagesh Hegde, who has been associated with IIJNM since its inception
was recently awarded Karnataka’s highest honour, the Rajyotsava
Award, for his work in Environment.
Prof. Hegde
has been a consistent champion of environmental causes all his life.
Born in the extremely biodiverse sphere of Karnataka, the Western
Ghats, Prof. Hegde has an M.Phil in Environmental Science from the
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He taught at the Kumaon
University, Nainital before joining Prajavani (Deccan Herald group)
as Development Correspondent.
He wrote a series
of feature articles on environmental and ecological issues coinciding
with and contributing to the nascent environmental movement in Karnataka.
Many of his writings have become text book lessons in high schools
and universities.
Prof. Hegde
has authored more than a dozen books in Kannada on various facets
of science, environment and development. He was honoured by the
State Sahitya Academy and his work was selected for an anthology
of the best childrens' stories of the century.
Prof. Hegde
participated in the first Earth Summit at Rio, contributing as a
delegate.
Though he has
retired from active journalism, he continues to write columns and
contribute to Kannada journalism.
Good journalism:
the need of the day
 The
Class of 2007-08 started on July 23 with Dr. Narendra Pani, former
Editor, Economic Times exhorting the students to do good journalism,
no matter what the circumstances.
Tracing the
history of journalism in the world and the country, Dr. Pani pointed
out that while journalism had its high points and nadirs, what stood
out finally were the good stories done over the years.
 Fifty-three
students have joined the Indian Institute of Journalism’s year-long
diploma program in Journalism, in the four streams-Television, Print,
Online and Radio. The students come from all over the country, from
places as far apart as Gangtok and Tirvanthapuram and Kolkata and
Ahmedabad.
 The
inaugural boot camp had several activities and lectures by eminent
people. Among the speakers were Ms. Parvathi Menon, Chief of Bureau
of The Hindu, Bangalore, Vijay Grover, Chief Editor, Zee TV Kannada,
Bangalore, Gauri Lankesh, Editor, Lankesh Patrike, Bangalore, and
Dr. Unnikrishnan, Emergenices and Human Security Advisor (Asia),
ActionAid.
The students’
field trip to Bangalore lasted a little over two days. It was structured
like a treasure hunt, where students had to go to different places
and find answers to a list of questions they were given.
The students
enjoyed their first “beat” into town and overcame bad
weather, indifferent officials and tight security arrangements to
get the information they were supposed to. At the end of the activity,
they were treated to a scrumptious lunch at one of the City’s
famous traditional restaurants.
Journalists must find
a balance, says Sir Mark Tully
 Bangalore,
June 20, 2007. Journalists must find a way of imposing some sort
of control on themselves if they are not to become the "feral
beasts" British Prime Minister Tony Blair called them, said
Sir Mark Tully, former Chief of Bureau, British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC), New Delhi. Sir Mark was speaking at the Annual Convocation
of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media (IIJNM) here
this morning.
The media is
behaving like a wild beast, Sir Mark said, pointing out that reporters
are running wild, because they are under pressure, with no time
given to them to respond in a balanced manner. They show the bloodiest
pictures, the angriest people they can find, all to hype up news,
he said, adding that they resent the thought that they ought to
be censored.
 Making
it clear that censorship did not work, Sir Mark said that while
one must not give any quarter to the government to censor journalists,
the media must not behave in a manner to force the government to
censor it. The editorial function, Sir Mark added, had been surrendered
today to a large extent to commercial interests who care little
for balance. "If we stood together like a proper profession,
we could fight them," he said.
He had little
to say about interactive news and television. It was a little like
"riding a donkey and getting kicked," Sir Mark said,
adding that while it was a good thing to have readers involved in
the news, allowing them to dictate news values was another altogether.
Warning against
the unimpeded use of technology, Sir Mark said, that it allowed
for far too much irresponsible live broadcasting which left the
viewer confused.
 Exhorting
the Graduating Class of 2007 to continue learning while they are
in the profession, Sir Mark said that while journalists must report
in a balanced and accurate manner, they must also cultivate the
crucial virtue of humility. They must remember that the story was
not their story but the story of the person they are writing about.
They must also remember that that person is a human being and it
is not up to them to sensationalize or crucify him or her. Journalists
also need courage, a simple style of writing and a culture of reviewing
their work in daily meetings, Sir Mark said.
In his address,
Dean Abraham George told the students to remember that a free press
is the voice of the people; it is one of the main pillars of a strong
democracy. He said that they must strive for the ideals of social
justice and economic fairness that India had embraced when it became
independent.
After the graduating
students received their post-graduate diplomas in television, radio,
print and new media, some of them were honoured for having excelled
in various fields.
TOP
Tree
planting at IIJNM campus
 On
a hot afternoon with temperatures soaring above thirty degrees,
what would you imagine a bunch of soon-to-be journalists doing -
typing away on word documents, making pages, shooting bulletins
or running helter skelter to meet dead lines? Not even close. This
bunch of almost-there journalists came together to sweat it out
and plant tree saplings in the stretch of road between the college
and the hostel.
 Professor
Nagesh Hegde inaugurated the event by planting the first sapling,
followed by enthusiastic students who spent all day digging holes
and preparing the ground for the saplings. Post- lunch everybody
gathered and guided by Ms Shobha from Alt tech Foundation and her
team, students planted one tree each. The avenue trees were planted
along the road divider and the spacing  was
planned in advance. Teachers and students all worked together, and
were helped by the gardener Muthapa and the other administrative
staff (a.k.a the akkas), who were delighted to see everybody huff
and puff while working under the scorching sun. All the students
planted a tree each, and promised to take care of it till the end
of the semester .
 Some
people say that earth day, environment day, earth week and the likes
are all just excuses for people to give speeches and organize pointless
programs but this Earth Week inspired a group of teachers and students
at IIJNM to plant trees. While journalists and common people are
all talking about the possible effects of global warming, this bunch
of enthusiastic students decided to take that a little further.
For all those who are all enthused with the front page broadsheet
coverage that the environment is getting, and the all new event
of a green story running as a flyer in several national dailies-
going ahead and planting a tree meant that we can do all that we
seem to preach in our development classes.
TOP
Dean
George is recipient of NYU Stern’s Satter Social Entrepreneur
of the Year award for 2007
“Social
entrepreneurship offers society the perfect marriage between tough-minded,
bottom-line realities and the passion that goes beyond creating
an economic profit. This is a marriage that excites me and has inspired
me to support this new program at Stern.”
These are Stewart
Satter’s words in NYU Stern’s Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial
Studies magazine, The social entrepreneurship pipeline: educating
and accelerating emerging social entrepreneurs states. The Satter
Award honors a Stern affiliated social entrepreneur who has leveraged
his or her Stern education to create innovative solutions to the
world’s most intractable social problems.
The magazine
goes on to say, “We at NYU Stern think a great deal about how
business can be a transformative force for social good.” This
is what Dr. Abraham George has always shared with the officers and
staff of The George Foundation and particularly, with the children
of Shanti Bhavan.
On the evening
of April 12, 2007, at a well-organized Cocktail Evening in a hall
at NYU Stern’s Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies,
New York, Dean Thomas Cooley’s opening remarks stressed the
universal desire of everyone present to build better societies.
He applauded Stewart Satter’s personal interest and support
of this humanitarian cause. Against a backdrop of slides of the
children taken during Dean Cooley’s visit to Shanti Bhavan,
Dean Cooley mentioned that visiting Shanti Bhavan was “a great
moment in my trip to India.” He went on to say, “It was
the most inspiring, memorable and exciting part of my trip.”
Dean Cooley related his personal experience of the “energy,
warmth, openness and intelligence of the children.” He said
the other projects of The George Foundation “displayed a range
of ideas” and that the whole mission was “a creative undertaking.”
Stewart Satter
said, “It is with great admiration and respect” that he
presented Dr. George with the Satter Award in the presence of Dean
Thomas Cooley, and assembled guests, including Mrs. Mariam George,
wife of Dr. George, and their sons, Ajit and Vivek, Lalita Law,
Principal of Shanti Bhavan. Professors, students, social entrepreneurs
administrators and supporters applauded Dr. George on the occasion.
This well-deserved recognition of Dr. George’s work through
The George Foundation in Southern India could not have occurred
in a better setting. There is no greater feeling of accomplishment
than to be recognized by one’s Alma Mater.
While thanking
Dean Cooley, Stewart Satter and the invited guests, Dr. George’s
response also embodied his belief and conviction in the empowerment
of the rural poor by providing job opportunities through business.
He said the rural poor do not need handouts. They want work. It
is the responsibility of the business entrepreneur to ensure their
workers’ safety and fair wages. Dr. George said only vibrant
economic activity can solve the problem of poverty. The rural sector
offers opportunities for businesses to make money while doing social
good. With rural economic activity and employment, the poor will
be able to afford food, shelter, healthcare and education.
As a closing
remark, Dr. George shared four of the Shanti Bhavan children’s
insights about the symbolism of common objects in relation to their
individual lives. One child said a piece of stone symbolized her
mother’s love for the family because the mother broke stones
to earn a living. Another said a bicycle represents the means to
traverse a path that may go in any direction, just as the opportunity
to be educated at Shanti Bhavan provides an opportunity to make
something of their lives. A third child said a weed represents the
tenacity of sticking to one’s convictions or holding one’s
ground even if others try to uproot you. A fourth child showed a
handful of sand that represented the poor millions but also the
many who reach out to help and support them in the background, and
whose faces might never be known.
The Satter Award
ceremony at NYU Stern was memorable for its gathering of genuine
people who strive daily to support innovative ventures that make
the world a better place.
TOP
IIJNM celebrates
Annual Convocation 2006
June 17, 2006
Go the extra
mile, says Sevanti Ninan
 Media
Critic and editor of thehoot.org, Sevanti Ninan advised young journalists
to go the extra mile in getting a story.
Delivering the
Convocation Address at the Indian Institute of Journalism and New
Media here this morning, Ms. Ninan said, that going the extra mile
is conscientious journalism. “There are often more than two
sides to a story in a society as complex as ours,” she pointed
out.
She also suggested
that if young journalists did not see an outlet for the kind of
work they wanted to do, they must create it. The Internet, she explained,
“makes solo publishing eminently possible.” She recalled
that she was forced to create the Hoot because the outlets for writing
on the media were limited.
Film makers
with oppositional viewpoints who could not find a space for their
films ought to create a cooperative and launch their own channel
she said. The cost of hiring a transponder had come down, she pointed
out, adding that national and international NGOs were ready to fund
alternative media. “With a little gumption, film makers in
India should have been able to create a documentary channel which
cable or DTH bouquets will be willing to carry,” she said.
 Exhorting
young journalists to be aware of ethical issues, Ms. Ninan pointed
out that technology was creating new ethical dimensions for the
media. “You can digitally change the background on televised
news stories,” she explained.
Media, she stressed,
had a responsibility to keeping a window open on the less palatable
realities of the hinterland. It had to be oppositional and it had
to shun the business of narrow coverage. If it did not, it had no
business taking advantage of the different kinds of concessions
given to the industry because of its public service nature.
Current journalism,
she criticized, was soft. And, that meant that the PR industry in
the country was doing its job well while journalists were failing
somewhere.
In his address,
Dean Dr. Abraham M. George hoped that the students would maintain
personal integrity, ethics, discipline, hard work and determination
in their professional lives.
Vice Dean Thomas
reminded the graduating class that there was nothing worse for a
journalist than losing credibility. “The society you serve,
places often unrealistic expectations on you to tell the truth,”
he said, adding that purveying a lie, even a little lie, is no escape.
“You get caught for what is wrong, however small,” he
warned.
After the graduating
students received their post-graduate diplomas in television, print
and new media, some of them were honoured for having excelled in
various fields.
|
Graduating
Class of 2006 |
|
Outstanding
Students of the batch who placed on the |
|
Roll
of Distinction |
Anusha Jha
Outstanding Print & Online Journalism Student |
Nishu Chaudhry
Outstanding Television Journalism Student |
|
|
Roll
of Honour |
Amit Bhosale
Excellence in Television News Reporting |
Anusha Jha
Excellence in News & Feature Writing |
Jeanette Rodrigues
Excellence in Business & International Reporting |
Madhurima Duttagupta
Excellence in Magazine & Feature Writing |
Sophia Kikon
Excellence in News Editing & Production |
Vishank Choudhary
Excellence in Television News Reporting |
|
Dean's
List |
|
(for
meritorious endeavours in journalism studies) |
Vaishnavi Ramakrishnan |
Nimish Pratap Singh |
|
Appointment
of Vice Dean at IIJNM
 Prof.
John Thomas, until recently Editor-Operations, Vijay Times,
and Visiting Faculty, IIJNM has just taken over as Vice Dean.
John comes to
us after 34 years of practice in India at Deccan Herald, Indian
Express, Statesman and Vijay Times, and Reuters, Agence France-Presse
and Business Times abroad. His past work has taken him through a
variety of roles from sub-editor, reporter, foreign correspondent,
news service head, commentary and editorial writer to being a special
projects man and media technology evangelist. He has also had brief
academic involvement with two other journalism colleges in India,
in addition to his recent part-time association with IIJNM. John
brings a wealth of journalistic understanding and practical experience
to benefit our student body and faculty.
We welcome him
aboard.
Make a difference!
One-Minute Video Contest
IIJNM Television faculty Nikhat Aslam has edited a 1 minute video,
'Vanaja's Story' for the CWC (Concerned for Working Children, Bangalore)
and has been chosen as one of the ten finalists in the Voices
of Youth ' Make a Difference' one- minute video contest. This
contest, which was organised by UNICEF, aimed to find the video
that best captured the mission of Voices of Youth - to promote and
protect every child's right to know, say more and do more about
the world they live in. The video is a gripping account of how Vanaja,
a poor and marginalised girl, fought against all odds for her right
to housing in her hometown in Karnataka, India.
'Vanaja's Story',along
with the other 9 finalists, will be available for broadcast in celebration
of the International Children's Day of Broadcasting celebrated on
11 December 2005.
'Vanaja's Story
was the only entry from Asia to appear in the Top 10.
Please click
here to view all the 10 videos:
http://www.unicef.org/voy/discussions/showthread.php?t=1989
IIJNM welcomes
the new batch of students (2005-06)
 Nature
seemed to be at her best that Monday morning when the new batch
walked into the IIJNM campus. The sun was playing hide and seek
with the clouds and the wind was gently swaying the trees. It was
as if a show was being put up for the nearly 30 students as they
walked in–some with their hearts in their mouths, others with
a song on their lips.
As usual, the
batch is representative of the country. Students come from places
as far apart as Sikkim and Chennai; Mumbai and Kolkata. We even
have a foreign student from the US, who'll be joining us shortly.
But even before the week is out, they've made friends and have become
a well-knit group.
"I reached
IIJNM with a pile of doubts and apprehensions," recalls Nishu
Chaudhry from Uttar Pradesh, "but they all vanished on my first
day at campus." Oasmita Chakroborty from Kolkata adds, "The
first thing that strikes you at IIJNM is the comfort level between
the faculty and the students."
Of course, the
ambience played a major role in putting the young minds at peace.
As Anshul Dhamija from Chennai puts it, IIJNM has the environment
to let one's poetic excellence come alive. "The majestic hills,
wafting cold air, plethora of fauna and flora, all entwine to give
a person the experience of God's Paradise," he says. Nishant
Bangar from Sikkim adds, "The campus is calm, peaceful and
very beautiful."
This peace and
calm was also the cause of some concern for a few. While Pavitra
Ramaswamy remarked, tongue in cheek, "we were going to learn
communication skills by cutting off all communications with the
outside world," Neetha Mahadevan worried about how she was
going to "manage here all alone, so far from the city."
Quickly, they've
all overcome their fears and doubts, and are getting down to business
and that does not mean journalism training alone. There's a lot
more to do, a lot more in store.
IIJNM celebrates
Annual Convocation 2005
June 24, 2005
"Get to the story," says Andrew Whitehead
 Technology
has made journalists' lives much easier, but it has also made journalists
lazy, said Andrew Whitehead, Director, India, BBC World Service
Trust.
Mr. Whitehead was delivering the Convocation Address at the Indian
Institute of Journalism and New Media here this morning.
Exhorting the graduating Class of 2005 not to succumb to desk-bound
journalism, Mr. Whitehead said, "If you are reporting, get
as near to the action as you can. Getting there always gets you
a better understanding of the story. It also often gives you the
angle that you can make your own. It's what news journalism is about."
Pointing out that journalists' stories matter because they touch
on people's lives,  Mr.
Whitehead remarked that sometimes reporters get so besotted with
the here-and-now, being so close up to the stories they report,
that they fail to make sense of them to their readers and viewers.
"Just because you know, don't assume your reader knows. Journalism
is about opening up public life, not about recycling information
within the elite," he said.
Mr. Whitehead added that the Indian media could do with more health
and environmental specialist reporters and fewer political reporters.
"Political stories are over-valued by news editors," he
said, adding, "We need more space for the big social themes-health,
education, environment, poverty alleviation."
Radio was another area where he hoped that India would follow Britain
and the US where radio news has been enjoying a resurgence.
 In
his address, Dean, Dr. Abraham M. George, hoped that the graduating
class would uphold the values of democracy, freedom, liberty and
equality. He reminded them that they needed to question government
policies and programmes and work toward a fair and better society.
Sri Sri Sri Balagangadaranatha Swamiji, Founder Trustee of the B
S & G Foundation, graced the occasion and hoped that the graduating
class would live up to the great task of giving the correct news
to the world.
Associate Dean and Marshall of the Convocation, Professor Anand
Sagar took the Convocation through its paces, with a dash of Latin
to highlight the solemnity of the occasion.
After the graduating students received their post-graduate diplomas
in television, print and new media, the names on the Dean's List,
and on the Roll of Honour were announced. This year, a new category
was announced honouring the Outstanding Student in each stream.
 The
students on the Dean's List (for meritorious endeavours in journalism
studies) were Anumeet Kaur Bedi, Mamita L. Setling and Merlin Flower.
Those placed on the Roll of Honour for Excellence in Reporting,
Editing and Production were: Abhirr V.P., Anushuka C. Rathour, Casey
Johnson, Rashmi Balakrishnan, Sohna Ravindran and Sreedhanya P.
Shanmugan.
The Outstanding Students in the three streams were: Deborah Grey
(Television Journalism), Anushuka C. Rathour (Online Journalism)
and Casey Johnson (Print Journalism).
Once the Valedictorian of the class, Deborah Grey, took over, a
lighter note was added to the ceremony. Casey Johnson shared his
thoughts through a video recording. Abhirr, as usual, had the audience
in splits. Sreedhanya, Tresa and Charmaine contributed to the cheer
and a touch of nostalgia. The youngest of the class, Mamita Setling
proposed a very well-spoken vote of thanks, bringing to a close,
the Convocation and the Academic Year 2004-2005.
IIJNM
sizzles
 Casey
Johnson and Kavitha Vallath did IIJNM proud at the intercollegiate
debate on "Pin-ups and the Press" organized by the British
Deputy High Commission as a part of a two-day seminar (March 7-8)
on Media Law held at the Taj Coromandel in Chennai. The debate examined
the need and role of censorship vis-à-vis self-regulation,
in fighting the negative portrayal of women in the media. It was
a closely contested battle among four teams. Each team comprised
three members from a mix of journalism and law colleges from all
across South India. While Johnson was a part of the winning team,
Vallath's team was declared runner-up.
 The
seminar, chaired by Joshua Rosenberg, legal editor of The Daily
Telegraph, covered diverse topics such as Freedom of Expression,
Right to Information, Contempt of Court, Defamation, Film Censorship,
and several other legal issues media persons often run into trouble
with.
The speakers
comprised the who's who of the journalism community in India. They
included N Ram, editor-in-chief of The Hindu, Naazreen Bhura, resident
editor of The Asian Age (Bangalore), Sushila Ravindranath, editor
of The New Sunday Express and BBC correspondent Sunil Raman.
Senior advocates,
Arvind P. Datar, Sri Ram Panchu and K. Chandru spoke lectured on
press law.
Dr. Kamal Haasan and Jeff Wilson, first secretary, press and communications,
British High Commission, New Delhi spoke on the changing roll of
the press in a global society.
Prof. Kanchan
Kaur accompanied the four-member IIJNM contingent, which also included
television journalism students Abhirr V.P and Deborah Grey. Some
of the other participating colleges were Asian College of Journalism,
Chennai, National Law School University of India, Bangalore, NALSAR
and Manorama School of Communication, Kottayam.
Mise-en scene
workshop
Bangalore, 7
February 2005: "Keeping the genre of cinema in mind, one decides
the Mise-en-scene," said Narendar Katkar, while conducting
a three day workshop at Indian Institute of Journalism & New
Media (IIJNM). A student of the French Etienne Decroux's school
of Mime art in Paris, and having worked with several ad agencies,
Mr. Katkar has now specialized in the Mise-en-scene technique of
filmmaking. He has taught this in several colleges and TV channels
all over the country. More details...
"India
Untouched" : Dean's book launched
 "India
Untouched": An authoritative new book on rural poverty
by Dr. Abraham M. George, IIJNM Dean, was released by India's federal
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram at a well-attended book launch in
Chennai in September - following an equally successful book launch
in Bangalore in July. The function was attended by academics, senior
government officials, members of foreign diplomatic missions, the
media and others.
A major work
of public significance, India Untouched, addresses a range of complex
issues concerning India's continual problems of rural poverty, bureaucratic
mismanagement, political mis-governance and social injustice.
But as Ralph
Nader, the legendary American consumer advocate and environmentalist,
emphasises in his prefatory statement, it is "...A remarkable
story of what one man can accomplish with vision and determination".
Dr. George effectively
contradicts the widely held belief that rural poverty and social
deprivation in India are beyond redemption. The author's incisive
insights, coupled with a highly perceptive and prescriptive analysis,
gain much authority as his ideas for social and economic reform
are rooted in sheer pragmatism.
Dr. George,
a conscientious philanthropist, has devoted himself over the past
decade to working for the socio-economically underprivileged in
South India. He travels frequently between New York (where he is
based) and Bangalore (where he has established The George Foundation,
a not-for-profit organization) to carry out various humanitarian
and environmental projects.
A PhD in Business
Administration from New York University, he has previously also
authored three influential books on international finance.
IIJNM welcomes
the fifth batch of students (2004-05)
 As
the largest batch at IIJNM, so far, trooped in on a bright Sunday
morning, you could see pairs of eyes shining with anticipation.
Some were a bit nervous, but others were quite ready to take on
the world. As Merlin Flower, who comes from Tamil Nadu, put it,
"I was impressed and scared, saw the garden and felt at home."
Sohna Ravindran from Kerala was a little unsure: "I remember
feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety when I saw the Institute.
I wasn't sure of what I'd gotten myself into, but as the days passed,
I knew IIJNM was the best place to further my career prospects."
We have this
year, a batch of 23 students, which includes our first television
batch. Nine students have opted for the television course, six for
New Media and eight for Print. For some, IIJNM is a dream come true.
Says Jennita Catherine from Tamil Nadu, "Everything is so perfect
for the course-the infrastructure, the environment and the staff.
The students are so friendly. "Others, concentrate on more
important things. "The menu is great here," says Rashmi
Balakrishnan from Kerala, "everyone has to eat and drink (and
dream, too) words."
Making friends
quickly has been everyone's priority, A great place to live, learn
and befriend people, points out Barasha from Assam.
The architecture
and the ambience of the place has struck a chord with a lot. Says
Deborah Grey from Mumbai, "What completely captivated me was
the architecture. The ship like structure, the graded construction,
completely blew my mind. As for the peace and quite, well, I am
from a city that is home to 20 million people (Mumbai), so Kumbalgudu
was interesting only to an extent. What I love though is that this
place is a haven for marathon walkers like myself. You can also
go running! I love the college and the hostel accommodation. The
food is good too!"
Adds Anoushka
from Dehradoon, "The best part about IIJNM is its serene environment.
Its apt for studying and great for long walks!"
Long walks and
studying are just two of the items on the agenda. There is a lot
more, as you will see, to come.
IIJNM introduces
TV Journalism
 IIJNM
is pleased to announce that we've expanded the curriculum to include
Television Journalism
in the academic year 2004-2005. Students learn to conduct television
interviews, write, and narrate stories in a variety of formats,
including: breaking news, news feature, documentary, and news magazine.
Students learn the techniques of shooting, and three of the widely
used video editing software. And also this course explores the management
structures, procedures, policies and goals of television news broadcasting
operations. It analyzes the technology and methods used in covering
news events, and the relationships with news consumers.
IIJNM
celebrates Annual Convocation 2004
15 June, 2004
 Essayist
and historian Dr. Ramachandra Guha warned prospective journalists
to not be “loyal to any political party” lest they be
forced to compromise their integrity.
Guha, who was addressing the Indian Institute of Journalism and
New Media’s graduating Class of 2004, offered several other
valuable tips in his soul-stirring speech that was generously peppered
with witticisms.
He told the students that among the “eight rules” by which
journalists should guide themselves were to be open to views that
were different from theirs. “Be catholic in your admiration
of other writers in terms of genre and ideology,” Guha said
at the simple, yet poignant convocation that drew parents and friends.
 More
than once Guha stressed that journalists should never be motivated
by financial success or reward.
After the 16 graduating students received their post-graduate diplomas
in print and new media, some of them were honoured for having excelled
in various fields. They were Manjusha Radhakrishnan (News Reporting),
Saumyata Dashottar (News Reporting), Sharad Vyas (Investigative
Reporting), Vineet Kumar Patro (New Media), Uma Shankari (Developmental
Journalism) and Tsewang Rigzin (Design and Production).
Additionally, four other students made the Dean’s List —
Aparna S. Muktibodh, Jayashree Menon, Krishna Kumar and Vidyalaxmi
Venkatramani.
Earlier, IIJNM’s Vice Dean and Knight International Press Fellow
Michael O. Fowler urged students to treat all stories with the same
seriousness, and said that even the most trivial stories would catch
an editor’s eye if well written.
 Associate
Dean Anand Sagar, speaking on behalf of Dean Dr. Abraham George,
who couldn’t attend the event because of prior commitments
in the U.S., encouraged the students to be persistent and hardworking,
the tools that could take them to “great heights.”
Sagar also announced that the school would be launching a television
journalism in the coming academic year, beginning July 26.
Thomas
Friedman at IIJNM
 New
York Times columnist Thomas Friedman swung into the Indian Institute
of Journalism and New Media Feb. 26 and briefly addressed the students.
The three time
Pulitzer Prize winner talked about his climb to big time journalism,
starting as a reporter for the Des Moines Register back in 1979.
Among issues Friedman touched upon in the question-and-answer session
were outsourcing U.S. jobs to India – a sizzling topic in the U.S.
media and one that is generating much controversy, the economies
of China and India and U.S. foreign policy.
Later, Friedman
accompanied IIJNM dean Abraham M. George to Shanti Bhavan, a school
for poor children in the outskirts of the city. (Another
report)
IIJNM
Welcomes the Fourth batch of Students
 August
4, 2003 proved to be yet another milestone in IIJNM’s history, with
the fourth batch of students beginning their first semester. This
year, students from 13 different states in India, with diverse social,
cultural and linguistic backgrounds have enrolled. Over the next
12 months, under pressure cooker conditions, they will be exposed
to the exciting world of 'newsroom' culture. The campus is abuzz
with such words as headlines, deadlines and the inverted pyramid.
Asked to share
their first impressions at IIJNM, the students gave responses that
were as varied as the batch itself, but all the responses resounded
with hope and excitement. Said one student:: "Far from the madding
crowd and the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s all happiness
that pervades our campus and its surroundings. , I’m quite confident
that with the facilities provided – the state-of-the-art work station,
the colossal resources and of course, the best faculty that I’ve
ever come across, I will be guided to become a thoroughly professional
journalist." Said another: "I would like to mention the happiness
of getting multi- culture and multi- religion exposure through my
friends coming from different states."
"I have chosen
this profession with a hope to serve my society. I want and I hope
to come out as a dynamic and energetic journalist, and more importantly.
A broad-minded human being at the end of this course. However complicated
or problematic it may be, I have promised to struggle with it",
said a third.
One thing is
for sure: both the students and the faculty have their work cut
out for them. But it definitely promises to be another eventful
and exciting year.
IIJNM celebrates
First Annual Convocation 2003
 Tears,
laughter, hugs and toasts marked the first annual convocation of
the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore,
as 14 students received their post-graduate diplomas in a colorful
rite of passage on July 8, 2003.
 Six
students were honored for their outstanding performance. Students
Hemali Chhapia and Aman Khanna tied for the “Excellence in News
Reporting Award,” while Debarshi Dasgupta bagged the “Excellence
Magazine Writing Award.” Amrita Mariam Thomas won the Excellence
in New Media Award and Sreerekha Pillai walked away with the “Excellence
in Design and Production. Smitha Sahai claimed the "Excellence in
Software Application Skills."
 In
his convocation address, veteran journalist Rajan Bala urged the
students not to succumb to the many temptations they are likely
to encounter in their journalistic career.
 He
reminded them of the importance of becoming indispensable to the
profession by the age of 40, or else think of an alternative career
outside the newsroom, even perhaps “in the kitchen.” In filing their
news reports, he said, they should always try to come up not with
just a “good word, but an inevitable word.” A mark of a good journalist
is when he can write a comprehensive sentence using no more than
five words.
Bala, who is
currently the associate editor of The Asian Age, earlier earned
a reputation as a sports writer in several leading publications.
 IIJNM
Dean Dr. Abraham George outlined the rapid progress the institution
has made since it opened in December 2000. He pointed how one of
its former graduates has been given a New York Times internship,
a first for any student from India. Another former student has just
returned after a four-month stint as a Scripps Howard scholar.
Over the last
several months, a number of journalists from the U.S. have taught
at the institute as Knight fellows. Two are slated to teach in the
upcoming semester, beginning next month.
The ceremony,
which had for the most part maintained an austere and ceremonial
color, turned emotional when students took the stage and talked
about their year at the school.
Senior media
figures including Deccan Herald Shant Kumar were among the audience.
Exciting
Times
There are plenty
of exciting things happening at IIJNM even as the semester is coming
to an end.
Job offers
for our students  are
pouring in even before they have completed their semester. It seems
only a little while ago that we had them talking excitedly about
their first bylines!
 Three
of our students have already been offered jobs from mainstream newspapers,
while the rest of them are in the process of getting a job.
Hemali
Chhapia and Chinmayee Manjunath will be beginning
their journalistic career at Deccan Herald Bangalore July 15th,
while Kartik M will be joining the New Indian Express
in Madurai sometime in July.
 Meanwhile,
the rest of the students are busy giving written exams and interviews
at the city’s various media organizations. Looks like the current
batch of students are skipping the internship program and straight
diving into jobs right away.
Here’s wishing
them all the best in life and career!
NYT internship
for IIJNM student
 Tamara
D’ Mello, one of our top students of the batch 2001-02, is currently
undergoing journalism internship in the world’s prestigious newspaper
New York Times, New York city. She is the first-ever student selected
from an Indian journalism school for internship in the New York
Times for which nominees from all over the world compete every year.
Tamara was previously working as a reporter with Mid Day, Mumbai.
IIJNM student
wins Scripps Howard Internship
 Vivek
Gupta of the Class of 2002, returned recently to India, after doing
a four-month Scripps Howard internship in Washington, D.C. Gupta,
richer for the experience, is the first IIJNM student to have won
the international internship.
At present Vivek
is working as a copy editor in Times of India, Delhi.
Rita Henley
Jensen Joins IIJNM International Advisory Board
 IIJNM
is pleased to welcome Women's Enews Editor-in-Chief Rita Henley
Jensen to its international advisory board.
Jensen made
international news when she launched a news agency for women in
June 2000. In a short span of two years, Jensen's news agency has
won four journalism awards and boasts of one million readers per
month. Often major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles
Times, The Washington Post, and a number of other papers use the
content provided by Women's E news.
Jensen believes
that mainstream media does not pay enough attention to women's issues.
This is true of most women's magazines too, which devote a lot of
space to beauty and baby-sitting services but ignore hard core issues
such as women's health, education, wages, legal issues, women's
political candidates and governmental actions affecting women.
Women's e-news
projects news through a woman's perspective. It fills a void left
by the mainstream media. It asks questions that the mainstream media
doesn't generally ask. For instance, Jensen questioned why there
are hardly any women on IIJNM's advisory board. IIJNM was quick
to respond, and invited her to join the board to which Jensen gladly
agreed.
Jensen is a
former senior writer for the National Law Journal and columnist
for The New York Times Syndicate. She has more than 20 years of
experience in journalism and journalism education. She has also
won a number of awards including the Hunter College Presidential
Grant for Innovative Uses of Technology in Teaching, the Alicia
Patterson Fellowship, and the Lloyd P. Burns Public Service prize.
Jensen, the
founder of a battered-women's shelter in Columbus, Ohio, is a domestic
violence survivor and a former welfare mother. She earned degrees
from Ohio State University and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Dean Goldstein of Columbia University Joins
IIJNM Board
 6
June 2002: Tom Goldstein, Dean of Columbia University Graduate School
of Journalism, has agreed to join the prestigious group of the Board
of Directors of IIJNM. Columbia University is the home of the Pulitzer
Prize Awards, and is rated as the best graduate school in journalism.
The decision by Dean Goldstein reflects his personal confidence
and enthusiasm for the academic program at our institute.
We heartily
welcome Tom Goldstein as a member of IIJNM Board of Directors.
Goldstein has
been dean of the Graduate School of Journalism since July 1997.
Immediately prior to that, he was dean of the Graduate School of
Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley.
He has also
been a Lombard Visiting Professor at the Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard, a Gannett Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University
of Florida at Gainesville and an adjunct professor at New York University.
Among other
positions he has held, Goldstein has been a legal reporter for The
New York Times, media writer for New York Newsday, real estate reporter
for the Wall Street Journal, and a consultant for ABC News Nightline.
He served as press secretary to Mayor of New York Edward I. Koch.
His articles
have appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, The
Nation, Columbia Law Review, Washington Journalism Review, The Washington
Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The San Francisco Chronicle and
The Buffalo News. He is the author of "The News at Any Cost," "A
Two-Faced Press," "Killing the Messenger" and "The Lawyer's Guide
to Writing Well."
He received
the J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1971, the M.A. degree from
the Graduate School of Journalism in 1969, and the B.A. from Yale
in 1967.
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Viji
Sundaram wins SAJA Award
 IIJNM
congratulates faculty Viji Sundaram on winning the South Asian Journalism
Association (SAJA) Award for her story "Where's
the Beef? It's in Your Fries." published in India West.
Viji, as she
is affectionately called by her students and friends won her fourth
SAJA Award. Her previous SAJA awards include: Best Series, 1998,
for her series of articles on the domestic violence support group
Aasra; and Best In-depth Coverage, 1997, for her story on how Asians
were being denied top posts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Viji also won the New California Media Award for Best Breaking News
Story, 1999, for her coverage of a Sikh-Canadian publisher's assassination.
Winning awards
has become almost a habit for Viji now. But the flip side of it
is that, the students will not leave her alone even for a moment.
As it is, the students of Advanced Editing class are always in her
office with their stories ready to be edited by 'Viji ma'm'. Looks
like, it is only going to get worse!
IIJNM wishes
Viji all the best and hopes more laurels come her way.
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