MxMIndia

Author: mxmadmin

  • The coffee table books – Green Chronicles – is an attempt to acknowledge the green efforts of the organisations in Gujarat

    Divya Bhaskar’s Green Chronicles

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dainik Bhaskar Group’s Gujarati newspaper Divya Bhaskar has released a coffee table book – Green Chronicles – on the green initiatives adopted by corporates in Gujarat.

     

    Unlike what many people think that the power to curb pollution, to save precious resources, lies in the hands of experts, the real power lies in the hands of organizations which have the power to design and promote cleaner products and technologies and help society evolve to more sustainable lifestyles.

     

    Green Chronicles is an attempt to acknowledge the green efforts of the organisations in Gujarat. It brings alive some of the success stories of green technology and process aimed at better environment. It showcases 14 companies in Gujarat which have focused on eco-friendly sustainable development. The book talks about case studies such as AdaniPortsand Special Economic Zone, Gujarat Ambuja Exports, Naroda Enviro Projects Ltd, Gujarat State Electricity Corporation, ONCG Petro Additions Limited.

     

    Mr Saras Sethi, COO – Dainik Bhaskar Group, Gujarat , believes: “Green is the voluntary pursuit of any activity that encompasses concern for energy efficiency, environment management, water management, waste management and recycling. Green practices ultimately leads to sustainable development and equitable growth”.

     

    He commented on the release of the book: “This coffee table book is an attempt to highlight the environment-friendly approach adopted by the organizations in Gujarat, and thus, encouraging more people to understand the importance of keeping our nation green.”

     

    The book is circulated among the advertisers and business fraternity of Gujarat. It is one step ahead in celebrating and acknowledging the efforts of green organizations in Gujarat. Environmental responsibility is no longer just about donating money and services to needy groups. Business process, product development, and partnerships can all be perceived for better, more responsible alternatives. And if the responsible choice saves money in the long run, adds value to the product, and creates a positive culture, then it is definitely a good thing.

     

    The Dainik Bhaskar Group has a strong presence in newspapers, radio, event marketing, printing, short code, Digital, services andMobileapplication. Its flagship Hindi daily newspapers are Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Divya Marathi and DNA. It covers 13 States with 64 editions reaching across 19 million readers every day.

     

    Additionally, it publishes 3 other newspaper – Business Bhaskar, DB Gold, DB Star. In magazine sphere it publishes Aha! Zindagi, Bal Bhaskar for young readers and Lakshay. The other media businesses includes MY FM ; FM Radio station network across 17 cities and IMCL (Digital services).

     

  • For one, getting Rajesh Khanna back from his long exile is serious lateral thinking. It makes the TVC surprising, noticeable and clutter breaking

    Debrief: Havells Fans: Masterstroke!

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Very smart of Havells to rope in veteran actor Rajesh Khanna for their new ad for fans. And the treatment is cool too. I am usually not a fan of celebrity advertising, but this particular one simply rocks.

     

    The ad features Khanna boasting that the winds of change may blow, but that no one can take his fans away from him. A bit of an obvious pun on fans, but in this case it works. There are classical images of the star from his hey days as also from the present time. He even takes a thinly disguised dig at Bachchan, who dethroned the superstar in the seventies.

     

    Here’s why this ad works for me: For one, getting Khanna back from his long exile is serious lateral thinking. It makes the TVC surprising, noticeable and clutter breaking.

     

    The media has taken it up for coverage, and that’s a lot of free publicity for Havells. Imagine if they had used the done-to-death Big B. The ad would have passed by like Ogilvy’s ship in the dark. Also, the execution is pleasing. Khanna speaks with that famous drawl in the voice, a mixture of arrogance and self confidence. Something we identify with him. And his mannerisms are also the same. The laidback charm, the larger-than-life persona. Great stuff.

     

    In short, all that good advertising should be. As a bonus, the commercial makes you want to watch Khanna’s classics all over again.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Surprising solution at its best.

  • On World Press Freedom Day, Pradyuman Maheshwari says the real problem with the media is not just governmental bullying, but pressures from business interests and often journalists crawling when they can run

    Mediaah! Is our media free to report the truth?

    By Pradyuman Maheshwari

     

    It’s World Press Freedom Day today and I’m sure most journalists in India don’t even know that the day is celebrated as that. There will be a few speeches, an I&B ministry communiqué and a statement from the President or Prime Minister… at the time of writing even these haven’t come in.

     

    I guess in India the issue of press freedom isn’t as grave as it is in some countries. Though we’ve known even Chief Ministers and local leaders using brute force or the law on those who even attempt to be tongue-in-cheek in their cartoons, one wouldn’t say that democracy is under threat in the country.

     

    Earlier this week, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), an NGO that studies issues like press freedom, presented its annual report on press freedom in South Asia. Here’s the vital para on India: “India has, in its vastness, displayed diverse trends. There are parts of the country where journalism functions with few constraints and dangers apart from the constant pressure of commercialisation. In the conflict prone regions such as Kashmir, the North-Eastern states and the Maoist insurgency districts – where journalism that tells the full story could make a difference – tensions persist and dangers are ever present”.

     

    In an overall comment, the IFJ communiqué notes: “The shift towards contract and casual employment has led to a weakening of professional commitment and the growing influence of commercial and advertising departments in the functioning of media houses”.

     

    So, the report isn’t gloomy as I remember it was a few years back. However, there’s an uneasy calm. And with reason.

     

    Some months back, just after the Anna Hazare agitation, DNA’s editor-in-chief Aditya Sinha wrote in his column how his paper had lost government advertising thanks to its belligerent stand on the government in Anna’s fight against corruption.

     

    The malaise of using advertising revenues to stifle the media and ensure a positive media is widespread in the private sector. Nearly every other publisher will relate the story of how his or her publication lost vital revenues thanks to its editorial content.

     

    I have had ad managers do the same. Not yet at MxMIndia mercifully, but in the past and elsewhere, I do know how big and small business bullies the media.

     

    So with CNBC TV 18 and Bloomberg UTV part of the two Reliance groups and rumours of NDTV also having benefitted from some largesse (from a business house), there’s worry about how independent the biz channels will be. So far I don’t think there’s anything amiss, but you never know!

     

    On the Ambani investment in Network 18, the IFI report notes:  “Reasoned media debate on the matter has been suppressed by the enormous advertising clout that Reliance retains”. I don’t think that’s entire true. Save possibly Mint, Outlook magazine and independent voices like Moneylife and some bloggers, our media – mainstream or otherwise – seldom discusses the goings-on in other organizations.

     

    The pressures on the media come from various quarters. If you are in the business of conducting film awards, you can’t critique the stars as they may get upset and not attend your show. And that mind you is quite serious because the ratings and revenues can take a beating if there aren’t enough stars walking the red carpet. Ditto with municipal corporations, schools where the boss is seeking admission for his/her kid and the list could go on. There are just too many holy cows

     

    Often journalists must blame themselves for some of the pressures. We are too worried about upsetting sources and sensitivities. So, while at one level we may critique the world for its ills, we are worried about being on the wrong side of friends in high places. By doing so, journalists are devaluing themselves as the biggies they know will never really respect them for their true worth.

     

    It’s also vital for media owners to know that that by compromising on core journalistic values, they are only killing their own brand. One may argue that the publications that have been indulging in paid content publicly for over a decade are in fact prospering. Perhaps, yes, but that’s because the masses still don’t know what’s really up. However, the few who do will not forget it for a lifetime and will tend to discount the motives of every story that appears in the paper or channel.

     

    I don’t really know what’s the format of the Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate. Perhaps he (and Star) must train their cameras on whether truth is actually allowed to prevail in the Indian media.

     

    Buzz/ping me if you have a story to tell. Confidentiality assured. There are various ways to do that: Mail: pradyumanm[at]mxmindia.com, BBM: 23050B5D, Gtalk: pradyumanm@gmail.com, Twitter: @pmahesh and the mobile: 98338 76278.

     

    Disclaimer: Although he is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of this site, Pradyuman Maheshwari’s views in Mediaah! are not necessarily those of the rest of the team and MxMIndia.com. And decidedly not those of the sales team 🙂

     

  • Every Thursday, Ranjona Banerji will write about a grouse. Either spewing venom or tongue-in-cheek

    [MJR] A button to mute screeching panelists, please

    By Ranjona Banerji

     

    I make this plea on behalf of the ear drums of the nation. As the broadcasters’ association is worried about offensive content and the government is worried about sex, no one has the time to discuss our national loss of hearing. Even noise pollution activists, so worried about every tiny Diwali cracker, are silent on this one.

     

    Yet every night, guests on TV panel discussions yell at each other, sometimes all at the same time. This is not just confusing, but it is also painful. (And, it must be admitted, a bit embarrassing.)

     

    The answer I don’t think can be in teaching better manners to the panellists. We can’t now go back to their mummy-daddy and TV channels caught up in the non-stop cycle of breaking news barely have time activate their brains let alone start teaching etiquette.

     

    Instead, we need technology to come to our rescue. Instead of pleading with their guests to allow everyone to speak and not hog all the allotted time or politely trying to control a posse of middle-aged delinquents, TV anchors should just cut trouble-makers off. The worst offenders will be silenced mid-scream. To amuse viewers, their faces should still be on screen, so we can see them though not hear them screeching away. There is no guarantee that the screamers and yellers will ever learn and those who plead “give me 30 seconds more please” – how do they claim 30 seconds when they take many minutes? – will most likely start yelling “don’t cut me off”. But that doesn’t mean anyone has to listen to them. Anyway, you can barely hear what they’re saying.

     

    Also, our TV remotes could come with selective mute buttons so that we can filter out the sound from some sources while continuing to listen to others. This feature can be sold as a fun family game, as an alternative to birds killing pigs.

     

    And what about when the TV anchors annoy you? Now, that, dear viewer, is what the existing mute button is all about!

     

  • The freedom of the media as well as of journalists is an issue, not just in the countries that officially limit press freedom, but also in democracies

    Press Freedom Day | ‘The free press can also lie’

    By Alain Gresh

     

    It was at the end of the 1980s, when Perestroika was in full swing. The Soviet Union was opening up towards pluralistic news coverage; discussions were raging in Moscow or in Leningrad. A delegation of Soviet journalists was invited to the US to study ‘freedom of the press’. They were brought around all the main media, travelled through various states and, at the end of the journey, received by journalists who asked them for their impressions. “It’s strange”, one of the Soviet delegation replied. “You don’t have a censor here, but still everyone thinks the same.”

     

    Apocryphal or not, this anecdote is revealing. It shows that the freedom of the media as well as of journalists is an issue, not just in the countries that officially limit press freedom, but also in democracies. In 2002-2003, when the US was preparing to go to war against Iraq, even such highly prestigious newspapers as the New York Times or the Washington Post uncritically published the lies of the Bush administration, thus acting as a carrier of propaganda – something which gave rise to self-criticism several months later.

     

    Already during the 1990-1991 war, many in the European and US media got caught up in the fabrications of the Allies’ propaganda: how Iraq had the ‘fourth-largest army in the world’, or how Iraqi soldiers unplugged incubators at a maternity hospital in Kuwait.

     

    These examples show that the situation of the media in the democratic world is far from simple. Two obstacles oppose their capacity to inform public opinion. Firstly, the question of ownership; some belong to private groups (Lagardere in France, General Electric in the US), others to weapons manufacturing companies. When I spoke to a colleague from Europe 1 radio about the repression of the Kurdish people under Saddam Hussein in Iraq, he answered that I must have forgotten who owns the radio station: Lagardere, a supplier of weapons to the Iraqi regime.

     

    The other obstacle is related to how the media operates in a ‘sensationalist society’, where nothing counts more than presentation, i.e. everything must be spectacular. How is it possible to explain, without images, in one minute on TV the crisis in Mali or the repression in Bahrain? How to generate understanding of the complex developments in Asia or the Near East when, for economic reasons, most daily newspapers are cutting their numbers of foreign correspondents?

     

    The question of the freedom of the press and of journalists throughout the world is important, especially in countries where colleagues are arrested, imprisoned, or even killed. But it must not distract from the fact that these questions arise, in different forms, in democracies and that they are also vital for the future of our societies.

     

    Footnote to the article:

    WAN-IFRA or the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers shared with the media an editorial package of articles, analyses, photographs, cartoons and advertisements. This article by Alain Gresh, Deputy Director, Le Monde diplomatique and host of the blog ‘Nouvelles d’Orient’ is part of the package.

    Mr Gresh has published several books, including Les Cent clés du Proche-Orient, Fayard, 2011, and De quoi la Palestine est-elle le nom?, Les liens qui libèrent, 2010.

    MxMIndia stands committed to the freedom of the media and will do whatever it takes to combat any intrusion.

     

  • 64 per cent of Indians lose their temper with a customer service executive, far higher in comparison to an average of 48 per cent

    Indian consumers highly impatient with customer service execs: Study

    By Sagar Malviya & Maulik Vyas

     

    If you have been using foul language on the customer service associate, threatening to switch to competition, you aren’t the only one to do so. In fact, 64 per cent of Indians lose their temper with a customer service executive, far higher in comparison to an average of 48 per cent in other markets, says a survey that highlights the rising importance of customer service in the country.

     

    Nearly two in five Indians threatened to switch to a competitor while a third of them hung up the phone on customer care executives.

     

    While around 61 per cent insisted on speaking to a supervisor, 12 per cent of Indians use profanities or abusive language as against an average of 7 per cent globally, according to the survey by American Express and global research firm ‘echo’.

     

    “Great customer service is great business and positions a brand with staying power,” said Pradeep Kapur, Senior Vice President, World Service India & Process Excellence, American Express said.

     

    The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer – an annual survey of attitudes and preferences towards customer service in India and ten other countries -was done online among shoppers above 18 years of age.

     

    Over than a quarter of the survey participants said the whole ‘customer service experience’ that marketers talk about missed their expectations completely.

     

    “We are very relationship-oriented country and we love to know the name of the person and see the face of an individual who caters to us at other side of the phone call,” said Harish Bijoor, brand consultant and CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. “Moreover, Indians are very new to remote complain and data services, hence their aspirations will obliviously higher compare to other mature markets such as the US.”

     

    Indian consumers discuss good customer service more than any other nationals; 97 per cent of the participants talk about ‘after-sales service’. Indians are becoming quite vocal about poor quality service too as each one tells approximately 47 people about their bad experience. One out of every five consumers feels businesses pay less attention to providing good customer service. And four out of five believe that smaller businesses give more importance to customer service than large ones.

     

    “When customers know that a company is listening to them and addressing their needs quickly and responsively, they will not only spend more – they will spread the word to others as well,” added Mr Kapur of Amex.

     

    As per the survey, seven in ten consumers intended to conduct a business transaction or make a purchase, but decided against it due to poor service experience. This particularly applies to service sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, finance, telecom, airlines and retail that contribute around 60 per cent of the country’s GDP.

     

    Source: The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

     

  • Millennium Post, the all-colour daily was rolled out by Durbar Ganguly, who will act as the Publisher & editor-in-chief of the newspaper

    No half-truths with Millennium Post: Ganguly

    By A Correspondent

     

    Readers in New Delhi woke up to a new newspaper offering on the morning of May 2. Millennium Post, the all-colour daily was rolled out by Durbar Ganguly – promoted by Frontrow Media – who will act as the Publisher & editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

     

    In fact, the paper is not new and existed in a small way since 2005. Highlighting the takeover from its previous owners Mr Ganguly asserted: “The paper was in existence in a small way in 2005. We have taken over the management and the ownership of the title from its owners. Since much of the ground work for the launch had already been laid, we decided to go ahead with the same title. But having said that, the content, team and positioning would be different from what it previously was.”

     

    Though the team went low-profile with their promotional activities, what is assuring is the positioning that they have zeroed down on, which reads: thinking man’s newspaper. Mr Ganguly said: “We are positioning it as a thinking man’s newspaper. We don’t call it a pro-reach paper – in the sense that if you have breezed through our content you will see that this millennium belongs to the common man. When you say the thinking people they are those who believe in invention, are educated and upwardly mobile, and so on. At the same time, it is not like other large papers such as The Economic Times that are only promoting the cause of big people. So that’s how we plan to be different.”

     

    When asked on how they plan to measure up to the known players who have already made a mark in the capital, Mr Ganguly said: “Honestly, we are not competing in any way with any of the big players and want to create a niche of our own. If you see, people, in general, are getting fed up with the quality of journalism being provided – as I call it, sponsored corporate journalism. They have converted journalism into extension counters of PR activity. So our core focus would be to promote good quality journalism.”

     

    Going a step further with its promise, Mr Ganguly affirmed that one of the biggest positioning stands that it has adopted is ‘No half truths’. “Most papers today do not present the whole fact as it is and that’s what we refer to as ‘half truths.’ Our focus would be to present certain issues that others do not take up at all.”

     

    Alongside its physical presence, the company also plans to lay emphasis on providing content through the web. And the reason for that is rather different too. “We’d really like to promote ourselves in a big way in the digital space because we believe that after certain point of time we wouldn’t be able to expand our paper so much to other areas due to financial limitations. That’s one of the reasons we want to go heavy on the web with our content.”

     

    The newspaper has already found favour with advertisers, who have evinced interest and advertised in the inaugural issue itself. Mr Ganguly said: “The advertisers have been appreciative of our product and have supported us in a big way from the very first issue itself. We are very excited with the initial response that the paper has managed to evoke amongst the fraternity. We have been receiving queries from many advertisers since we launched yesterday and in the days to come you will see an increased participation from their end.”

     

    As of now, the paper would be circulated only in Delhi – the print run of which stands at 75,000 copies. Going ahead, the plan would be to launch it in Lucknow, Ranchi, Bhubaneshwar and Chandigarh. But that’s for later; right now the focus would be on establishing Millennium Post firmly in Delhi, affirmed Mr Ganguly.

     

  • If an agency fares well at award functions, it is definitely recognized by clients, giving itself an option of fluffing its feathers, says Pratap Bose

    The Anchor: Pratap Bose list 5 reasons why awards are important

    By Pratap Bose

     

    1. It goes without saying that awards recognize good work. If an agency fares well at award functions, it is definitely recognized by clients, giving itself an option of fluffing its feathers.

    2. By actively participating in awards, an agency gets an edge over the other agencies in terms of attracting talent. ‘Award Friendly Agencies’ manage to get better talent.

    3. If an agency is a part of an international/worldwide group, it builds credibility for itself around the network. Awards help an agency be known by every client everywhere.

    4. Awards create healthy competition internally within different teams which leads to overall quality work by setting and breaking benchmarks internally.

    5. If an agency manages to win awards not just for creative work but for other departments as well it comes across as a holistic agency.

     

    Pratap Bose is COO, DDB Mudra Group

     

  • The veteran journalist talks on what ails the profession, regulation & the future of the news media

    Possible for ethics & profit-making to co-exist: Paranjoy Guha Thakurta (Text & Video)

     

    By Shruti Pushkarna

     

    As he launched the second expanded edition of his book, ‘Media Ethics: Truth, Fairness and Objectivity’,  in the capital last week, MxMIndia caught up with veteran independent journalist and educator,  Paranjoy Guha Thakurta for an exclusive interaction. In this candid one-on-one, Mr Guha Thakurta spoke at length about ethics in media today, self-regulation vs. regulation; the debate on the freedom of expression on the internet and the need for media to be ethically and socially responsible.

     

    Mr Guha Thakurta’s experience spanning nearly 35 years, cuts across different media: print, radio, television and documentary cinema. He is a writer, speaker, anchor, interviewer, teacher and commentator in three languages, English, Bengali and Hindi. His main areas of interest are the working ofIndia’s political economy and the media, on which he has authored/co-authored books and produced documentary films. He lectures on these subjects to general audiences and also trains aspiring and working media professionals.

     

    Mr Guha Thakurta has served as a member of the Press Council of India nominated by the University Grants Commission between January 2008 and January 2011. In April 2010, as a member of a two-member sub-committee of the Council, he co-authored a 36,000-word report entitled ‘Paid News: How Corruption in the Indian Media Undermines Democracy’.

     

    Does an expanded edition mean a lot more to discuss in media ethics?

    The first edition of this book came out more than three years ago, since then a lot has happened. Moreover, after the book came out, there were a lot of people who came up with suggestions on how this book could be improved. So this book is about 40 per cent bigger and thicker than the earlier edition. There are new chapters – there is an entirely new chapter on corruption in the media based quite a bit on my experience as a member of the sub-committee of the PCI, which inquired into corruption in media and how it undermines democracy, the entire phenomenon of paid news. There’s also a new chapter on reality television and some of the existing chapters have been drastically rewritten and revamped, notably the chapter on the internet because a lot has been happening in the internet space; also the chapter on advertising, which was particularly weak in the first edition – I think it has been strengthened substantially in the new edition.

     

    Also a whole lot of major developments have taken place concerning the media in the recent past; these have all been incorporated in the new edition. Among these would be the News of the World and Rupert Murdoch controversy in UK, the entire Wikileaks and Julian Assange phenomenon and back home here in India, the entire Niira Radia conversations; all of these have raised significant questions pertaining to media ethics and these have been incorporated in the new edition of the book.

     

    How important is the ‘code of ethics’ in today’s commercialized scheme of things?

    Ethics is very important in every sphere, particularly so in the case of media, because you are dealing with information which is akin to a public good. The problem essentially arises because this information is being disseminated by privately owned corporate bodies with an important goal to maximize profit; therein lies the conflicts of interest. The problem arises because there are sections of the media that are interested in profit maximization to the exclusion of other goals.

     

    It’s become a bit of a cliche – once upon a time it used to be said, ‘journalism is a mission’, today journalists work only for a commission. We are seeing the corporatization and commercialization of the media having an impact on the kind of content that is being produced. The viewers of television channels, the readers of newspapers, and the listeners of radio stations are being perceived more as ‘consumers’ rather as citizens. They are ‘consumers’ of products and services which are being provided by companies which advertise.

     

    Can journalistic ethics and profit-making can co-exist?

    I do believe it can, it’s not easy but it is possible for ethics and profit-making to co-exist.

     

    What is your view on the issue of regulation v/s self-regulation? What works for you?

    In an ideal world, self-regulation is the best form of regulation. But what do you do with those who cross that proverbial ‘lakshman rekha’, what do you do with those who don’t follow the code of conduct which is supposed to be self-regulatory in nature. I’ll give you an example, in the US, when Janet Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a live broadcast, the channel was fined immediately by the Federal Communications Commission because the wardrobe malfunction happened during a live broadcast, it happened during primetime and the channel had to first pay the fine and then appeal against the decision in a court of law.

     

    What happens in India? Not very long ago, there was a series of incidents involving Bhanwari Devi Maderna episode in Rajasthan and content was put out during the day on television, which many considered to be pornographic in nature. When the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued show cause notices against these TV channels, all of them came to Shastri Bhawan saying, ‘we apologize and we won’t do it again’. That’s the nature of self regulation in this country.

     

    As far as print is concerned, we have a Press Council of India which has no powers to punish anybody, it cannot impose a fine, leave alone put a person behind bars, and its recommendations are not even binding on the government. We don’t have statutory organizations which are empowered in the manner in which say the Federal Communications Commission is, or the Office of Communications in the UK is. So it’s fine to talk about self regulation but what do you do when somebody doesn’t listen to you, do you have the wherewithal to punish them?

     

     

    Do you think we need an independent official regulatory authority for television news channels as against one set up by the channels?

    Yes, I do personally believe that it is possible and desirable to have an independent regulatory authority which is independent of the government as well as the media. Such a regulatory authority can be funded by the government, but it can nevertheless be autonomous and independent of the government, in the manner in which bodies like the Supreme Court of India, or CAG or Election Commission of India function.

     

    So, I do believe it is possible to have such a communications commission. The problem is that for the last decade we have been debating the need for such a commission and the joke is that every time the government proposes to form such a commission, the government collapses. There have been 10 or 12 avatars of a Bill to set up such a commission; time alone will tell when and if such a commission is established in India.

     

    Your view on Dirty Picture not being allowed to air during the day on Sony?

    The whole Dirty Picture episode has thrown up a number of issues pertaining to censorship, pertaining to what content is appropriate or not, and if adult content can be shown on television, if so when. I think these issues are contentious and debatable and they are going to be debated for quite some time to come.

     

    Would you agree with Justice Katju’s view when he says people in media are of poor intellect?

    I think Justice Katju is exaggerating. There are journalists who are dumb and there are journalists who are not dumb. I think Justice Katju is not being fair to the media fraternity but that’s his personal point of view, he also thinks 90 per cent of Indians are fools, I beg to disagree with him.

     

    There’s a belief that the Indian media doesn’t take too kindly to criticism. Agree?

    Who among us are willingly going to accept criticism? All of us have our egos, in that sense, I don’t think the media is unique. I think there is neither any individual nor any group who likes criticism but the point is if you do believe in democracy, if you believe in fairness, and if you are in the public eye, then you better get used to criticism otherwise you’ll end up like Ms Mamata Banerjee who could not take being lampooned online. This shows not only lack of tolerance on part of individuals, especially public figures, but I think it fails to appreciate the nature of freedom of expression.

     

    Isn’t it upsetting that all the journalists’ organizations like Press Club, Editors Guild are tightlipped about Paid News?

    I won’t entirely go along with you on that, I mean there was a conspiracy of silence about corruption in media and paid news, even the report of the subcommittee that was prepared by me and my colleague for the PCI, was sought to be suppressed by a powerful lobby of publishers within the PCI. Finally in October 2011, the PCI was literally forced to make that report official, place it on their website with a disclaimer saying that entire council had not approved of its content. But I won’t say all journalists’ organizations conspired to put under wraps this report. There have been sections of the media who have been reticent of highlighting corruption within the media fraternity, but I don’t think it’s true for the entire media.

     

    Do you think that Public Relations has adversely impacted the quality of journalism?

    No, why blame the PR person…she or he is doing his or her job. You can also say the government has bribed the media, you can say that corporate captains have bribed the media. So I don’t think we need to look for excuses, I think journalists have to look within if they have to introspect about why there is corruption in the media. You can always hold somebody or the other responsible for your sins but at the end of the day, you are yourself responsible I believe.

     

    Your views on the ongoing debate on the freedom of expression in the internet age

    I think this is a huge debate. The internet is not just the newest medium of mass communication, it’s also a form of personalized communication, and it’s difficult to control. Issues relating to freedom of expression on the internet have acquired many new dimensions and these are very contentious and not easy to resolve. And we’ve seen this debate been going on for a while…the ‘infamous’ Danish cartoons on the prophet Mohammed were all drawn ostensibly to generate a debate on freedom of expression. Yes, that cartoon was widely circulated on the internet, as was the gruesome video showing Daniel Pearl getting beheaded. But it’s also worth remembering and underlining the fact that the mainstream media were restrained in reprinting, publicizing either the Danish cartoon or Daniel Pearl’s beheading.

     

    The point is, sometimes in the name of freedom of expression, you want to generate a debate but you end up generating one huge controversy which goes out of control. It was the Danish PM who argued that the cartoon controversy was the biggest crisis that small Scandinavian country faced after the Second World War and he was particularly worried because it even had an impact on the economy of Denmark because countries of West Asia stopped buying dairy products made inDenmark.

     

    So very often we might want to start a debate without realising its wider ramifications. But the bigger question of what constitutes the right to offend, what is freedom of expression and the new dimensions these issues have acquired in the day and age of internet, these are very important, they are being debated and I think these debates are going to go on for quite some time.

     

    And given all of this, your view on the future of news media in India?

    The future of news media in India is very bright. Unlike many countries in the world, all media in India continue to expand, whether it’s print, radio, TV or internet. According to 2011 census, one out of four persons in India still cannot read or write her or his name, so as more and more people become literate I think all sections of media are going to expand. At the same time, media has to become more responsible, not just socially responsible but also more ethical if it indeed has to contribute to building democracy, to building a better country.

     

    If you were still a kid getting out of college, would you get into journalism given the ethical standards followed?

    That’s a difficult question…when I became a journalist 35 years ago, the Emergency had just got over. That was a unique 19 month period in the history of the country where for the first and so far the only time in politically independent India, the government of the day sought to abridge freedom of expression. For 19 months, during the Emergency, freedom of expression was sought to be curbed. I don’t think that will happen again, but the very fact that I was a student during that period did influence my decision to become a journalist. If I was born 35 years later, I don’t know if I would have preferred to become a rock star, or an airline pilot or a heart surgeon instead of a journalist.

     

  • TAM Data (GRPs Channel shares of HGECs)- Wk 17’12

     

    Source: TAM Media Research
    TG: CS 4+ yrs
    Market: HSM
    Period: Wk 16: Apr 15 to Apr 21, 2012
    Period: Wk 17: Apr 22 to Apr 28, 2012

     

     

    About TAM Media Research

    TAM is a joint venture between Nielsen Company & Kantar Media Research. Besides measuring TV Viewership, TAM also monitors Advertising Expenditure of Television, Print & Radio through its division AdEx India. Since 2004, it extended its presence in the PR Measurement & Analysis space for Corporate/Marketing Clients by setting up a separate division Eikona PR Measurement.

     

    In 2007, the joint venture introduced RAM (Radio Audio Measurement) service to track Radio Listenership for the Indian Radio Broadcast Industry. In year 2009, TAM launched a division, called TAM Sports that specializes in monitoring Sports Sponsorship ROI.

     

    TAM Media Research’s objective is to fuel media insights that will drive the growth of the Indian Media Industry.

  • TAM data Top 10 programmes on HGEC – Wk 17’12

     

    Source: TAM Peoplemeter System
    TG: CS 4+ yrs
    Market: Hindi Speaking Market
    Period: Wk 17: Apr 22 to Apr 28, 2012

     

     

    About TAM Media Research

    TAM is a joint venture between Nielsen Company & Kantar Media Research. Besides measuring TV Viewership, TAM also monitors Advertising Expenditure of Television, Print & Radio through its division AdEx India. Since 2004, it extended its presence in the PR Measurement & Analysis space for Corporate/Marketing Clients by setting up a separate division Eikona PR Measurement.

     

    In 2007, the joint venture introduced RAM (Radio Audio Measurement) service to track Radio Listenership for the Indian Radio Broadcast Industry. In year 2009, TAM launched a division, called TAM Sports that specializes in monitoring Sports Sponsorship ROI.

     

    TAM Media Research’s objective is to fuel media insights that will drive the growth of the Indian Media Industry.

  • Editor Alan Rusbridger announces Guardian to partner with MediaGuru to hold inaugural Activate Summit in India

    Guardian Media partners with Mediaguru

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Guardian, London has entered into a partnership with MediaGuru and is to hold one of its 2012 Activate Summits in India for the first time.

     
    The Guardian Activate events bring together many of the world’s brightest and most influential figures to debate how technology is driving positive social change on a global scale. The first Activate event took place in London in 2009 and the event expanded into the US market last year with the first Activate New York taking place in April 2011.

     

    Previous speakers have included Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Arianna Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, Craig’sList founder Craig Newmark and NYU professor Clay Shirky.

     

    The 2012 Guardian Activate summit in India is currently planned to take place in October in Delhi, and will be organised in partnership with MediaGuru, the media consulting, technology and entertainment company which has a presence in London, Singapore and all across India.

     

    The Guardian-MediaGuru partnership will see the Activate brand expanding into other territories, including Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. It will also see an ambitious expansion of the Activate digital platform on guardian.co.uk, which will become an online content and networking hub for professionals working with technology to drive global change.
    Announcing the expansion, Alan Rusbridger said: “Technology is bringing the world closer together and at the Guardian we’re committed to encouraging debate between diverse, global audiences in line with our open and digital-first strategies. We’re thrilled to be bringing the Guardian Activate summit to new countries where technology is having a real impact, and look forward to joining and facilitating more fascinating conversations about the influence of web technologies in person, as well as online.”

     

    Sanjay Salil, Managing Director, MediaGuru, said: “By 2020, it is predicted that India will have 600 million internet users, making it the biggest open internet access market in the world. MediaGuru is proud to be bringing the Guardian Activate platform to India, where a gathering of technology, media, and social innovation leaders can help shape India’s technology and new media agenda.”