Market for Views in India
By: Surbhi Tandon (CCS, Intern)
The Murdochs story gives us one loud and clear message: don’t trust great men for “great men make great mistakes”. Fortunately the market for news and views is not a monopoly of the few, at least not in India. Fortunately we got many argumentative Indians. Today we bring you a list of 10 smaller players in the market for news and views in India with some recent stories cracked by’em.
“The website has been created under the auspices of the Media Foundation, which is based in New Delhi. Since March 2001 the Foundation runs this media watch website, Thehoot.org.
To promote, support, encourage and undertake social science, statistical and scientific research pertaining to the print, electronic, film and other media with a view to enhancing and strengthening their freedom and independence; to uphold constitutional freedom of speech, expression and information; and to encourage freedom in society and enhance the quality of life through media and process of communication”
Recent Story : HT’s dubious sex change scoop
“The HT story on sex change created a sensation but is full of misleading information. It does not distinguish between sex change and corrective surgery for genital ambiguity.”
“Kafila arises from a recognition that in the contemporary world, all knowledge and information is ‘mediatised’. We inhabit a media ecology: the only way of creating critical spaces is through connecting various radical and critical media practices and forms. We could say that the only answer to media empires today is “becoming media” ourselves, connecting different forms — the internet, print (non-corporatised small magazines and journals), political media forms like posters, leaflets — into a whole parallel network of information and knowledge production and exchange (as opposed to ‘dissemination’).”
Recent story
“Dr. Khaleel Chishty, the 78 year old a renowned Virologist from Pakistan, will now go home very soon. A process that began on the 20th of April, 2011 will finally conclude at the Rajasthan end two months later precisely on the 20th of June, with the Governor signing the mercy petition that will let him go, once the MEA give their stamp.”
The campaign started after his daughter Anna Chishty wrote a piece in kafila
An Austro-Libertarian Opinion from Indyeah
“The people of India, the founders of the Ground Report India, strongly believe in human rights/values, democracy and freedom of expression. The Ground Report India is a voice of people for sharing of true ground realities, views and ground activities, also freedom of expression. The media is one of the biggest tools to empower people, if uses are not based on vested interests.”
Recent story
“46th report on the The Public Interest Disclosure and protection to persons making the disclosures bill ,2010.”
“ The idea behind this initiative is to create an alternative media and will not be carrying stories on inter-party and intra-party politics, entertainment, sports, films and cricket etc as they are getting enough space in the mainstream media. Here you will not get to read sensational stories, gossips, rumours etc as we are focusing on stories that are affecting the lives of people, positive stories, stories that are useful to the reader, information that will empower the reader/viewer with knowledge. We are aiming at carrying stories about individual and institutional initiatives for public service, inspirational stories and stories about opportunities.”
“The Acorn has been in the blogosphere since mid-September 2003. In May 2005, it became part of theIndian National Interest (INI) platform, a family of high-quality blogs on public affairs. With the formation of the Takshashila Institution in October 2009, INI has become an outreach initiative of our networked think tank.”
“Chowk is a platform to publish, discuss and debate writings on a variety of issues that are important to the people of India, Pakistan, and other South Asian countries. Chowk is committed to promote the right to express. It nurtures ideas and voices that are original, investigative, and independent of doctrine and dogma.
Chowk does not claim to solve the political or social problems of Pakistan and/or India. Rather, it provides a platform for dialogue, introspection, and familiarity amongst the people to break taboos and facilitate a climate for lasting peace and understanding.”
“Video Volunteers is an international media organization empowering the voices of the world’s unheard communities. Its mission is to empower the world’s poorest citizens to right the wrongs they witness by becoming players in the global media revolution. Video Volunteers provides disadvantaged communities with journalistic, critical thinking and creative skills, teaching people to articulate and share their perspectives on the issues that matter to them — on a local and a global scale.”
“Cafe Pyala is named after the famous dhaba in Karachi known for its great tea and being open at all odd hours of the morning. But of course it’s a metaphor for the ability to sit with friends, share, rant and discuss the goings on in the global pyala around us.”
“The Better India is an attempt to bring out the happy stories, the unsung heroes (and heroines!), the small good deeds, and showcase them to the world. The Better India was founded on 10th of July 2008, as an outcome of scarcity of positive & developmental news in conventional sources of media.”
