Desicritics Category: Culture: Magazines

Barkha Dutt And NDTV, The Joke Is On You!

Sandeep — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:54:51 EST

So Chyetanya Kunte is the latest victim of media intimidation. I'm not going to rehash the same excellent points made by other bloggers. Here's a partial list:

NDTV's Assault on Free Speech (the best)

When 'free speech' bears a price tag

Shame on NDTV and Barkha Dutt

A bedtime story about blog freedom

Throw the Constitution Away

The Indian media--specifically, television ranks at the top for its King-sized conceit. It bulldozes its way into people's tragedies and increasingly, sees itself as the final arbiter of national justice. Its anchors assault the ears 24/7 with nothing but meaningless shrillery under the illusion that loudness=news. Its talk shows are crude exercises in self-aggrandizement. However, all these traits don't even measure up to even a knee-length of Barkha Dutt epitomizes. There's no better proof for this than the fact that a Facebook Group (Can u please take BARKHA off air!) is dedicated to her. It is by far one of the most popular groups there with over 4500 members and about 900 posts in just over a month!

Barkha Dutt owes her heady taste of fame to her "reporting" during the Kargil war. Ignoring the controversy surrounding her actual role in the reporting, she was made out to be a bigger hero than the valiant soldiers that fought in the war. I recall reading some review that Preity Zinta's unconvincing histrionics in Lakshya was modelled after Barkha. However, for Barkha, there was no looking back after Kargil. Today she stands almost unchallenged in both fame and skill at compensating incompetence with loudmouthedness. She spins self-righteous yarns about free speech and media-professional hazards when her nonchalant reporting style is criticized. You tend to normally ignore such yarn because she has to defend her actions, etc. But then, you should sit up and give it back when she goes beyond that. In a shocking display of arrogance and strong-arm tactics, she has threatened legal action against blogger Chyetanya Kunte for voicing his opinion about her "shoddy journalism" which is what her antics on 26/11 were. Chyetanya was forced to take down his post thanks to NDTV's threat.

Neither is this the first instance. Remember Mediaah, which was shut down thanks to a similar legal threat by TOI (aside: read an excellent piece on the whole episode). Or the infamous IIPM online hooliganism that threatened to choke Rashmi Bansal's (also Gaurav Sabnis') right to freedom of speech? Despite all this, the Indian media just doesn't get it. Here's the thing beautifully articulated:

The success of [The Times'] case depends wholly on the hope that Maheshwari will not fight back against a gargantuan media conglomerate," said Rohit Gupta, a freelance writer and engineer in Mumbai. "That's where the Times of India reveals its ignorance of changing times and the nature of the blogosphere. Maheshwari does not need to fight this himself -- this concerns the freedom of all bloggers from Indian origin, so we will fight the battle for him."[...] "The Times of India has simply shown how far they've come from being a respectable newspaper to being a common school bully. If bloggers can collaborate to provide humanitarian assistance for the greatest natural disaster the living world has seen, they can certainly tackle the Times of India, a man-made ethical disaster.

Which takes us back to the same question: why do they hate us so much? From India Today to TOI to Outlook and now NDTV, the media has on numerous occasions ranted against bloggers with undisguised contempt, which stems from their appalling ignorance of what blogging is all about. Their typical terms for bloggers: brash, 20-something, angry, furious, seething, venting, cyber-Cinderellas, pretentious, and the like. Is this because they feel somehow threatened? Or is it because some bloggers write far better prose, articulate opinions way better than many so-called mainstream observers and columnists? Or is it because bloggers are unconstrained by word-limit, editorial stance, or business interests? For all their ire against bloggers, the media doesn't hesitate to steal content from bloggers. Here's a lovely post that chronicles this plagiarism (scroll down till you reach this: Indian Media Plagiarizing from Bloggers [or, bloggers highlighting cases of MSM misdeeds]). TOI leads the pack in this plagiarism, the selfsame TOI that sent the self-righteous legal notice to Mediaah didn't seem to examine the crap in its own backyard. There's yet another angle to this. In the breath that they rant against bloggers, most of these media houses have their own blogs, or have set up a blog service on their sites--TOI, IBN, Indian Express, and the now-defunct blog service from NDTV. The main reason I think, for the Indian media's angst against the blogsphere is the fact that till blogging caught popular imagination, media houses were used to their monopoly over news and opinion--they were virtually unchallenged--any "letters to the editor" that didn't toe their byline were simply not published. Now that bloggers on a colossal scale have begun to call their bluff, their fragile sensibilities have taken a severe blow. While they strut around invading people's privacy, and making grand pronouncements at random on everybody, they need to understand that freedom of speech is not their exclusive privilege. People will exercise the same right upon them. Patrix puts it beautifully:

When the reporter becomes the reported, it is usually time to take a closer look at your life and wonder what happened.

However, if bloggers can sit alone at their keyboards, type out their honest opinions, and network with each other on noble causes, they can also fight back against such strong-arm tactics. In this, they're far more courageous than the media, which infamously crawled when asked to bend. I'm sorry, but Barkha Dutt and her NDTV team cannot gag my right to free speech on the pretext of protecting her right to free speech. If I don't like a newspaper, I won't buy it and I'll say why I don't like it. The newspaper cannot sue me for that. While we're on the subject, since NDTV is listed on the Stock Exchange, how about selling its shares if you have bought any?

What's next, Barkha Dutt and NDTV, are you going to sue the entire Indian blogsphere, and Facebook?

Technorati Tags: Barkha Dutt's Strong arm Tactics,NDTV's Strong arm Tactics,Bad PR for NDTV,NDTV Threatens Blogger,Chyetanya Kunte is Threatened,NDTV tries to Gag Freedom of Speech,Media Watch,Indian Media,Media Tomfoolery

Poessay: On Writer's Block

temporal — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:30:11 EDT

Is there an affliction known as writer's block? Or is it an overblown condition to camouflage fear, lethargy or lack of discipline? Why does it affect some writers and not others? Why does it affect good writers and not not-so-good ones?

"One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph. I have spent many months on a first paragraph, and once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily." (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

The key to come out is in preparation: Getting Started.

Sit down. Roll out a fresh sheet or turn on a fresh page on the laptop. Look around. Start writing. Don't stare.

You have seen so many things, have smelled the dew and the tea leaves, have experienced joy and sadness, cherished memories, weathered loss. Recall one and express your thoughts as they come.

You have tried it and it does not work for you? You are still staring at the blank page/screen?

OK, do not wait for the deluge of thoughts to flow. If they do not descend on their own, and if your efforts to persuade them to come out have borne no result you will get stuck and dig yourself deeper into this self afflicted despair.

Try harder. You can coax them, it is simple. Just write down a thought - the first thought you have and out it on the page. Slowly, more words will follow and the haze would lift. From that page you will be able to pick up something that would start the flow.

You do not believe me?

You are not convinced? OK, let' see...you are sitting at a desk...twirling a pen gazing at that paper...looking around...self, some books, a painting or a print, color on the wall, paint fresh or faded, phone perhaps, or a cell phone, that cuppa, some old mail, maybe bills, a window, curtains or blinds!

I don't know what you write...what genre you favour...for me poetry at times is easier than smiling...life!...khair...as you stare at the wall...the wall?

***

the wall

silent, fortuitous, obtrusive
a witness to lost laughter

sighs, sobs and smiles
emotions overt, suppressed

the wall
never subpoenaed

has seen many
pacing the room
- expectant fathers

lost in thoughts
chasing
elusive dreams

the wall
keeper of sighs
and silent shouts

it supports
but does not offer
comfort stands
immovable, unmoved

yes the walls can be tough
like my friend

the tongueless wall
knows so much
why can't it be my friend?

***

I would look this over tomorrow. Would bounce it off some trusted folks, sit on it, chisel and polish, save, look it up another time in a few months time and work on it again...a poem is never finished really.

So friend, despair not...look around and write that first word. Good luck!

The Onion Jokes About Indian Call Centers And Malaria

Deepti Lamba — Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:55:51 EDT

The Hindu gods always had a sense of humor. How else would they have been able to deal with a gossiping Rishi like Narada? Enough tales have been woven around Narada's mischief in the heavenly abode. It isn't as if a bit of humor would kill the gods when the tales are woven on earth. They are not going to strike us down, they have supposedly better things to do like run the world - if you believe that they exist somewhere high up in the clouds or in some heavenly dimension.

On the heels of the Mohammad cartoons, here is Vishnu responding to calls in a call center and the heading underneath is - Please Hold The Line While We Die Of Malaria.

Yes, we do die of Malaria. My grandfather died of Cerebral Malaria, my aunt too suffered from Malaria. Is it a laughing matter? not really; nor is it politically correct but since when has the magazine The Onion known to be politically correct about anything?

There was a time when the cartoon of a naked fakir playing his flute to the dancing snakes was used to project India and now this. There was more to India back then and more to India now.

We know it and they know it. It was a crass joke.

What if there was another toon with Jesus smoking weed with the caption below- I Was Stoned And Missed A Few Tornadoes? Not funny, right? There is more to America than just drugs and natural disasters just like there is more to India than call centers and diseases.

Gods and Prophets can take a few jokes at their expense. Don't we put up with jokes made at our expense and are told to grow a thick skin? However I am not comfortable about jokes on famines, genocides, diseases and natural disasters. They entail real human sufferings and are no laughing matters.

Freedom of Speech gives The Onion the right to indulge in tongue in cheek humor but at the same time they should realize that crass jokes can and do boomerang. This one didn't have me laughing but thinking at what point does a joke stops being funny?

A Weekend With Madhu Kishwar

Siddhartha Shome — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:18:28 EDT

Madhu Kishwar, founder of Manushi, an eminent Indian social activist, and a truly extraordinary person was in the San Francisco Bay Area a few days ago. I had the opportunity to attend a talk that she gave at Stanford, and also have more informal discussions with her over a lunch and a dinner. It was a wonderful experience.

I have long been an admirer of Ms. Kishwar’s work and I’ve been reading her essays for many years. Now that I have met her in person, I can say that she is also a very warm and friendly human being.

I first came to know of Ms. Kishwar when, some ten years or so ago, I read some of her writing on Indian women’s issues. I found her observations deeply insightful, nuanced and profound. As far as I am concerned, Ms. Kishwar’s series of essays (here’s one) on dowry and related issues is some of the best writing I have ever come across on Indian women’s issues. Here is a quote from her.

It has become politically fashionable to attribute all forms of violence and discrimination against women, including female infanticide and female foeticide to the economic burden of dowry that a daughter is said to represent.

Dowry requirements are used as another excuse for considering daughters a burden. The anti-dowry movement, by limiting itself to the constant repetition of ‘dowry abolition’ as a panacea for women’s empowerment and as the primary strategy for ending their oppression, has only helped give further legitimacy to the conventional belief that daughters are an economic liability.

We need to combat the culture of disinheritance if we wish to effectively combat the growing hold of dowry culture.

Though, in my opinion, some of Ms. Kishwar’s best work has been on women’s issues, she has also worked on and written about a myriad other social issues - on communal violence, Kashmir, governance, globalization, farm policy, stifling laws and regulations, and so on. On most of these issues I have found her views to be sensible, and in many cases, very close to my own point of view (rather, I found that my own views were close to hers).

I fondly recall an incident from a couple of years ago. I had written an article severely critical of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (the NBA, the movement opposed to building a dam across the Narmada River). My article was drawing quite a lot of flak from various NBA supporters. As luck would have it, just around that time, Ms. Kishwar came out with her own article criticizing the NBA, which largely validated my own stance.

This is not to say that I agree with Ms. Kishwar on everything. Ms. Kishwar is an unabashed admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. I don’t quite agree with her on this. I greatly admire Gandhi’s non-violence, his humanity, his leadership of the Indian independence movement, and the dignity and self-respect he engendered among so many Indians. However, I have serious reservations about Gandhi’s rejection of modernity and his denunciation of the scientific-technological world-view (for my views on Gandhi, see this).

Ms. Kishwar also appears to hold the view that pre-modern pre-British India was a land of milk-and-honey, a land of all-round prosperity and contentment, conceptually very similar to Gandhi’s views expressed in Hind Swaraj. I disagree. I see the pre-modern pre-British India as a civilization in precipitous decline, one that had lost its vitality and capacity for internal renewal. I agree with author V.S. Naipaul, who says, “the Indian system [in 1857] ... has come to the end of its possibilities, ... that the India that will come into being at the end of the period of British rule will be better educated, more creative and full of possibility than the India of a century before”.

On the whole, it appears that while I have some disagreements with Ms. Kishwar on how we interpret the past, I agree with her on almost everything she has to say about the present.

In recent years Ms. Kishwar has been working with people who make a living in the informal sector in Delhi, people such as cycle-rickshaw pullers, hawkers, vendors, etc. The talk she gave in Stanford was on this topic.

Consider the case of cycle-rickshaws in Delhi. The law holds that no person shall be allowed to ply a cyle-rickshaw unless he himself is the licensed owner of the rickshaw, and also stipulates that no person shall be granted more than one such license. However, most rickshaw-pullers in Delhi are newly arrived migrants from villages, who have neither the money, nor the desire to buy a rickshaw outright. Most rickshaw owners are themselves enterprising ex-rickshaw-pullers who, through dint of hard work over the years, have come to own a fleet of rickshaws. As a result, almost all the rickshaws on Delhi’s streets are “illegal”. So rickshaw pullers and owners, who are after all providing a legitimate service for which there is a legitimate demand, are forced to pay all kinds of bribes to various officials, just in order to carry on with their livelihoods.

Ms. Kishwar asks a question: suppose similarly restrictive laws were applicable to say cars or aircraft? Suppose, the law stipulated that a person can drive a car or pilot an aircraft only if he owns the vehicle, would it make sense? Why should cycle-rickshaws be treated so differently? We all applaud the business success of, say, Jet Airways when they grow their fleet and expand their network. A migrant from a village who comes pennyless to Delhi, becomes a rickshaw puller, and then grows his business to a fleet of rickshaws, is no less entrepreneurial than the executives at Jet Airways. But far from receiving accolades for building a successful business and creating job opportunities, this entrepreneur is hounded by the police and city administrators and is forced to shoulder the huge cost of arbitrary bribes.

Similarly irrational and restrictive laws apply to most other businesses in the informal economy. In recent years, Ms. Kishwar and Manushi have been involved in pilot project in a hawker market in Delhi (read Ms. Kishwar’s article about it here). This project aims to demonstrate what can be achieved by legalizing the status of street vendors.

On one hand this effort has been has been an enormous success. The hawkers have been very cooperative and, together with Manushi, they have indeed converted the area into a clean, attractive, and well-functioning marketplace. On the other hand, this very success has caused problems. Legalization has meant that corrupt officials and the local mafia have not been able to extort money; and the transformation of a slum-like area to a well-developed market has meant that market value of each stall has gone up tremendously, making the stalls targets of the mafia. The hawkers and Manushi activists have been subjected to continuous harassment and threats of violence. Eventually, after a series of life-threatening attacks on Manushi activists and Ms. Kishwar herself, she is now forced to live with round-the-clock police security.

Ms Kishwar’s work with rickshaw-pullers, hawkers, etc., is driven by the foundational belief that poverty is an unnatural condition for human beings, and given half a chance, the poor will be able to overcome poverty themselves through their own enterprise and hard work. In other words, Ms. Kishwar believes that the key to fighting poverty lies in unleashing the talents and energies of the poor that have been kept suppressed by a web of stifling laws and regulations.

It was rather inspiring to hear Ms. Kishwar declare that there is an entrepreneur in every human being - all that is needed is a chance to succeed. Asked what she thoughts would happen to hawkers and street vendors in India if multinationals like Wal-Mart enter the scene, Ms. Kishwar replied that she was not worried. She is of the opinion that as long as there is a level playing field (i.e., if hawkers/vendors don’t have pay a huge overhead in the form of bribes, etc.) they will be able to compete effectively with Wal-Mart, or will at least find niches where they will be able to thrive.

Ms. Kishwar is a strong proponent of economic liberalization for the poor. She points out that liberalization of the Indian economy has given a massive boost to the corporate sector and many Indian companies have now become globally competitive. She points out, however, that liberalization has never reached the poor. In the informal sector, which employs the vast majority of the Indian population, the License Raj still rules, accompanied by rampant corruption. This stifles initiative and enterprise, and perpetuates poverty.

One particularly fascinating aspect that I have noticed in Ms. Kishwar’s positions on various issues is her propensity to take a nuanced and independent stand, taking practical matters into account, rather than a stark black-or-white stand. This is a quality that is unfortunately uncommon in today’s world.

Consider, for example, the issue of multinationals coming to India. There is a strong pro-multinational business lobby that says that multinationals are the best thing that ever happened. At the other extreme there are strongly anti-multinational groups, such as the World Social Forum, who say that multinationals and corporates are the source of all the world’s evil. Ms. Kishwar takes the nuanced view that multinationals are not the solution to all our problems, nor the source of all evil; but economic liberalization, which allows multinationals to operate, is good for all, and should be extended to the poor.

So independent is Ms. Kishwar in her thinking that she states that she refuses to subscribe to any ‘isms’; so much so that she is well known for her essay “why I do not call myself a feminist”. Unfortunately, in today’s world of 20-second TV soundbites, thoughtful and nuanced voices such as Ms. Kishwar’s tend to be crowded out by extreme black-or-white views on most issues.

An Appeal

After being in publication for many years, and after having carved out a special niche for itself, Manushi has now ceased publication because of lack of funds. Plans are afoot to restart publication of Manushi. I, as well as some others, who met Ms. Kishwar during her stay in the U.S. have offered to help out. If you can help Manushi - either financially or otherwise - please do so.

Blogging and Journalism: Amongst the Best the Line is Blurry

temporal — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:56:21 EST

With easy internet access and free blog hosting sites many people are sharing their thoughts on different topics. Some share their special interests and form groups. Others publish their creative writing. But the biggest beneficiary of blogging has been journalism - specifically citizen journalism and its impact on professional journalists.

At this time let us get some descriptions out of the way.

Journalism: reporting, writing, editing, broadcasting, as an occupation.

It flows from above that a journalist is a paid reporter working for a media organisation or as a freelancer for several media organisations. He may directly report on news or may interpret news and write view points and investigative reports. He is usually a specialist who covers a specific field or interest.

The journalists are covered by a code of conduct by the media organisation that employs them or it could be self imposed. They are team players.

A blogger could be any person who has access to a PC and internet, has a host blog and writes entries in it. They are the solo fliers. Generally, there is no compulsory code of conduct, though this distinction is increasingly getting blurred as journalists working for major media organisations are encouraged to have have their own blogs.

What is this code of conduct for journalists? Broadly it covers accuracy, objectivity, truthfulness, fairness, and impartiality. For a more detailed examination you can read the codes for Al Jazeera, CBC and BBC in order of complexity and depth.

The fault line is ever shrinking between Blogging and Journalism. Blogging - specially News and Political blogging has come of age. Gone is the period where it was words and opinions essentially unsubstantiated and based on murky half baked thoughts or hearsay borne out non-conviction and lacked clarity, vision and conviction.

Journalists - serious journalists - even if they are freelancers abide by a code of conduct, keep slant or bias to a minimum, language straight forward and error free.

In the earlier days bloggers were deemed to be free of any constraints. It was their blog, they could write whatever they wanted, they thought.

I once rejected a shoddily written, plagiarized article. The writer submitted another atrociously written article the next day. I patiently pointed out the deficiencies and errors in detail and suggested a serious re-write. He submitted a third article that was also filed under G. He complained.

In his defense the writer claimed all those articles were found acceptable and published at another site and provided a link to it. It was another site that hosted member blogs and his "articles" were "published" on that site under his blog! He was subsequently caught for plagiarizing, sacked and all his articles deleted from that site.

Today, bloggers have matured and an increasing minority is serious about their writing. And their efforts are being recognized. Read this: A Landmark for Bloggers -- and the Future of Journalism.

The journalist also has a distinct advantage over the blogger. He has support of the organisation - editors, fact checkers, proof readers all help in delivering a good copy.

The blogger in most cases is on his/her own. That makes the job not only arduous but also more interesting and gratifying.

As the lines get blurred between good journalists and good bloggers, the bottom lines becomes clearer - the best among both are those where the writing is well grounded in facts, clear, lucid, precise, objective and geared for the target audience.

Media Review: Damazine - A Literary Journal From Damascus, Syria

temporal — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:17:26 EST

I came across a new literary journal in English, Damazine, that has just come out of Damascus, Syria. Its aim is to "become the treasure house for quality literature related to the Muslim world."

The Editor-in-Chief for this quarterly is Ms. Serene Taleb-Agha, 34, engineer, fiction writer, mother of three who spent the first 30 years in the U.S. and the last 4 years in Damascus, Syria.

I have seen a few journals and magazines appear with a burst of enthusiasm, survive on momentum and then fizzle out. Anyone remembers Moonsoon? I hope Damazine proves to be an exception. When I questioned her over why a new journal she said:

I started the journal because I didn’t feel there were enough publishing venues for Muslims writing literature, and the few that exist tend to encourage overly didactic writing focused on Islamic beliefs and worship. I believe Muslims have something unique to say about everything under the sun, and we need a place to say it.

Will this be open only to Muslims?

Damazine does publish non-Muslim authors too if the works are relevant to the Muslim world. First, I don’t make it a practice to ask my contributors their religion, and second, sympathetic non-Muslims often have their own valuable ways of describing our world.

In the Winter 2008 Issue there are three stories, an essay and five poems. Contributors came in from the U.K., the U.S., India, Malaysia and Pakistan. I would refrain from commenting on content, quality and direction in detail until we see at least three or four issues.

For those interested in contributing to this journal, you can find further information here

Is The Guardian Seeing Pink Elephants?

Aditi Nadkarni — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:20:13 EST

Raised in one of the most liberal environments that a child could ask for, I grew up not being overtly conscious of my religious sensitivities and consider myself quite open to cultural critique. Even now as an immigrant, faced with intensely curious examination, I have always been able to address some of the more blatantly ignorant questions about Hinduism with a calm front, a straight face and the kind of dignity which only tolerance can bestow. Despite my allowances, there are times, I admit, when my undisturbed exterior of leniency leaves me seething from within. In recent times I have finally come to realize when and how my usually libertarian stance towards religious scrutiny takes a sudden curb towards a rigid and unforgiving disposition.

A recent encounter over the internet has caused me to conclude that my own intolerance towards ignorance and disregard for other religions boils over when it is a popular media form that is propagating the balmy inaccuracies and misinformation. Those in media, I firmly believe, should have the sense of responsibility to know the extent of their outreach. Ignorance is bliss for only those who indulge in it. Which makes it inexcusable when a media form chooses to propagate ignorance.

I come out of my two-month hiatus from DC today and step out from under the tightening noose of work schedule to vehemently criticize "an excerpt" by Chris Madigan that appeared in this month's Guardian Unlimited. Following is the discussed abstract that may leave the culturally savvy readers, completely incredulous and the religiously sensitive ones among us foaming at the mouth:

"Ganesh has always been non-Hindus' favourite Hindu deity, as he is most commonly represented in the incarnation of a jolly rotund elephant boy. He is particularly revered by the gay community in Mumbai during his festival in September, because he represents the removal of obstacles – and it's an occasion for them to express themselves as idols are plunged into the sea at Chowpatty beach. Self-expression for gay Mumbai usually comes – as it does at Mardi Gras and Pride parades worldwide - in the form of outrageous outfits and pounding disco. Only here, the pink pop songs are given a Bollywood cover version treatment."

Mr.Madigan has somehow managed to find a connection between Ganesh Chaturthi and get this, homosexuality. Why, you ask? Apparently, Mr.Madigan, inspite of his credentials and extensive travel history, has a relatively narrow outlook when it comes to the use of the color pink. A picture of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations accompanies this journalistic piece and is titled "The Pink Parade". Now if this casual connection were to be made in context of lets say films such as Pink Panther or Pink Cadillac, we could've all mustered at least a reluctant laugh at the sickeningly stereotypical humor in this association. However, Mr.Madigan chooses to make this far-fetched connection within the context of a Hindu god merely because the deity in question wears colorful garments and a pink crown. Literacy and even education, I now sadly infer, do not confer cultural sensibility. Mind you, I make this statement not against the alleged homosexuality association but in objection to the false and utterly misleading information being peddled in a unnecessary attempt to sell Mumbai's travel potential.

Picking September as the month to travel to Mumbai (Bombay), India, Mr.Madigan, explains how Ganesh Chaturthi is comparable to Mardi Gras and Gay Pride Parades. And yet, apart from the pink turbans and dhotis worn by the beloved Hindu diety, nothing about the religious festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi even remotely approaches the ambiance of a gay pride parade. While the Ganesh Chaturthi festival can be a culturally uplifting and festive experience for any visitor to India, it most definitely does not need to be marketed as a gay pride parade.

Mr.Madigan's ignorance itself is quite disturbing and yet what is even more reprehensible is The Guardian's complete lack of censorship when it comes to a piece that is not just hurtful towards religious sentiments but is deceptive information. Especially since "The Guardian's editorial code" unequivocally states the following:

"A newspaper's primary office is the gathering of news. At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted."

It is at times such as these that I wonder what role media actually plays in confirming or denouncing our biases, false prejudices and untrue generalizations. If a popular online news source such as the The Guardian can provide a platform for such a grave cultural misrepresentation, one wonders how educational our search engine exploits over the internet truly are.

As for Mr.Madigan, it may be interesting to note that the euphemistic phrase "Seeing pink elephants" describes drunken hallucinations resulting from alcohol withdrawal.

Does Designer Wear Make Us Feminists? Marie Claire Thinks So

Deepti Lamba — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:15:45 EST

The latest issue of Marie Claire had me in splits this month. Between the serious story of a woman selling her kidney to fund her husband's rickshaw to models sporting Gucci, Chanel and Versace bags my mind couldn't comprehend the kind of women they were trying to reach, initially.

The article about Esha Deol, the Gayatri Mantar on her back and her pseudo strike against the conservative sections of society was a token read for the upwardly mobile career woman, the one on the rickshaw owner's wife for the tear jerking effect but the most offensive one was on a couple of womens perception of their body shapes.

Two babes were fat and others were scrawny and liked being thin whereas the fat babes tried to work around their fat by enhancing other characteristics. The psychiatrist who observed their drawings of themselves had some interesting things to say but the most offensive one was where she said that the ones with weight issues could hide their imperfections with high end accessories.

High end Accessories? I spluttered coffee all over my knock off D&G bag, was she a real psychiatrist or just a tout, a mind predator hired by Marie Claire to brain wash readers?

A few pages down the endorsed designer clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics had me chuckling. All I could think was of my fat being ignored if I had all the above on me; why, even if Jabba The Hut pranced down Manhattan wearing all that glitzy expensive stuff no one would notice he was a lard of alien flesh.

Fat is fat. Its bad for the body and there is no getting around the issue, heck its bad for your back, knees and feet. But that wasn't the point made by the magazine, instead of saying- hey you are beautiful despite your weight but hit the gym for your heart; they took the other route-you can remain fat just make our sponsors happy- pretty please and that will not only keep our magazine afloat but pay for this female version of Dr Phil we have hired.

Reading feminine magazines is actually good for one's self -esteem. They no longer are subtle in their placements- one has to be skinny and 'Gauri Khan' rich to be 'in' with times. Yeah, nothing wrong with being a housewife but here is the catch even she tours Italy for her designer bags.

That was Vogue's not so subtle message - one can be a housewife but to gain respect in the working world the housewife has to have super expensive designer tastes.

Another way of looking at magazines such as Marie Claire and Vogue could be that these aren't meant for us middle class women but for socialites, for women who do tour Italy for Versace, Paris for Chanel and not for us who pick up Hideout bags and feel kicked. Its for socialites who are jet setters, women with the world under their feet who run charities for the poor (here comes in the Kidney story) to give their lives 'deeper' meaning.

Women magazines are vomit material. They try to package the same shit - consumerism under the garb of feminism whereas it is nothing more than shameless pimping for products. The way I see it even Playboy, Debonair are better- at least they don't hide what they are trying to sell.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo - Blogs Go Mainstream

Tanay Behera — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:30:37 EDT

A couple of months back, I was at the Bangalore BarCamp, [a Bloggers collective version] which was nothing but a series of talks and discussions on an extensive list of topics, of course in a un-conference format. The blogging world is catching up fast with the explosion of Internet facilities. And very soon the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to the furtherance of the dynamics of blogging and new media, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo is coming soon.

This Blog Summit is a conference series that focuses on the applications of blogging in various spheres of life, social media and a wide array of topics. Apart from all these, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo would feature more than 50 seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from prominent gurus on the new age online technology and internet-savvy business.

Now anyone who already has the blog virus in his/her blood can join the party. Anyone who is currently blogging, podcasting, producing other forms of new media content, entering the new media industry, or just want to learn about the know-hows of the blogosphere, can be a part of this comprehensive blogging convention, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo.

Blogcritics and Desicritics are participants in this event. Eric Olsen, the Founder and Publisher of Blogcritics.org and who later mentored Aaman in the Desicritics initiative is one of the key speakers at this forum.

A peek into Eric Olsen's career graph in writing, editing, and media exposes his expertise in this arena for close to 20 years now. He has written volumes on a vast array of topics including politics, current events, world affairs, popular culture, music, music industry, digital technology, opinion and commentary, etc., for periodicals, books, TV, radio, and the Internet. As an editor and author, he supervised the compilation and publication of Networking In the Music Industry (Rockpress, 1993) and Encyclopedia of Record Producers (Billboard Books, 1999). In 2002, Olsen founded online magazine Blogcritics.org, the sinister cabal of superior bloggers.

It's definitely a moment of pride and appreciation for all the Blogcritics and also Desicritics to have Eric Olsen address such a groundbreaking conference on blogging.

Apart from the discussions on blogging, the conference would also touch other appendages, that regular bloggers use such as widgets, advertising networks, news readers, aggregators, etc to enhance the substance and the presentation of their sites. The event would also feature an open house discussion on the galore of products and services configured to make blogging easy and user-friendly. Apart from these some interesting discussion sessions on topics such as improving the look and aesthetic features of blogs, tips to increase readership, and how to make money from blogs, etc.

The inaugural event will take place on the 8th and 9th November'07 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with an exclusive 'Executive & Entrepreneur' conference beginning on the 7th November '07.

Venue : Las Vegas Convention Center
Address : Las Vegas Convention Center
3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas,
NV 89109, USA.

The event has some cool sponsors(check the webpage on the top), with, the Southwest Airlines being declared as the 'Official Airline of BlogWorld & New Media Expo'.

Some facts to show how fast the blog virus is spreading. So much so that many of the contenders both from the Democrats and Republicans brigade are using blogs as a medium for canvassing voters for the forth coming US elections. A glance at the official blog site of one of the strongest Democrats competitors, Hillary Clinton shows the impact this new media tool has made. Also a couple of weeks back, there was news about an anonymous blogger who assumed the persona of Steve Job, Apple's chief executive and made ad-lib posts at The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, to charade Mr. Jobs and his reputation as a swollen-headed and egotistic leader. On being unmasked, Mr. Daniel Lyons, a writer and editor for the technology related articles for Forbes and author of two works of fiction, the most recently one being, 'Dog Days' said.

Mr. Lyons said he invented the Fake Steve character last year, when a small group of chief executives turned bloggers attracted some media attention. He noticed that they rarely spoke candidly. "I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if a C.E.O. kept a blog that really told you what he thought? That was the gist of it."

Mr. Lyons says he recalled trying out the voices of several chief executives before settling on the colorful Apple co-founder. He twice tried to relinquish the blog, but started again after being deluged by fans e-mailing to ask why Fake Steve had disappeared.

How can I miss out Heather alias Dooce, the queen of blogosphere and a household phrase in Technorati? Heather Armstrong created Dooce.com in February 2001, and a year later she was 'dooced', i.e. fired from her job as a web designer for writing about her co-workers and workplace. Dooce ranks very high on Technorati and is on the top 100 Most popular blogs list and has won Bloggies Award for Best Writing, Most Humorous Weblog, Best Tagline and Best American Weblog. Unlike other top blogs, Dooce is centered around Heather's articulate and humorous pennings on interesting observations in life, pregnancy, babies, depression, jobs, husband, and hilarious interactions with her daughter.

Now some cool facts on blogging.

9% of internet users say they have created blogs.
Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs.
Over 120 thousand blogs are created every day.
22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs.
Blog readers average 23 hours online each week.

[Source: blogworldexpo.com]

Considering the final point, it's as if someone spends to close to one day out of every seven days in the blog world, for reading, writing, commenting, etc all related to blogs. Blogs are definitely mainstream now.

Do I fit this profile? You bet!

Reinventing Nilgiri's Media

GV Krishnan — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:39:32 EDT

A friend in Coonoor, Rev. Philip Mulley, mailed me a couple of recent issues of The Local that carried his article, tracing the beginnings of road building in Nilgiris. It all started in 1819, with the then collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, taking up a path-breaking expedition to Kotagiri. It then took them over 50 years to build a road connecting Mettupalayam with Ooty.

And in the early years travelers to Coonoor/Ooty took 'fast tongas' that changed ponies in relay at every third mile. A retired colonel once told me that there were only seven cars in Coonoor when he first came to the town in the 50s. A fascinating read, but The Local published Rev. Mulley's piece in three installments spanning as many months. This isn't the only aspect of this fledging community paper that doesn't appeal to me as a reader. It is slim, a 10-pager, tabloid sized, and is priced Rs.7. As a community media initiative The Local is the best thing that has happened to Nilgiris in a long time. But as a publication this undersized, overpriced monthly has much to be modest about.

Glossy paper with bright colour photos add to the cost of production, but they do not necessarily sell the magazine. Pricing and periodicity of publication matter; so do mode of distribution, readership profile, and the mix of content. Publisher Edwin David in his note printed in the August issue would have us believe that his print-run of 3,000 copies is sustained by subscriptions by well-wishers who order The Local not only for themselves, but also for friends, their offices. And there are those who sponsor copies for distribution among a core group of planters, the army brass at Wellington, and professionals such as bankers, accountants and doctors.

A doctor's wife, presumably, beneficiary of the sponsorship, had this to say - The Local hasn't made much of an impact yet. It remains a corporate paper, something offices buy. I spend 10 minutes browsing through it at the library. And like me, most people don't see a need to buy it at that price. It has a long way to go to be 'hot'.

The Local has focused mainly on content and quality, says its publisher, to be dismissed in ten minutes by a reader who doesn't pay for it. The publication has managed to stay on, stubbornly, with costly glazed paper and color photos, hoping advertisers would come their way before long. The publisher refers to a leading car dealer in Nilgiris and a Coimbatore real estate developer having committed to taking ad. space, and several potential advertisers having "expressed their intent".

I have heard it all before, from a friend Sasidharan who used to bring out a modest six-page weekly tabloid from Coonoor, not so long ago.. He even managed to get a handful of advertisers and had a strategy for developing classifieds columns that attract its own readership, besides adding to the ad. revenue. Sasi's concept was that of a community weekly with a mix of content generated by informed readers and experts such as Rev. Mulley.

The publication was short lived. Because it was brought out under a franchise arrangement with a Chennai group that published Apollo Times. Under the arrangement Sasidharan was obliged to name his Coonoor publication, Apollo Times, Coonoor, print it at their press in Chennai; and pay for it at the rate of Rs.1.50 per copy. The Chennai media group was interested in promoting its own brand name; and in exploiting the Coonoor market to further their plans for opening an edition in Coimbatore.

As Mr David suggests in the publisher's note, advertisers in Coimbatore have their own agenda and perceive Nilgiris as a small market. The Coonoor publication, being 'a small paper within a so-called small market', was seen by major advertisers, not so much as an independent media entity, but a mere add-on to a franchise publication in Coimbatore. The Coonoor edition of Apollo Times came to be exploited towards this end, bleeding Sasidharan's meager resources.

If the Coonoor media failure established anything, it was that there is space for a local media in the Nilgiris. Within its short span of life the modest community weekly had acquired readership in Ooty and Kotagiri, apart from its base in Coonoor. Unsound business arrangement and cash crunch forced its closure, even before this promising community weekly had a chance to develop a network of local advertisers thankful for a local media option, because they found mainstream newspapers too expensive. A local media with a critical mass of readership would serve the interests of small businesses better, and at a cheaper advertising tariff.

The Coonoor community weekly was distributed free. Free publications, as a business model, have worked well for neighborhood weeklies that are published in Chennai's Mylapore, Adyar, Egmore and, Purasawalkam. What's more, there are two or more players vying for the free-media space in Chennai. The latest in such Chennai publications is Velacherry Plus.

Pricing The Local, that too, at a stiff Rs.7 a copy, doesn't appear to make marketing sense. What's more freesheets brought out elsewhere have more pages, and lots more of reading material. Globally, the Metro group of free newspapers publishes local dailies from 70 cities in 23 countries.

The Local, I reckon, has potentials if only it re-invents itself. Besides a rethink on pricing, and periodicity, publishers of the Nilgiris monthly would do well to start an interactive website of The Local to synergize with the print edition. It would make a lot more business sense, if the readership of The Local extends beyond the geographical confines of the Nilgiris and reaches out to non-resident population that Nilgiris connection. They include British and European planters, Anglo-Indians who emigrated to Australia, New Zealand, and sons/daughters of colonial officials who had schooled in Niligiris. Rev.Mulley's article can be accessed the world over, if The Local were to go online.

Speaking of online community initiative we once had a Coonoor blogsite that made a connect with non-resident Coonoorians in Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Muscat, Singapore, Australia, Madrid, Peru and several other places within three months of its inception. As a Coonoor-connected person staying in Mysore, I wish I could access The Local online; and,maybe, even put in my input occasionally. At the Coonoor blogsite - The Coonoor Connection - we had an Ideas page that had Nilgiris folks from all over posting their thoughts