Glimpse….

Visit on February 10, 2010

Studio Visit

The students of MA AVC (Audio Visual Communication), MA BJ (Broadcast Journalism), MJ (Master in Journalism) and PGDM (PG Diploma in Media) were taken for a studio visit to the following media centres.

* Second Semester students of MA AVC and MA BJ visited the studio and Newsroom of All India Radio (AIR).
* Second Semester students of PGDM along with MJ batch visited the Press Trust of India (PTI), the largest news agency in India.
* Final semester students of MA BJ visited AAJ TAK, a private news channel to give a clear vision of functioning of news channel.

Surajkund Visit

Final semester students of MJ and MA AVC visited Surajkund Mela on February 10, 2010. The main aim of the visit was to develop news sense among students and prepare a journalistic report on the event.

Shiv Sena on a rampage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 26, 2010

Students of Group C were seen buzzing around in the campus for their upcoming presentation on Shiv Sena, under the guidance of Ms. Lucy Gabriel. After a long week preparation, it was time for them to present it in the 107th session of World Around.

Issues covered: The session gave an excellent opportunity for exploring issues like Shiv Sena under the theme “Regional Resurgences and Media Response.” They talked about different aspects including Sena’s agenda, violent disorder caused by them, Government’s reaction and the media’s take on the issue. The topic generated a number of questions from the audience including government’s response towards such acts of Shiv Sena. The Sena’s reaction against Sachin Tendulkar also became a matter of discussion. There was huge discussion on the reason for such agendas of Shiv Sena. As a result of this discussion, focus was drawn on the migration problem, urbanisation, industrialization and intolerance of other culture, political opportunism, politically motivated projection of the reality etc. The team members brilliantly responded to the questions.

Presentation style: The methodology of their presentation was innovative. Uday Norbert Sharma, a second semester student of MABJ and John Basumatary, a final semester student of MJ exhibited their acting skills. They giftedly acted as Bal Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray respectively. Later other members Payal Khonglah, Joseph Rai and Mridusmita Choudhary continued the presentation with the help of PowerPoint and video clippings.
Evaluation: The group was assessed and several corrections were suggested. Fr. John Edappilly, Dean, focused on the journalistic approach that is required for presenting such issues. A Journalist should not play a political role and one should know about the factual reality. The group as a whole should have an editorial statement as well as personal analysis. Being students of Journalism, they were directed towards understanding the attitude of media. There should have been deeper analysis of different media and their role in covering this issue.

Fr. Jackson Louis, Registrar, advised them to include more of editorials for balance. As a common man one is always biased towards such acts, but as a student of journalism, one should take a balanced stand by being objective. Commenting on the Power point format he further said that the slides should have images and text in pointers. There should be a marked distinction in what is on the slide and what is being talked about. Fr. Dejus J R, Assistant Director, talked about the importance of proper word usage as well as the conclusion. Mrs. Sumedha Mishra, Faculty, focused on the need of going to the roots of the issue.

The assessment will help students in developing a different perspective to look at issues like Shiv Sena. The session concluded after the feedback and appreciation from Fr. John Edappilly, Dean of NISCORT, Fr. Dejus J R, Assistant Director, Fr. Jackson Louis, Registrar and Ms. Sumedha Mishra. They were praised for the creativity shown through two kinds of reaction and their own take on that. On the whole, a Creative and well thought presentation, but there is always a chance of improvement.

Budget Analysis of Parliament. . . . . . . . . . February 19, 2010

Speaker: Just 7 days before the D-day of the budget, NISCORT had Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta as its guest speaker. Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is a journalist with years of experience in print and electronic media. . He has worked in various media organizations including in companies bringing out publications such as Business India, Business World, The Telegraph, India Today and The Pioneer. He was also the anchor for “India Talks” on the CNBC-India television channel. He is the best person to be approached when it comes to a topic like political economy.

Issues covered: Economy, being the main part of our life affects all of us in some way or the other. The lecture covered a collection of topics ranging from finance, statistics, social science and many other research findings. He brilliantly interconnected basic concepts such as income source, financial transaction, inflation as well as value of goods and services which would definitely help the students who are clear about taking Business or Agriculture as their Journalistic Beat area. When queried about India’s economy whether as compared to that of Japan and China, Mr. Thakurta replied that corruption is the main factor that keeps us lagging behind. In an interesting manner he put forward Hindi connotations “Sakal Gharelu Utpad” and “Niryaat”.

Presentation Style: The session on Budget Analysis was very informative. He initiated the lecture by asking a simple question, “Do you know economics?” Realising that most of the students are alien to the subject he explained the complex structure of India’s economy by giving various examples

Evaluation: The mass communication students got a clear picture of how economics enables us to understand the ‘WHY’ factor and has a direct impact on us. . Mr. Thakurta was able to simplify the intricacies of Indian Parliamentary Budget. The lecture proved to be beneficial for the students in understanding the ins and outs of economic system of our country.

His Excellency Graces NISCORT . . . . . . . . . . . . February 13, 2010

Here comes the most awaited moment…

NISCORT was privileged to have Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli accompanied by other esteemed guests in its premises. Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli currently serves as President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in the Roman Curia. His visit to the institute was the most exciting event of the month.

The program started with a prayer song from the Pastoral Communication batch. Dr. Jude Botelho, Director of NISCORT delivered the welcome address. He briefly spoke about the birth, growth and journey of NISCORT. Now it was the time for the guests to get familiarize with our Indian culture. There was a classical dance performance by Sister Anupriya to welcome the guests. Dr. John Edappilly, Dean of NISCORT introduced the academic structure and dynamics of the institute. Fr. Dejus J R, the Assistant Director, who is also the in charge of practical training, presented sample works of the students. The creativity of the students came to light through their audio and video productions.
Fr. P. J. Joseph, Director, Chitravani, congratulated the students for their fantastic audio and video production. He talked about their creativity, skills and concern for humanity. He also encouraged the students by saying they have capacity to improve as enormous opportunities and facilities are given at Niscort. There are also many possibilities of sending such productions to various film festivals. Fr. Paul D’souza, Director, Navsadna compared the productions to that of NDTV and other professional channels. He also highlighted about the opportunities given to the students at NISCORT. No doubt, such words from the guests boosted the confidence of our students.

The moment we all were waiting for arrived. Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli gave the presidential message and was heard in deep silence. He said that one’s life becomes meaningful only when one is open, sensitive and embedded with values that might not necessarily be religious. He further added that everyone is blessed with his or her own internal song or music. His words of wisdom proved to be enchanting and beneficial and all were touched by his profound communication.
Fr. Jackson Louis, Registrar of NISCORT proposed the vote of thanks. Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli along with other esteemed guests had a glimpse of all the technical facilities available to the students of NISCORT.

Welcoming the New Guests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . January 25, 2010

NISCORT offers religious people a three-month short term course in pastoral communication. The course started on 25th January with an inauguration ceremony followed by familiarizing the students with system. The course is planned with an aim to introduce the communication basics and role of media in today’s world to the participants.

The program covers topics like Understanding Media of Communication, Group Communication, Church and Media, Media and Pastoral Language, New Frontiers of Spirituality in Media Age etc. The students are also given training in Computer, Still Photography, basics of Videography, Print Media, Internet and Web Journalism, Audio media and Radio Ministry as well as Street Theatre.

They are also given an opportunity to understand and interpret movies. The students are also being taught how to incorporate media in preaching education and many other areas. The Pastoral Communication course has a theoretical, creative and practical approach towards a better understanding of Media and Communication in all arenas of life.

Enterprise Management and Mass Communication.. February 12, 2010

Speaker: Mr. Paul Thottam, director of Ingrander Solution, a consulting firm was invited for the 105th World Around session at NISCORT Media Training Institute. The guest speaker for the day who also has 18 years of experience as a journalist for policy analysis enlightened the students on “Enterprise Management and Mass Communication.”

Issues Covered: Mr. Thottam enlightened the students about the framework of Enterprise process. He further explained about the various departments of an enterprise and what role communication plays in that. Being a mass communication student one should know that Communication is a vital thing and is widely applied in Enterprise Management. There is no doubt that lack in communication can ruin the entire process. Proper communication can fix any problem inside or outside the company.
Addressing the gathering he said that when interacting with a group comprising of different age groups Mass communication students have to be very quick in thinking and responding. He further said that one thing our India and we Indians lack is ‘Decision Making.’ Those who are decision makers are in the right place referring to key players of corporate world and corporate giants like Tata, Birla, Ambani and many new entrepreneurs. Mr. Thottam also focused on the commitment an aspirant in communication area needs for his work. As mass communication students, one should always be ready with the solution and quickly put it in front of audience. As a journalist one should learn to listen properly with his/her minds open.

Mr. Paul Thottam also commented on the working style and culture of Indians. According to him on an average an Indian employee works for a maximum of 45 minutes and rest of the time what he is doing is PR. He also talked about the different work culture in India and other western countries. In the meantime he also cleared the doubts of students regarding designation given to a person in an enterprise if one is having both Mass Communication and an MBA degree on hand, Special Economic Zones and how big the job market is for enterprise managers in current economic situation. Fr. John Edappilly, Dean, also queried him about the family oriented enterprise approach and the professional approach and whether it will help India when there is so much of poverty.

Presentation Style: “What is an enterprise?” “What do you know about Enterprise Management?” were some of the questions that opened the oral presentation. The lecture was quite interactive in nature; as a result there was an active participation from the students.

Evaluation: The session was quite beneficial for the students as it clearly defined that no world is complete without communication, not even Enterprise Management. Communication can either make things or destroy it in one minute so the application of communication matters the most. The mass communication students came to know about their vital roles and responsibilities in an organization

Importance of Correct English Diction in Indian Media February 5, 2010

Speaker: Mr. Manoj Mainkar, who is associated with All India Radio (AIR) as an English newsreader, was the guest speaker at the 104th session of World Around in NISCORT. Mr. Mainkar, who is also well versed with languages as Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Urdu as well as Hyderabadi spoke on Importance of Correct English Diction in Indian Media.

Issues Covered: “English is one of the funniest and complex languages in the world”, said Mr. Mainkar. Sounds Interesting? Isn’t it? To know more lets see what happened at the 104th session of World Around. Stressing on how regional influences results in accent problem for most of us, he said that speaking a higher or purer variety of English with a high profile person creates better impression than neutral English. At the higher level stress is one of the language components that beautifies and makes it correct and understanding the importance of language will purify our speech.

He also explained about some sounds that are absent or are differently pronounced in English. “Education” is pronounced differently by different people. It has nothing to do with regional accent but not realising the right sound. Mr. Mainkar entertainingly correlated the pronunciation levels with purity of the metals Gold and Brass:

A+ 24 K gold Excellent
A 22 K gold Good
B+ 18 K gold Average
B Brass Ordinary Born with

He also talked about the hiss sound that comes out of mouth while pronouncing certain words. Air slips out because of different teeth configuration. The problem lies with everyone, those who have perfect set of teeth as well as those who don’t have. He further added that those who have perfect set of teeth can not correctly pronounce “V”.Mr. Mainkar also cleared the sensitivity factor of Microphones for the students. Those who intend to become newsreaders need to be very much concerned about the purity of speech. He said that one should always try to overcome his/ her shortcomings. As Journalism student one should move out of their shell especially in terms of language purity. Mr. Mainkar had a word of advice for the aspirants thinking in terms of correcting their diction. In his discussion, talking about CNN International, he said that following the American way of speech will restrict one’s opportunities while applying in channels like CNN IBN, NDTV and yes of course AIR. If one is clear and focused about any particular channel like Voice of America then it serves the purpose.

Presentation Style: Mr. Mainkar’s lecture was a mixture of both theory and practical. He cleared myths regarding sounds and correct pronunciation. The lecture was straight to the point thus allowing the students to speak up. He gave real life examples so that students could easily connect to them and open up. His lecture helped them finding out their problems effortlessly. Tips on making correct pronunciation, lip formation and on the spot exercises helped the students in verbalize their problems. For instance, V can be correctly pronounced if there is lip bite whereas in case of W there has to be lip rolling. Giving example of Cabin, he said that there is no kamal (Lotus) ka “K” in English, nor either “kha.”
Evaluation: The class was of great significance for the students. Being a journalism student, one should take utmost care of his/her language. The students came to know the vital role language plays in an individual’s life, especially in the field like Journalism. If one does not work hard on language especially the pronunciation, he/she tends to stagnate at a level where language can not be used commercially. For a budding journalist it is very important to know the power of language.

The session went beyond time as the students were very much impressed with the speaker. On the whole it was an interesting session focusing on the importance of correct diction and pronunciation. The students are looking forward to many more sessions with him.

Communication and Human Kind. . . . . . . . . January 29, 2010

Speaker: Mr. Shantiveer Kaul who is a poet, writer, independent film maker and contributing editor for Kashmir magazine was invited as the guest speaker to talk on “Communication and Human Kind” for the World Around programme at NISCORT.

Issues Covered: The lecture aimed at finding the meaning of communication. Communication is common to all Human existence” said Mr. Shantiveer Kaul. He described the whole process of communication. His talk was intended at broadening the concept of communication. Speaking to the students he said that the inner most need of human soul is to talk to oneself. Stressing further he said that if you are true to yourself, whatever is said can be easily understood. The need of Intrapersonal communication is as necessary as that of Interpersonal and Group Communication.

He interestingly made a point that in search for an answer one is confronted by many questions as how to speak and talk. “Does it (message) fulfil the need of the addressee or the addresser?” said Mr. Kaul in his process of explaining the framework of communication. The lecture helped the students in finding true meaning of the term Communication. It became clear that Communication as a term is not only restricted to words but also involves nonverbal means of talking. He focused on the conscious and unconscious participation of muscles and facial expression including smile, love towards others, satisfaction and joy in the course of communication.

When asked about his identity as a Kashmiri, he said that when he was young these random thoughts about the bad condition of people perturbed him but now with growing age such thoughts does not disturbs him much. The students asked a number of interesting questions like “Does Journalism have a soul?” “How do technologies affect human relationship?” and “Is media controlling the feeling of the common man?” Mr. Kaul cleared their doubts by mentioning that without the medium survival is different. There is always some channel for completing the process of communication. The questions were gently handled and adequately responded to by the speaker.

Presentation Style: Mr. Shantiveer Kaul interacted with the students very gently. He gave various examples from his personal life which in turn made it easier for the students to understand the concept of Communication and Human kind in a better way.

Evaluation: The session helped the students in understanding that communication is much more than just Media or even Mass Media. Professional growth is possible only when there is personal growth. Similarly it will make the students aware that one can communicate effectively to others only when one communicates with oneself

Artistic Beginning of World Around. . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Jan, 2010

The 102nd session and the first world around of 2010 began with a film screening. What could be a better way to start off after winter vacations?

Firaaq, the directorial venture of Nandita Das, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Paresh Rawal, Raghubir Yadav, Sanjay Suri, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash and Tisca Chopra was chosen for the film analysis. Nandita Das has already proved herself as an actor of quality.

Firaaq is an attempt to bring out those characters whose lives completely changed after Gujarat Hindu- Muslim riot in 2002.The story is based on 2002 violence in Gujarat and its effect on the ordinary people. Firaaq literally means separation and quest.

A critically acclaimed award winning film allowed the NISCORTians to critically analyse the film. The screening helped the students to analyse the techniques and powerful storyline. Movies are generally designed for audiences to smoothly absorb the story. But being a media student one should be deeply immersed in the action.

The film screening at Niscort was aimed at making our students look more perceptively at a movie than general audiences. The main motive of Film analysis was to encourage our student's observation. They also got a chance to think in a diverse manner and express it in front of others.

Fr. Jude Botelho, Director of NISCORT, discussed about the storyline and the effective way of conveying message without even a single scene of brutal killing, yet it clearly showed the impact of violence on us in someway or the other. The students put forward their opinions that showed their attitude towards instability of our society. The screening was a good attempt to train media students because examining a film critically will help them to develop many new ideas and broaden their thought process.