Pastoral Communication Course Graduation March 27, 2010

Graduation signifies the formal presentation of awards, a memory that one cherish forever. NISCORT believes in making your graduation day an event you will never forget. The Graduation ceremony for Short term Pastoral Communication course took place on 27th March, 2010. NISCORT was privileged to have Sr. Jessy Kurian, Member Minority Commission Government of India as Chief Guest on the Pastoral Communication Graduation Ceremony, Br. Solomon and Sr. Flora were among the dignitaries for the ceremony. Fr. Jude Botelho, Director, Fr. Dejus H.R, Assistant Director, Fr. John Edappilly, Dean, academic staffs, and fellows of the institute joined to celebrate the achievements of our graduating students. Dr. Jude Botelho, Director of NISCORT addressed the gathering after a prayer song by the student group. “The course is a taste to practice and discover the vision of communication.” said Dr. Jude Botelho focusing on the main objective of the course. Proud of the fact that all graduating students were woman Dr. John Edappilly, Dean of studies happily explained the course academics and dynamics.


Pastoral communication graduates showcased their creativity through the newsletter, audio and video presentation. The audio presentation dealt with Kandhamal riots whereas the video presentation titled ‘Divinity Hidden’ was all about the breathtaking creation of God. Sr. Jolly Pereira shared her experiences at NISCORT on behalf of the graduating batch. “Communication is the art of living and effective communication is the heart of living”, said Sr. Kurian, in her convocation address. She also gave an insight about the Rights of the Minority communities in India and encouraged the women of our country to fight for their right. Her encouraging and thought provoking speech was followed by felicitation speech by Bro. Solomon and Sr. Flora. Finally, the most awaited moment for the graduates arrived. Sr. Jessy Kurian along with Fr. Jude Botelho and Fr. John Edappilly distributed the certificates to the graduating students with a hope that the knowledge and training given will allow them to communicate the message of God effectively.

Sports Reporting In Media March 26, 2010

Speaker: The scope of media industry is not less as it offers a great variety of careers to choose from. The 111th session of World Around at NISCORT was intended to make students learn about ‘Sports Reporting in Media’, one of the most challenging and popular beat with Mr. G. Rajaram, a sports journalist, who have had years of experience and is also a sports commentator for Television and Radio. Mr. Rajaram has been also associated with some prominent newspapers and magazines.


Issues covered: “Sport and life is similar,” said Mr. Ram as the opening sentence of his talk. He further elaborated that if one learns to lose in sport he/she will face ups and down in life. Mr. Ram talked about the uniqueness of Sports Journalism. When compared to many other beats, sports journalism is the only form that allows a journalist to express his/her feeling. One has the freedom to become a participant and interpret as well as comment in a much better way. He also enlightened the students on why cricket is getting more hype and coverage over other games. He explained that cricket is designed for television where corporate can easily place in their advertisements. He also showed his disinterest towards the amount of money invested in new concepts such as IPL. Mr. Rajaram said that we are not going to be a champion and reach up to the level of western countries because majority do not have a sports spirit and sporting culture right from our homes. Mr. Ram explained about the hard work and preparation involved in sports reporting. It is not easy to report until and unless one has researched well. Preparation does not revolve around knowing the names of the players and the schedule of the tournament but also involves awareness about certain rules and regulations of the game. Along with the research part, the aspirant must brush up their observing skills. Once the preparation, observation and analysis is over no one can stop a sports reporter to express it in a very effective manner.Clearing the doubts of the students Mr. Rajaram said that having practical experience is not a decisive factor to get into sports journalism but if one has some practical experience it definitely helps as he/she is considered to connect with the players and subject properly. He also shed light on the writing skills required for sports beat. It’s the duty of the sports reporter to make the readers feel that they are actually watching the match. Therefore a sports journalist should write in a conversational way.

Presentation Style: Mr. G. Raja ram had a very practical approach towards the subject. He supported his talk with real life instances from which an aspirant can always learn. The lecture helped the students to know the subject in an improved way

Evaluation: The lecture allowed the students to develop a keen interest in sports. The information given by the guest will help those who are focused about taking sports as their specialized area. With so many sports event round the corner, the opportunities for students have also increased. In such a scenario tips from such a well known sports journalist will definitely prepare them for their future.

“Media Response to Regional Resurgence" One-Day National Seminar March 20, 2010

The National Institute of Social Communication, Research and Training (NISCORT) organized a National seminar on ‘Media Response to Regional Resurgences’ at the Constitution Club, New Delhi on March 20th, 2010.

The chief guest of this programme was Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Member of Parliament and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on HRD. The seminar was an eye-opener for all concerned about Indian media industry and their vital role in our society. It was a serious all-day event, attended by experts from various media, Law, Social and educational backgrounds Students from other institutes also participated in the seminar showing their keen interest in the topic.

The Panel members for the first session included Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Supreme Court Lawyer and Human Right Activist, Dr. Sabiah Zaidi, Professor Jamia Milia, Dr. Chandra Bhan, Scholar and Activist speaking on Constitutional approach, Tribal Women’s Perspectives and Dalit’s Perspectives respectively. Mr. Amit Sengupta, Editor, Hard News was the moderator of the session. The second session was moderated by Mr. Ram Sharan Joshi, a Senior Journalist and the panel members were Mr. Sumit Chakravarti, Editor Mainstream Weekly, Mr. N.R. Mohanty, Ex-Editor TOI and HT, Ms. Karen Gabriel, Professor, St. Stephen’s College and Mr. Ajit Shahi, Editor, Tehelka speaking on: A sensible media approach, The Road ahead, New frontiers of Democracy and Ground Realities and Solutions respectively.

Amit Sengupta, the moderator set the proceedings on fire by putting forth a total different face of Media. He brilliantly termed the media industry as “CLUB”. He fiercely mentioned that these days’ media is operated through Tycoons, Political parties and is always into sensex and stocks. Commenting on the present scenario, he said that the whole concept of Journalism is not sweeter but bitter and salty. Sengupta focused his talk by saying that we as a Journalist should believe in “VERSIONS”.

Speaking in the inaugural session Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Supreme Court Lawyer and Human Right Activist appealed to budding journalists to have a sense of rebellion. He also commented on the current situation where most of the issues are left unnoticed by our so called “Watch Dog.” There have been various cases such as starvation, demolitions of slums, discrimination, attacks, forceful religious conversion, rape that have majorly failed in garnering the attention of our media. He further advised the future journalists to decide where to stand. All those who want to be journalists should let their tongue speak the language of poor and feel for others. There should be a feeling of outrage to begin Journalism. Those who are not ready to do so should not enter the field of media.

Speaking on the Tribal Women’s Perspectives, Dr. Sabiah Zaidi, Professor, Jamia Milia, spoke on the plight of tribal women. Commenting on the social and economic problem of this neglected group she said that they are known for poverty clubbed with illiteracy. According to her, Journalism is not just a matter of professional skill but it should come from one’s heart. Dr. Chandra Bhan, Scholar and Activist speaking on Dalit’s perspectives commented that media is responsible for painting Dalits as creatures who can not move without someone’s help. He also added that media should stop stereotyping as any achievement or progress by Dalits is neglected but any failure is glorified and highlighted in media. He also pointed out the survey done by Media Group which shows that there is not even a single case of a Dalit being hired as an anchor or joining a newspaper in the industry.

“Journalism is a Passion and media has become a Business,” said Mr. Ajit Shahi, Editor, Tehelka stressing on how media industry works on the concept of ‘Hire and Fire’ in the present scenario. He further elaborated that the concept of hire and fire has succeeded in changing the predetermined role of a journalist. A journalist should work with passion and courage to stand up in front of Government, which is possible only when there is freedom and fundamental approach. The next talk was that of Ms. Karen Gabriel, a professor at St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi, focusing on the ‘New frontiers of Democracy’. She started by questioning what represents national interests and gave an overview of India and representation of our India.

Speaking on adopting a sensible media approach to social and regional issues, Mr. Sumit Chakravarti, Editor Mainstream Weekly said that today there is an absolute dominance of electronic media. They set the agenda through the impact a story makes on the mind of people because of 24X7 news channels. The National media behaves indifferently to other important issues. Talking from his personal experience he said that today it is difficult to say the truth because there is fear of being branded. Today freedom of press and democracy are in danger because of business and other interest.

The final address was given by Mr. N. R. Mohanty, Ex- editor of Times of India and Hindustan Times journalists. He first described how national media is functioning under corporate and how cyber media has become a ray of rope for better future. He also spoke about the rise of the cyber media and increasing participation of the citizens through it. Mr. Ram Sharan Joshi summarized the day’s proceedings by highlighting the many issues that were raised up by the speakers and hoped that the budding journalists would have received much food for thought and action through the entire day’s proceedings. The national seminar was indeed an erudite one, replete with experts passionate about the issues they dealt with. The interaction by members of the audience showed that they had been enthused by the insights and reflections on the topical theme of the seminar. This event could not have been successful without the dedication of NISCORT family and the experts who shared their time with us.

A quick look at what all happened….

Here comes the documentation part….

On March 3, 2010 Group B presented the documentation for the month of January and February in Print, Audio and Video format. The theme chosen for this month was “DEW”. The group beautifully presented all the events and happenings of NISCORT in the 108th session of World Around.


Women’s Day Celebration

March 8, 2010 turned out to be a special one for all the ladies at NISCORT. The students organized a small but unique function on this occasion. Fr. John Edappilly, Dean of NISCORT, addressed the gathering followed by an introductory speech by Jawed Akhtar, MJ student. Ms. Nidhi Anand, Faculty, also expressed her views on women’s day.

All the beautiful ladies were given flowers and yes who can forget those yummy Ladoos!!!



Parliament Visit

March 10, 2010 is of great importance for NISCORTians. MA AVC (Audio Visual Communications), MA BJ (Broadcast Journalism), and MJ (Master of Journalism) and PGDM (PG Diploma in and Media) students visited the Rajya Sabha or Sansad. They were accompanied by Sr. Amelia, head of Library and Sr. Mary Lata, hostel in charge. Entry to the visitor’s gallery was allowed only after they had gone through a tight security checking. The students got an excellent opportunity to see the Rajya Sabha Proceedings on Railway Budget. They also met Brinda Karat, a communist politician from India, elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) member.


Congratulations and Celebrations

11 March, 2010 was time for NISCORT family to celebrate. The results for first and third semester were out. NISCORTians secured high marks and passed with flying colours. The outstanding performance of students in university exam was worth celebrating.

Two plates of Jalebi and music.... what could be more refreshing than this?

Telangana . . . . . March 11, 2010

Telangana was the next subject of interest under the theme “Regional Resurgences and Media Response” for the 110th episode of World Around. The direction of Mrs. Sumedha Mishra helped the group to put across their creativity.

Issues Covered: The group talked about separation of Telangana, the Government’s reaction, the public’s agitation and the media’s response. There was discussion on what would be the future of Hyderabad if Telangana becomes a separate state. Whether it will be a part of Telangana or Andhra Pradesh was a big question. Violence at Osmania University demanding a separate state of Telangana also became one of the main points of discussion. Focus was drawn on some of the main reasons like regionalism, political motives, sentiments attached to the place and Unemployment that could have raised this issue. Media’s biasness in showing the struggle of Telangana was also discussed. Fr. Gerard, One of the panelists made a pointed out that both Government and Media is responsible for all those who lost their lives.

Presentation style: Group B hit the show by an amazing exhibition on Telangana issue. The exhibition had various news articles pasted under interesting headlines like ‘Jai Telangana’, ‘We want United AP’, ‘Telangana at flame’ and ‘Government’s take’. An audio visual presentation took the audience into the history of the research subject. An interesting turn of the presentation was the panel discussion. Some of the group members, Sudhansu Digal, Jawed Akhtar, Fr. Joby M J, Ameet Kumar and Fr. Gerard Francis became the panel members. Elvy Alias, being an active moderator hosted the discussion very well.

Evaluation: Fr. Jude Botelho, Director of NISCORT made his comments on the issue and presentation techniques. According to him the posters created the mood and ambience but such techniques are useful only if there is enough time for audience to look at. The idea was good but not properly implemented. He further added that panel session was excellent but audience should have been involved to make it livelier. Coming to the arguments, he elaborated that proper division of people would have given a chance to cover all Political, cultural, education and religious aspects without mixing thing. Being media students there should have been more clarity of mind and expression. For achieving balance they should focus on the role played and role that media should play in future. A Journalistic approach goes much beyond mere reporting. It also includes evaluation, interpretation and analysis. Expert opinions are always good for giving a clear idea of what is being said by others.

Fr. John Edappilly, Dean of NISCORT said that the group presented all the facts but the main reasons were not identified. He further added that such overall impression of the presentation will train them in communicating effectively and powerfully. Being future journalist they will also learn how to highlight the right message in right style.

Naxalism in India. . . . . . . March 5, 2010

Naxalism is one of the most burning and talked about issues of our country. Under the guidance of Ms. Nidhi Anand, Group A presented ‘Naxalism’ as per the theme “Regional Resurgences and Media Response” in the 108th session of World Around.

Issues covered: The group presented the origin and growth of Naxalism, the Government’s policy, Media’s response, statistics regarding death and attacks and the general perception about Naxalism. The students effectively covered all the aspects of the issue. In the discussion the main focus was drawn towards the funding aspect of Naxalites. It also raised important points like how government officially banned Naxal movements and the steps taken by government. What role media plays in the regard to poor people and whether it is Pro Government or Pro Naxal were also discussed.

Presentation Style: “How Naxalism Started?” To answer the question there was a dramatic presentation by the team members. The performance gave a brief introduction of the origin of the Naxal movements. The audiences were left spellbound after the performance of Vivek Augustine, Binai Toppo, Gargi Parichha, Rosemary Peter, Jack Mohan and Sanoj Singh. Sister Nicy’s narration for the drama was icing on the cake. The group took a brilliant step of interviewing public about the whole naxal factor. The power point presentation ended with a marvellously-made video showing both sides of India: Love, Peace and harmony being on one hand and Terror and Violence on the other hand.

Evaluation: Fr. John Edappilly, Dean of NISCORT, evaluated the whole presentation. Talking about the strengths and weaknesses, he said that planning was well done but the presentation lacked time management. All aspects were covered systematically and a large number of students were involved in explaining the issues.

He suggested to the students that as journalists they must interpret analyze and make an editorial statement on such issues. Being media student, they should get into the real root cause and explore the gravity of the issue. They should also analyze the role of different media. Each individual should develop a Journalistic mind in interpreting as in this way they can answer any curious question posed to them. He congratulated the team members for their excellent performance and concluded the session by declaring it a well-planned, researched and prepared presentation.

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.