Journalists see plenty of disease, despair and death in the line of duty. Even if we do not entertain prospects of immortality, our near-constant exposure to the dark and grim side of life somewhat inures us to its only certainty. But what when it hits home? Krishna Vattam, for 40 years the Mysore correspondent of…
Tag Archives: Prajavani
When a mainstream newspaper debates ‘caste’
Do caste experiences and untouchability really exist in India, particularly in urban and middle-class India? The answer depends on who you ask although the usual newsroom tendency is to turn the nose away. So, how do we find out beyond what we think we know? In the first half of 2013, the mass-circulated Kannada newspaper…
How Praja Vani reporters tracked Karnataka poll
On the day politicians count their seats in the Karnataka assembly elections, the 65-year-old Kannada daily newspaper Praja Vani, from the Deccan Herald group, has a page one, colour-coded graphic that chronicles the journeys undertaken by its reporters to bring the poll to its readers. The final score: over 27 days, 10 reporters (including three…
‘Praja Vani’ special issue guest-edited by a Dalit
Many Indian newspapers now invite a “Guest Editor” to create some buzz. Usually the guest is a boldfaced name: a cricketer (Yuvraj Singh), a godman (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), a businessman (N.R. Narayana Murthy), a news maker (Amartya Sen) or a celebrity. Take a bow, Praja Vani. On the birth anniversary of the father of…
Coming soon: ‘Deccan Herald’ from New Delhi
Bangalore’s oldest English newspaper, Deccan Herald, is launching an edition in New Delhi, making it the first South Indian publication to reach out to readers and advertisers in the North with a decidedly South Indian title. There has been no formal announcement from the family-owned group yet, but the buzz is that the edition may…
Should papers implement Majithia wage board?
Notwithstanding the exponential growth of the print media post-liberalisation, it is clear that the voice of journalists in the publications they bring out is subservient to that of the proprietor, promoter and publisher on most issues and certainly so on the Majithia wage board for journalists and “other newspaper employees”. Although owners and managers have…
How police are gagging media on Naxals
What are the occupational hazards of interviewing a Naxal leader in India today? Two notices under four Acts. Rahul Belagali, a reporter of the mass-circulation Kannada daily Praja Vani, met a leader of the communist party of India (Maoist), at an “undisclosed” location last year. His paper subsequently printed the interview. Gauri Lankesh writes in…
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