The Hindu : National : `Media should be focussed in its approach'

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Wednesday, Sep 29, 2004

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National

`Media should be focussed in its approach'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, SEPT. 28. The media has a vital role in bringing to the centre-stage the issues that are being pushed to the margins and which otherwise could have had a cascading impact on society, speakers at a meeting here said today.

Participating in a discussion under the aegis of the Asian College of Journalism on `The Unheard Scream,' a compilation of essays written by winners of the Panos Reproductive Health Media Fellowship, they felt the media should be focussed in its approach.

A.S. Panneerselvan, executive director of Panos, South Asia; Mitu Varma, country director (India) of the independent non-profit organisation that works with the media to help stimulate public debates on key development issues; Sashi Kumar, chairman, Media Development Foundation; and V. Geetha of Tara Publishing, participated.

The publication, according to Ms. Geetha was a good example of social journalism and was free of jargon. Under the fellowship programme — for mid-career journalists — 29 Indian journalists were selected.

The publication contains a selection of the best of the long essays they wrote on reproductive health and gender issues. The writers also sought to link the issues with other development concerns such as environmental degradation, poverty, social justice, gender inequalities and women's rights.

All the essays have been published in mainstream media.

The book, according to Ms. Varma, would be of interest to journalists and policy makers.

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