Calcutta Book Fair 2012

The biggest book fair in Asia, the annual Calcutta Book Fair is a popular cultural event in the city that attracts publishers,writers, buyers and book lovers from all over India and aboard.The fair now not only confined to books only.It includes a world food market, exhibitions,and other forms of entertainment.

Pic: Arun Lodh

The Calcutta Book Fair (25 January to 7 February 2012) is a public book fair which receives over 2 million visitors.The Calcutta Book Fair comprises over 600 temporary pavilions which are run by publishers and booksellers.
The 36th Calcutta Book Fair was inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon (Jan.25) by the chief minister of Bengal Mamata Banarjee at Milon Mela off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.Italy is the focal theme at Book Fair 2012. Each year the organizer of the fair Publishers and Book Sellers Guild selects a Theme Country and authors from that country are invited to read excerpts and discuss their works.

The spirit of Sharmila

On 63 rd Republic Day, every Indian should salute the spirit of Irom Sharmila Chanu, a Manipuri poet turned social activist. She completed ten years of hunger strike demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Manipur. Irom Sharmila Chanu started her protest after the Malom massacre where 10 civilians were gunned down by the Armed Forces on 2 November 2000.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) gives special powers to arrest, detain and even kill people on suspicion.In 2006, Justice BP Jeevan Reddy Committee recommended the repeal of the The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. “Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign” launched across India.

Pic Courtesy:estaticos03.cache.d-mundo.net

In September,2011,a national English newspaper was banned for an indefinite period for publishing the private life of the poet turned social activist in Manipur.According to her supporters,in the last 11 years of Irom Sharmila’s agitation the national media refused to focus her on the front page but the paper used the news item on private life of the social activist on the front page. Recently, the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banarjee met her at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Imphal and expressed her solidarity

The news should be more interactive in nature

Pic Courtesy: Rebert Bidgee

Media manager or Channel heads of local TV stations must remember that they should create self identity first.Spending huge amount of money in promotional activities and hiring reporters from channels or newspapers which are market leaders in news is not enough. According to media pundits, the news should more interactive in nature. Remove your regional tag and try to be global.They should elect a prime time news cast and torn up it’s structure like anchor shoot with Jimmy jib, steady cam, use of hand held cameras, direct interaction with reporters.Anchors deliver the news from behind desks on a studio set, like any other channel. Their styles are petty much the same. Experts say that they should know that as the channel is not a market leader in news, they may have little to lose in experimenting with unconventional news structure. Market leaders in news may alienate some of their traditional viewers if they try to torn up the existing news structures.

Create a self identity first

Pic Courtesy: Petr Kratochvil

In Calcutta, Every other day there is a news channel or newspaper being launched. But, unfortunately, they adopt the same time tested news structure. I assume that both the newspaper or channel heads don’t want to torn up the news structure. According to experts,they should know that as the newspapers or news channels are not market leaders in news, they may have little to lose in experimenting with unconventional news structure. They said,market leaders in news may alienate some of their traditional viewers if they try to torn up the existing news structure. Media managers or the editors must remember that they should create self identity first.Spending huge amount of money in promotional activities and picking up journalists from newspapers and television channels which are market leaders in news are not enough. In the age of cut throat competition, media both newspapers and TV channels in Calcutta should use vastly different approaches to attract readers and viewers specially younger ones who are not interested in news and current affairs. For this purpose, they should try to blend entertainment with news. Purists may criticized these efforts. But, the ultimate goal is to shore up revenues and create a self identity.

As a small time journalist,I always prefer to work in small or mid-sized newspapers,magazines or TV stations because there I can torn up the conventional news structures or my editors allow me to experiment with unconventional story angles as they are not market leaders in news. But in Calcutta,I am sorry to say that local newspapers or magazines or TV stations follow the same thing.The structure of news has change a lot in recent years.In the era of multi media journalism,digital correspondents,solo journalists, why we stick to the time tested journalism? we should ask ourselves.

Seek the truth

According to Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Professional electronic journalists should no Pay news sources who have a vested interest in a story. Accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage. Engage in activities that may compromise their integrity or independence. But the grapevine has it that some journalists of local news channels of Calcutta take money from police and influential people. They don’t think that journalism is a mission and we are not here to merely make a living. RTDNA guidelines says Professional electronic journalists should operate as trustees of the public, seek the truth, report it fairly and with integrity and independence, and stand accountable for their actions.

Pic Courtesy: Piotr Wojtkowsk

They should know that as a professional journalist we should resist those who would seek to buy or politically influence news content or who would seek to intimidate those who gather and disseminate the news.Resist any self-interest or peer pressure that might erode journalistic duty and service to the public.Recognize that sponsorship of the news will not be used in any way to determine, restrict, or manipulate content. Refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence news judgment and content inappropriately.But unfortunately most of them are reluctant to learn anything from these guidelines.

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