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| The Hindu Media Resource
Centre (1998-2006) |
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The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite
different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.
The Hindu Media Resource Centre (THMRC) was established in 1998, with the generous financial support
from The Hindu group of publications, to act as an interface between experts from diversified field and media
professionals with a prime objective to outreach general public using media as a tool.
Though there has been a steep increase in newspaper
circulation, there is falling number in reporting developmental
stories. To address this difficulty and to create space
for developmental feature articles, THMRC consistently
organizes Media Workshops, Millennium Lectures, Public
Forum and Media Tours in addition to the dissemination
tools like production of documentary films and website.
(www.mssrf.org).
Media Workshop provides scope for brainstorming important
ethical, social, cultural and scientific issues in a
wholistic manner. The workshop provides platform for
the media to acquire credible and multifaceted information
from experts. So far THMRC has organised nearly thirty
such media workshops on various issues like mangrove
restoration, conservation and management, organic farming,
its marketing linkages, farmer’s distress, reason for
suicides and identifying cures and so on.
As the mandate of THMRC is to provide training and capacity building for the young and budding journalists, we encourage
postgraduate students as Rapporteur, reporter, and transcript developers in the events organised in MSSRF. In addition
the postgraduate students of social sciences, research scholars and academicians are encouraged to participate in the workshops
to gain the wisdom of the scientists. The students participate, interact and write feature articles on the day’s event. The best
stories are identified for placement in the foundation website with their bi-line. This gives an opportunity to enhance their
writing skills and widen budding journalists.
Millennium/Public lecture are viewpoints of experts
who have an excellent understanding of issues at the
global and national level. The millennium lecture began
with Nobel Laureate Dr. James Watson, followed by Sir
John Maddox, Emeritus Scientist in Nature and H. E.
Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director General, Food and Agriculture
Organization, United Nation. The Centre continued to
have organised more than thirty-six
millennium lectures.
MSSRF takes advantage of the presence of leading scientists
and development thinkers at the foundation and organize
public forum. They are organised at different venues
in Chennai city. This is one among the different strategies
very well received by both media and public, and had
a major impact among the student’s community and their
understanding towards the social and scientific issues
in molding the public policy. To encourage and create
a habit of active participation, arts and engineering
colleges are networked. Certificates are issued to the
students for their active participation While the Centre
tries to disseminate information on Eco-technology and
sustainable development by utilising the mainstream
media, public forum panel scientists and development
thinkers interact with the general public on a topic
of socio-political relevance. So far twenty
one public forums have been organised.
“Seeing is believing”-The national and regional media
professionals from Chennai are taken on tour to the
site offices of our Foundation. Interaction between
the media and the community would bring out new insights,
in-depth understanding of the issues, and their life
style. This sharing experience, when published as feature
story in newspapers, would motivate the other media
journalists to take up for their readers. Kakinada in
Andra Pradesh, Kudankulam, Pichavaram, Kalpakkam and
Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu have been covered under media
tour.
The Media Resource Centre has the capacity to produce
in-house documentary
films. All the research and developmental activities
of the scientists done in participation with the community
are professionally visually documented. These films
are used mainly for dissemination targeting national
and international guests, experts of diversified field,
college students, public, donor agencies and the media.
Several documentary films serve as motivational, instructional
and training modules for the community and knowledge
workers connected with the National Virtual Academy
(NVA). The traditional wisdom several National Virtual
Academy fellows living across the country has been documented
as the video resource material for Jamsetji Tata Training
School for Leadership in Rural Knowledge Connectivity
(JTS).
Another fast growing new media is the Village Knowledge
Centers. The Knowledge workers of Jamshetji Tata National
Virtual Academy are given periodical training by THMRC
in developmental communication on the following areas:
To report and produce programmes for the Community
Radio
Making programmes and interview techniques in Radio programming
Creating archives and maintaining data base
To report and edit content based on the needs of the community for the Community News Paper (CNP)
Usage of photography while writing content for CNP
Layout making and participatory work strategies in developing CNP features
Reinforcing and recapitulation mechanisms for creating impact
Documentation of success stories for motivating others to involve themselves into media activities
Marketing strategies
Feedback of the end users and incorporation for increasing the audience.
In the process of creating audio and audio-visual archives, following are preserved for the usage of interested:
a) Events organised by THMRC since
2005 to till date- audio
tape/ Audiocassette disk format ( Audio CD)
b) Video clippings of scientific and research activities- beta format
c) Collection of films on sustainable agriculture- VHS format
Mannin Manam – Audio CD in the archives: As an outcome of a media workshop targeting the All India Radio officials in
the area of sustainable agriculture and development, a programme titled “Mannin Manam” meaning “Flavour of the soil”
was broadcast weekly for half an hour in the state network of All India Radio in 2005. As this 52 weeks programme discusses
the important issues in the agriculture, they are preserved in the audio archives, made available in audio CD format
at free of cost.
VHS Collections in the Archives: Collection of nearly two hundred films, in VHS format on various subject matter of sustainable
agriculture is available for viewing. The shots describing the activities of MSSRF are preserved in the beta format would be
useful for the professional usage of media.
A Concept Bank is made available which has the write ups on the possible feature stories based on the activities of the foundation.
This is for the ready reference of the media. The stories are classified on various disciplines like agriculture, biodiversity, coastal
system research and biotechnology, Eco-technology, Gender, Community participated micro-enterprises, research on
biotechnology, biodiversity, ICT and community empowerment and so on. The media/researchers are encouraged to glimpse
this information for making in-depth research further.
Website www.mssrf.org
is another media used for dissemination and building
networks. The important tools used in the website for
immediate interaction and networking are: MSSRF Info
Ticker, subscribers list, audio corner, video corner,
photo gallery and Discussion forum. The instructions
to use these tools are explained in the website. All
the clarifications and queries are accommodated under
the column “Ask the expert”. Among the documentaries
produced, three films mentioned below are recently directed
by THMRC are placed in the website. They are:
“15 years …15 steps…. “ This documentary encompasses the achievements and highlight activities of the programme areas
undertaken by the foundation. It would be useful for a person to know the overall activities.
The two films titled “We Shall Over Come… and “Science and Tsunami-Two years later” were documented in the post
tsunami period. While the film “We Shall Overcome” portrays the positive impact of the existence of bio-shields in Pichavaram,
Tamil Nadu and Village Knowledge Cenre in Puducherry in docu drama format, the later indicates the impact of the post
tsunami activities taken up by the foundation in participation with the communities living in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. These
two films would be very useful for donor agencies/individuals/research scholars, researchers and students for viewing and hence
made available online in our website in the video corner division
To know more about the documentary films Click
here
To know more details about Concept Bank Click
here
For queries: hmrc@mssrf.res.in
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