ETHICS AND THE MEDIA

Sahitya Akademi organized a panel discussion on Ethics and the Media at its premises in the State Library of Sector 34. Participating in the event were several lead figures from the media.


Prof Manju Jaidka, Chairperson of the Akademi, welcomed the guests and introduced the main speakers. Chairing the panel was Mr Kanwar Sandhu of Hindustan Times. The main speakers were Ashwini Bhatnagar, Head of the new Voice of India TV Channel in Uttar Pradesh, Nirupama Dutt who now writes for Sunday Indian, Mohanmeet Khosla, the Chairperson of Panjab University's School of Communication Studies, and Dinesh Kumar, erstwhile Resident Editor of TOI, Chandigarh.

Kanwar Sandhu initiated the discussion with an overview of the main issues involved in media ethics. He stressed upon the social responsibility of the media and on the importance of maintaining moral standards.


Ashwini Bhatnagar, who has earlier spent several years in Chandigarh working for the Tribune, was of the opinion that the media is a powerful medium which should remain aware of its rights as well as duties. Nirupama Dutt, who is also a well-known journalist in this region, has been writing and reporting for more than three decades.


Mohanmeet Khosla's was a power-point presentation that highlighted problem areas in journalism career. In particular she spoke passionately about the objectification of womanhood in advertisements and of the sexual disrespect shown towards women. Dinesh Kumar, after completing a sabbatical in Australia, has recently returned to Chandigarh to resume his journalistic career. He talked about the commercialization of news reporting and the fact that information now been combined with entertainment so that now we have ‘infotainment’. The four panelists interacted with the audience in a lively debate, putting forward divergent views on ethical standpoints in the media.

Among the various issues discussed were the hidden agendas behind newspaper reporting, the reasons why a certain kind of news makes headline while another kind may be totally ignored. The audience was also interested in the gaps and silences in media coverage -- why do some events grab the attention of the public? What is the nature of truth represented by the media? How much of influence does the media wield and how is this influence manipulated?
The discussion was followed by a lively interaction with the audience. Like other events of the CSA, this one, too turned out to be interesting, instructive and and intellectually rewarding.

The next CSA event will be a talk by Dr Ramesh Chandra Shah, eminent Hindi writer of Bhopal. It will be held on March 7th, at the same time, same place.

DREAM INTERPRETATION

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi organized a Talk-cum-Presentation on the “Interpretation of Dreams” by Madhu Tandan who is visiting the city to launch her new book Dreams and Beyond: Find Your Way in the Dark.

In a talk illustrated by a power-point presentation, Madhu Tandan, laid emphasis on the multiplicity of the dream experience – scientific, religious, paranormal, and psychological – and the importance of a deeper awareness of our inner selves of which the dreaming state is but an important aspect. She explored the heterogeneity of the dream experience and said that the interpretation of a dream necessitates many different strategies of ‘reading’. In order to know ourselves and our secret universe, we have to know our dreams. Madhu deliberated on various perspectives, including neuroscience, psychology, parapsychology, and spirituality, which give a rounded picture of how our dreams partially determine who we are.

The session was chaired by Prof Mina Surjit Singh, formerly from the Dept of English, Panjab University, Chandigarh, who, in her presidential remarks, emphasized the relevance of ‘dream-reading’ to the study of literature and to literary theory.

The event was attended by eminent intellectuals of the city. Prof Manju Jaidka, Chairperson of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, interacted with the audience and announced that the next event, to be held at the Akademi’s premises on the 28th of Feb 2009, from 3.30 to 5.30 pm, will be a panel discussion on “Ethics and the Media” which will be chaired by Mr Kanwar Sandhu of Hindustan Times. The panel will include some eminent journalists and promises interesting fare.

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

OLDIES GOLDIES

JEEVAN SANDHYA KA KAVYA

OLDIES-GOLDIES, A Trilingual Kavi Sammalen "Jeevan Sandhya Ka Kavya" was organized today in the auditorium of the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, State Library, Sector 34, Chandigarh.

The theme of the Kavi Sammalen was "Old is Gold" and the event was dedicated to Senior Citizens. Dr. Chandar Trikha a renowned poet, read his poem "Dukhi Mat Ho Mere Bhai"; Janab B.D. Kalia "Hamdam" presented a gazal "Aap ke Kadmaon Se Lipti Hai Bahar/Do Ghadi Mere Bhi Ghar Ho Jayie". The following poets also recited their poems, Dr. Jai Parkash "Bahut cheese hai jo peeche chut gayi"; Dr. KaIlash Ahulwalia "Kayi baras beete jo patar ek maine likha tha tumahre naam"; Dr. Smt. Pannu Parwaj "Din dhal gaye mauj bahara de"; Smt. Ratneev "Je duniya de rang kachare"; Shri. H.S. Nama" Jameena chahe girade tumhe harek nazar se"; Sr. Bhagwant Singh "Sala da hisab kida kariya"; Sr. Manjeet Singh Gill" Phula to yaraa apna daman bachake rakhi"; Col. Surjeet Singh Kafan "Kafan Mar Jayega tu begair Kafan ke"; Smt. Saroj Verma Mukatmala "Mai fatifat waqt ke pal," and Sh. Chaman Lal Sharma "Dhalta Suraj mujhe keh gaya".
The event was chaired by Dr. V. Mehndiratta who has earlier been the Chairman of the Akademi. Dr. D.S. Gupt concluded the event with his poem "Umar Badane ke sath sath virakti ka bhav aane lagta hai".





On Valentine's Day the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi under the Chairmanship of Prof Manju Jaidka, paid a homage to the Senior Citizens through this poetry session which was compered by Shri Madhav Kaushik. It was attended by an enthusiastic group of elderly people.