Carpe Deim - Media Meet 17 Newsletter

Carpe DiemNew Media Expressions- An Annual Media Conference - Special EditionPublished by the Department of Media Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru | 29 July 2017 | Private CirculationHe Who Dared To Dream Big And In Some Cases Small!A housefly becomes a protagonist admired for his newed determination to work harder.” When onestout-heart and courage, lethal wars are fought, of the students from the audience asked about hismajestic kingdoms are plundered mercilessly and driving spirit, “The applause I get when my film isbrought down to the mud, S S Rajamouli can both screened in theatres is what drives me,” he saidbewilder and wrench your heart when he gets be- opening his arms to the cheers and applauds fromhind the camera. Addressing approximately two the crowd. Taking a walk down memory lane he said, “I was al- Photo Credits - Joel Thomas ways a storyteller. As a little boy, I told stories in mythousand bright young minds at Media Meet 2017 class. Though I do not remember the stories I said,– New Media Expressions he said, “Me addressing I still think of the interest with which my class-a public gathering is no social service, but a selfish mates listened whilst I narrated them.” Talkinginterest. Interacting with people, students in par- about the fascination for the concept of a graphi-ticular gives me energy, and I return home with re- cally generated housefly becoming a star in his movie Eega, he says “Firstly, Eega is radical in its approach and funny from another angle. Just the thought of making a housefly a protagonist was so intoxicating. Originally, I was scared. Hence, I thought of making it a small budget movie but as we started working on the story, I realized its true potential. After having watched and directed films for so many years, I know it in my gut if a movie will succeed or not.” Characters of Bahubali have already made the grade of being Indian super heroes. When asked about his plans of reviving heroes from Indian epics and moulding strong female characters in his movies, he says, “Bahubali, the character himself has be- come an Indian heroic icon. Unfortunately, we do not have a marketing strategy like that in the West. If Bahubali were a Hollywood film, you would have Bahubali toys in every toy store. I have told many a times that I want to tackle Ma- habharata and give a different rendition of it onscreen, though not in the near future as I need time to work on the project.” -Indu Shree S RPhoto Credits - Rose Tomy

Media Meet 2017 Music, Movies, News And Dance!Paper presention has always been the core Media The third panel was moderated by Prof. NareshMeet. Witnessing quite an inflow of paper presen- Rao from the Department of Media Studies. Mstations on 28th July held from 9am to 11am in the Vidya K discussed ‘The Dawn of Republic TV – Re-Audi Block of Main Campus, Media Meet 2017 was defining the Rules in News Marketing’ and said thatno exception. The moderator for the first panel of Republic TV made a mark for itself with the cam-session one was Prof. Rupa P, from the Department paign “Arnab: Who the Nation Knows” proving howof Communication and Media Studies, Jain Univer- face values have more influence than content. Thesity, Bangalore. The first paper presented was ‘On- second paper by Dr Jolly and Mr Ashokan O enlight-line Music Streaming Applications and Its Impact ened people about ‘Theyyam’, which blends Islamicon the Radio Industry’ by Ms Manasi Kirti Megh- and Hindu culture. It focused on how Theyyam andnani. The paper focussed on the shift of listeners the artist are empowered through social media. Drfrom radio to online streaming applications. ‘A Melwyn S Pinto presented a paper titled ‘StudentsStudy to Find the Effect of Personalised Curation of Uses and Gratifications of the Internet: A Compar-News on Line of Thinking’ by Mr Samrat Nath and ative Study’ concluding that the internet wasMr Srivats Lakshman aimed to find loopholes in the mainly being used for entertainment gratification.news curation theoretically, so necessary changes ‘Understanding Folk Media : Select Stories fromcan be implemented in practice. Ms Rashi Dhilla's Panchatantra’ by Ms Pratiksha Ramesh Mangalekar‘The Effect of Movies on Perception of Mental Ill- focused on the semiotics and adaptation as a series.ness in Movies’ addressed questions such as The fourth session of paper presentations waswhether a positive image of mental illness in moderated by Prof. Aasita Bali, Assistant Professor,movies can bring about a change. The final presen- Department of Media Studies. The first presenterstation was by Ms Sindhuja S on the topic, ‘New of the session were Ms Kashish Sandhu and MrMedia’s Impact on Indian Classical Dances.’ She Mayank Gurnani with their paper ‘The New Wave:elaborated on the usage of different media to teach Memes’. It explored memes as a catalyst to dissem-dance and its accessibility. inate news on social media. ’The Indian RailwaysModerated by Mrs. Anupama Nayar, the second and Social Media: The Way Forward to Improvingpanel kickstarted with a Business Interactionvirtual presentation by and Consumer Interac-Mr Nikhil Ghodke, Man- tion’ by Chitresh Shri-hattanville University, vastava elaborated onNew York. He presented the minimal awarenesson adopting image editing regarding Indian Rail-technology as a fun activ- ways’ presence on so-ity to teach topics of dif- cial media. ‘Dominanceferent disciplines. The of Shared Narrativenext paper presented by Culture AmongstSociology students Ms Youngsters’ by MsSayanti Dutta, Ms Induja Malavika Anupraj andAravind and Ms Shweta Ms Joanne Lopeslooked at the entire media looked at Snapchat as aplatform and the manner Photo Credits - Girik Gupta new age storytellingin which domestic violence is portrayed in soap op- application. It dealt with the idea self-expressioneras, advertisements and social media. Mrs Phinu leading to a shared narrative among youths. TheMary Jose, the Director of CSA (Centre for Social Ac- final paper of the session was presented by Mstion) presented a case study on how Folk Media is Deepthi Kalimili titled, ‘Study of Body Dissatisfac-used as an apparatus to educate in urban and rural tion and Social Media Photographic Activity’ statedareas. Her primary data was collected from various how women internalise unrealistic body image ex-reports in the CSA run Kolar rural projects. The first pectations through social media.session concluded with Ms Rithika Bharti’s paper -Vaibhava Ram, Rumela Chandraon Spoken poetry, its benefits and the importance Nivedita A Venkatesh, Anushka Phadnisof stepping out of the academic framework. -2-

Media Meet 2017 We Have The Power To InfluenceMedia Meet 2017 saw an ardent and fanatical days in Bengaluru, when he was refused to enterstart with S S Rajamouli gracing the inaugural a particular venue because ‘he didn’t resemble aevent in the early hours of the day. The second musician’ was just deplorable. One of the mainsession continued with riveting student audi- founders of ‘Agam’, Harish strongly expressed hisences and dogmatic panel speakers expressing opinion on how it was important to grab the at-their powerful views on ‘New Media Expres- tention to make yourself visible. He stated, “I up-sions’. The symposium titled ‘New Media Expres- loaded a video named Progressive Carnatic Rocksions – Context and Consent’ included Chetan and people appreciated it even without makingHiremath, Harish Sivaramkrishnan, Shama Das- an effort to actually stream the video.” Highlight-gupta and Adarsh Nalam. The moderator for the ing the theme of New Media, its significance andevent was Prof. Chengappa B M. how it shaped his music career is sheet poetryThe panel discussion began with Chethan Hire- to one’s ears. Struggling and starting from themath, the co-founder of Cloud Kart India, Ben- scratch, new media has its own rubrics ofgaluru, who shared his personal challenges in progress.setting his start up and his theory behind picking The third panelist in the list, Shama Das Gupta,up brands people usually tend to dislike. “I met focused exclusively on the drastic pace in the evo-Dheeraj Gowda (Co-founder of Cloud Kart India) lution of media and the negative impact of fakeand we both eventually concluded that we will news on field. “The television helps in extendingstudy and understand the Bangalore Police, the fake news by exaggerating and sensationaliz-which falls under the largely disliked category,” ing it further. This impacts the news consump-said Chethan. Articulating about the same, he tion pattern. The very way in which news isalso emphasized on the perpetual efforts the po- presented has become such. We are not lookinglice give in by spending about fourteen hours a at spreading information, rather we want newsday; in just fulfilling their responsibilities. Fur- that sells in the market. I feel that, today, news-ther, he spoke about the significance in the way paper is the only medium that still maintains ac-one communicates.The next speaker on the panel curacy in its news,” said the Deputy Editor fromhad an enchanting personality. Former employee Wisdom India.of Free Charge (fourth hire of the startup) and a The last participant of the discussion was Adarshcurrent employee of Google India, Harish Sivara- Nalam. ‘A funny and intelligent person’ is how hemakrishnan spoke about the appearance factor tags himself, and the Associate Account Editorin the world of music. Reminiscing his former (Digital ) from MSL group spoke about the core Photo Credits - Girik Gupta challenges in New Media. A post graduate degree holder in Corpo- rate Communication, Adarsh is a 10th standard drop out who went to pursue several odd jobs like that of a security guard and a house- keeper. He proved a very crucial factor by gathering a very simple ratio of audiences using Snapchat, Instagram and readers of editorial page. “Media is a creation and dis- covery of power. New media has given you the opportunity to expe- rience every given thing. We our- selves can be the creators. We have the power to influence. Stay curi- ous. Stay Inspired.” -Karthik Narayanan -3-

Media Meet 2017 To Present With A Stoic StanceMedia Meet 2017 saw papers come in from all over known as the \"Big Brother\" for companies provid-the country. This year, four panels took place simul- ing benefits of advertising and marketing whichtaneously with each panel having multiple paper has made a steadfast growth in the last few years.presentations. The first paper presentation of the The session concluded with Pawan Kumar’s papersecond session was by Prof. Rupa Petre, Depart- about interactive theatre which addressed howment of Communication and Media Studies, Jain theatre can benefit high school children to dealUniversity. Her paper was on the topic, ‘What the with social phobia issues. The third panel wasBeef is All About? A Study on Social Media’s Reac- moderated by Prof. Rajesh A. This panel had sometion to Arnab Goswami’s“Beef Fest Debate” on Re- unusual and off beat papers, with the first presen-public TV.’ It addressed how traditional media used ter Ms Revathi A Menon highlighting ‘Representa-Agenda Setting Theory to shape public opinion. Ms tion of the Life of Islamic Women in FilmsShinjinee Mishra was the second presenter with Contradictory to Actual Islamic Beliefs’. Relating ither paper, ‘Print Media Coverage of Women in with the Magic Bullet Theory, she dissected how re-Sports in India: A Study of 2012 and 2016 ligious texts were given inaccurate representationsOlympics’. The presentation dealt with the interde- onscreen, which influenced people.The next pre-pendence of media and society, which does not let senter, Mr E. Fernando in his paper titles ‘Immer-sportswomen make their own identity. The final sive Theatre’ discussed about virtual reality andpresentation was by Ms Surabhi K S on ‘Commodi- how the scenes rendered by a software which couldfication of Social Media’. It lent sharp focus on how itself be considered a new media expression.Facebook was being commoditized by both the The final presenter of the session Ms Sindhu Shan-users and sellers. tha Nair spoke about ‘New Media: A Paradigm ofThe moderator for this session was Prof. Suparna Transformation, Resilience and Reality Check’. HerNaresh, Department of Media Studies, Christ Uni- study concluded that new media advanced with re-versity and the emcees for the session were Miss ality checks and that democracy entitled freedomAparna S and Mr William Mathews. The second ses- of expression. The final session of the paper pre-sion which was moderated by Prof. Amutha Man- sentations was moderated by Prof. Pichandy. Theavalan of Christ University began with a paper first paper presented was ‘The Portrayal of Indian Photo Credits - Joel Thomas Women in Advertisements’ by Ms Nay-titled ‘Media Credibility Amongst Indian Youth: onika Roy from the Tata Institute of SocialPrint vs Virtual’ presented by Mr Manas Daxini that Studies. Stating that the media reflectsdealt majorly with the transition into digital nativ- public opinion, it showed the transition ofity. Mrs Kavita Karan from the University of Illinois Indian advertisements over the course ofthe presented her paper on big data which is history. Titled ‘Representation of the Con- cept of Family in Popular Culture’, the paper presentation by Ms Mahasweta Gogoi established the concept as a social construct. Deconstructing the gender roles in families, it brought to light new age understanding of the term itself. The concluding presenter was Prof. Vidisha Madonna D’Souza with her paper ‘The use of Rhetoric in Indian English Tel- evision News Discussions’. It explored the use of rhetoric in Indian media and stated that it was vital to capture the audience’s attention. Interesting ideas were brought forth during the Q and A session following which all presenters were given certificates as a symbol of their achievement. - Vaibhava Ram, Rumela Chandra Nivedita A Venkatesh, AnushkaPhadnis -4-

Media Meet 2017The second day of Media Meet 2017 commenced F Karma, he says it is to drive in the point he is try-with the plenary session held by Dr Ivory Lyons ing to make. He also brought forth the question,on the topic, ‘Jainism, Buddhism, Film and Vio- A “What is the place of violence?”lence: An Imperfect Intersection.’ Dr Lyons is an R He focused on the principles of Ahimsa in JainismAssociate Professor for the Department of Media and on Karma of Buddhism with references to itStudies, Christ University, on 29 July. in Star Wars series. He enlightened the audienceIn the session he brought forth the similarity F by various references to the ‘Jedi’ and ‘Sith’ codesand interconnectivity between the religious in comparison with the Jain and Buddhism codespractices and beliefs in Jainism and Buddhism in A which left the audience stupefied. He furthermovies with the focus on aspects of violence. “Vi- R spoke about the codes of conduct of these reli-olence is a part of human nature and it is an un- gious bodies and the series which gave more in-wanted necessity,” said Dr Lyons. To the joy of sight into the issue for the audience.the audience present, he used references from A With a firm belief that violence is never a solu-the episodes of Star Wars to support his studies tion but an unfortunate presence in the societyand observations. He said, “I think science fiction W and drawing its interconnection in societiesis a great way to introduce people to topics and A across the globe, Dr Ivory Lyons concluded hishelp them understand complicated issues.” session with clips from Star Wars supporting hisWhen talking about the usage of episodes of Star Y points.Wars which consists of a lot of violence in the . -Vaibhava Ramform of Sabre duels and destruction which is .contrary to the topic at hand of Ahimsa and Photo Credits - Joel Thomas -5-

Media Meet 2017 form an opinion which is more suited to their world view.The Art Of Conversation Zakka Jacob said, “I think this whole spectre of fake news, people yelling randomly on TV is fruitful.The second day of Media Meet 2017 bore witness Consider the case of New York Times, CNN and oth-to an engaging panel discussion involving Dipti ers whose digital subscriptions have gone up byDesai, a photojournalist, Zakka Jacob, News Editor nearly 30-40% after the election of Trump. AllCNN News 18, Creative Director Ajay Ramaswamy these people who elected Trump don’t believe inof 22 Feet Tribal Worldwide and Tanveer Hasan the administration that they themselves electedfrom the Centre for Internet and Society. The entire into place. The challenge for editors, reporters andsession was moderated by well-known actor and others is not chasing breaking news as social mediapersonality, Prakash Belawadi. has made that concept futile. Fake news brings theThe session began with MrBelawadi talking to the role of editors and their like back to their trueaudience in brief about the current state of media agenda of acting as gatekeepers of informationand photojournalism in particular. Dipti Desai which was their initial agenda in the first place.”pitched in on this concept and said, “In today’s Stepping into the digital world is not easy and Ajaytimes with everyone having a camera, nearly every- Ram said that, “A lot of people bash advertisingone calls himself or herself a photographer. A per- today because of the way it has proliferatedson with a phone is just that, a person with a phone. through news and other mediums. To some extentThe aesthetics and research that goes into captur- this is justified. In this age of ‘digital popcorn’ing the right moment is something that comes with where information is consumed like it, the chal-experience and learning.” lenge of advertisers becomes how they can be rel- evant and still stand out. Advertising is no more a Photo Credits - Joel Thomas one way street, we want people to engage with the brand and be a part of the conversation. We need to skew the field to touch upon the customers where it becomes relevant rather than flooding them with information.” The session concluded with students posing ques- tions to the panellists and discussing about the re- sponsibilities and ethics each and every person involved with media should follow for it to still re- main a relevant guardian and worthy of the title of ‘The Fourth Estate.’ -Pratap PranaySpeaking about photojournalism, the next concept Photo Credits - Joel Thomasthat arose was copyrighting and how people bla-tantly claim others work as their own. The Haitidisaster in particular saw flailing morality of pho-tojournalists and even the profession as a whole.Tracing the path of developments in technology, thenext question brought up by Mr Belawadi wasabout manipulation of data and considering it to bean agenda free entity. Tanveer Hasan said, “Datamanipulation is commonplace for the simple rea-son that is the best way to win an argument. For ex-ample, Wikipedia gives you the edit option. This isa clear invitation to engage with data and manipu-late it to suit your means and purpose which I thinkis a very poor foresight.”Manipulation of data leads to the manipulation ofnews eventually which results in a society wherepeople receive the news that they want to hear and-6-

Media Meet 2017Quick Test.Run. Tête-à-Tête was left behind put things into perspective and itMike checks and go. made me realize that we were all caught in a rat race with occurring ambitions, trying to conquerThe show goes ‘live’ in ‘5’. It’s Zakka Jacob y’all. new frontiers and not savouring each day.” He worked in theWithout trumpets or trinkets, or without the Headlines Today for eight years, whichgrandeur of a legend, Zakka Jacob walked the halls provided him with tremendous experi-of Christ University in the shadow of meekness and ence and gifted him close acquaintances.quiet contemplation. Yes, the very edge of CNN However, working in Beijing changed hisNews18 stood before me, a simple man calm and entire worldview. This experience en-composed and my, was that an experience. riched him to a large extent.His native roots lie in the land of Kerala, however An unassuming per- son who believes inhe addresses himself as a South Indian culmination truly being the voice Photo Credits - Girik Gupta of the people, he is a staunch believer in bringingof a Kannadiga, Tamilian and a Malayali. Journalism forth news in the most sensible manner, supporting the ideals and fundamentals in which the countrywas his forte and engineering his profession. He is is built on. Zakka Jacob a wonderful human being, a prolific journalist and an honest man,it was myan engineering graduate from Madras University sheer honour to meet him.and interned at TVS as a young boy. However, an -Diya Maria Josephepiphany dawned on him and it was time to put thecoat on and pursue his life of a journalist and a veryrenowned one at that. And his experience with AllIndia Radio bolstered his decision.Mr Jacob says, “Everyday at the newsroom is a chal-lenge. It a high in itself and everyday there is some-thing new, something different and so work doesnot become monotonous after all. That’s the fun ofit.” In 2004 young Zakka just commenced workingin Delhi when the disastrous Tsunami hit the coastsof India. He continues, “This event had a big impacton me. Seeing the death and the devastation that In Conversation With Dipti DesaiDipti Desai is a renowned photojournalist from gically reminisced, “I fell in love with photographyBangalore who has made her mark in the industry quite late in my life. I stumbled upon it by accident.by working for global publications such as The My passion ignited when I understood that there’sHindu, Le Monde, Wall Street Journal and many more to a photograph than just a frame. There is amore. deeper meaning in all photographs. Stories that areTracing the evolution of photography over the waiting to be told. A photograph is the only pieceyears, she said, “Photography was started as the of history that can revive a memory of a memory.evil sister of paintings Looking at a photograph of a loved one can bringback in the 1800s. A back endless conversations and memories. That’sphotographer back the power of a photograph.”then was considered When asked about the changing trends in the in-to suffer from mania. dustry, she said, “Old is becoming the new. PeopleToday anybody with a are trying to recreate polaroid photographs thesepair of eyes and a mo- days. I think that’s the beauty of photography. Thebile phone is a ability to recreate the past even in the absence ofphotographer. Pho- the tools of that time.”tography as a field is Adding some insight to the current day mobile pho-always dynamic. It’s tographers, she said, “I think people who have beendifficult to map out its in the industry and have a professional backgroundfuture but it will have a finer eye for detail. That where I draw thenever cease to line between the two. Professionals can add a moreevolve.”Talking about ethical, aesthetic and verified touch to a photo-her passion of pho- graph.”tography, she nostal- Photo Credits - Rose Tomy -Anushka Phadnis -7-

Media Meet 2017 A CLEAR CUT DIRECTORSri Ganesh, the maker of ‘8 Thottakkal’ gets candid and speaks up about the industry and his experiencesWhat drove you to make a career as a film maker?I’ve been into theatre and movies for about ten years now. Post my graduation from A M Jain College,Chennai, I actively participated in street theatre. My basic philosophy deals with simplicity in conceptand rich quality in execution. For me film making is all about camera and actors. I deliberate the actor’sacting on screen due to his/her rich theatre background. My first movie “8 thottakkal” deals with exis-tentialism.What were the challenges you faced while making your first debut?My biggest fear was to work with Nasser Sir. He is intimidating, and asks intricate questions about thebackground. I took time to mould new actors so that they feel extremely comfortable and it helps themin their future projects. I conducted multiple rehearsal sessions with my actors. The perfection in everyscene is important. The actors were given the entire script for a broader perspective. I do not concentrateon their strengths, rather I work hard in rectifying their flaws.For this particular movie, how were the reviews?Reviews critiqued it as simple movie but it strives to reach way beyond the realms of generic Indian cin-ema. This is a form of film making primarily used in European and Japanese films. I had never expecteda veteran actor like Mr Rajnikanth to make an effort to see my work, so I was overwhelmed when he ap-preciated my work.What kind of films would you prefer making in the future?I am not bound to a particular genre. My interests lie in humour, thriller and crime. However, horror isnot my cup of tea.Who is your inspiration? Could you share your experience with Mysskin?I am intrigued and inspired by Charlie Chaplin and Akira Kurosawa. Working with the phenomenal di-rector Mysskin was the biggest turning point in my career. As a child I was a keen reader. It is a privilegeto deliver stories to the mass. My entire thought process drastically transformed post my work experiencewith Mysskin. I was drawn towards his work, especially his movie Nandalala.What is your message to the young aspiring film makers of our country?Anyone who wants to become a director needs to be extremely patient and thick skinned to be able toovercome the hurdles, as it takes a lot of time to make your mark in the industry. One needs to hearhis/her inner voice to bring uniqueness and diversity in their movies. -Nivedhita Venkatesh -Shanker Karthik Narayanan Photo Credits - Sushakya Paul -8-

Media Meet 2017 Tricks Of The TradeA standup comedian, a host and a prominent Radio changed but the game remains the same.”Jockey, Sriram Sullia is a true radio enthusiast. Talk- Emphasizing on the same above, Sriram termeding about his passionate journey to the field of Radio as ‘reinforced’ and that which solely dependsradio that dates back to his college days, Sriram on where we are. Speaking about trolling, he saidsaid that he started working for All India Radio for that it was inevitable and that one needs to grow aabout Rs. 600 per show he hosted. He strongly em- thick skin towards this, as you are the face of thephasized on the work flow and the strength of AIR radio station. However, social media gives one theand suggested radio enthusiasts to set out their ca- free will to defend one’s honor.reer with AIR as it gives one a valuable experience.After having worked for Radio Indigo, Bangalore -Karthik Narayananfor five years, he is currently an RJ in fever 104.“We all hear about the traditional media dying aslow death. But, if that was the case we all wouldn’thave been here, today,” said RJ. Highlighting theemerging role of social media and the phenomenalchange it has brought about in traditional media,and the radio in particular he said, “Radio as amedium uses social media to reach out to you. It isusing internet to put out information to the public.Using social media as a significant tool to give outrelevant information, the medium is advancingfrom one layer to another.The advancements in the field has changed thefunctioning of the platform. However, the core re-mains the same. The playing table might have All Things GreenAbhishek K R, currently based in an NGO in Nilgiris, noticed forest fires in Mysore stretching for aboutrightly calls himself ‘free ranging and a sensitivehuman being’. A graduate in Communicative Eng- 250 kms and the endangered small gallon bees inlish from Christ University, Abhishek spoke aboutthe essence of how literature puts communication select communities.in perspective. He looks at the world through anunusual, yet purposeful perspective. Talking about a research study Abhishek carriedAs a storyteller, he takes stories from one land toanother and vice-a-versa. Theory makes the least out he said, “It is pitiful to see the amount of harmsense to him as he thinks it does not serve any pur-pose. He questions the role media plays in sustain- caused to wildlife due to inhuman activities.”ing the environment.He gave an instance of an 84-year-old lady in a Commenting on thetown named Vallarikumbai, an elephant infestedarea down South, and how deftly she identifies lack of environmen-forty different kinds of leaves in that area. Heopined that media takes less interest in such sto- tal reporting by theries. Further, Abhishek revealed stories about un- media, he concluded that there is a need to raise awareness on ecological study and urging require- ment to bring in a new perspective and intent in the news we make. -Karthik Narayanan -9-

Media Meet 2017 Through The Cracked Glass An ‘Anchor’ At The Port Of Success Mr Pushkar Vijayaram- one among the most renowned photographers currently working withMr Syed Asad Abbas, an eminent speaker, anchor the New Indian Express; doesn’t stick just to hisand a television personality interacted with the stu- genre of work, but has explored the various do-dents at Media Talk, on July 22nd. Popularly known mains of journalism. “Keep your mind always openas Emcee Abbas, he holds a trove of experience to new opportunities, never bind yourself. As aunder his belt. photographer, I have not just limited myself to pho-He warmed up the audience with a bit of bovine hu- tography, I too have worked as a reporter and evenmour. His talk was extensively about his experi- written articles.” Keeping the ideologies of a freeences and how being an anchor is a fulfilling job. A mind, Mr.Pushkar addressed the audience at Mediaspecial mention was made of his job at Big Bazaar; Talk’17. He has his photographs published in theas it proved to be the training ground for him to test Wall Street Journal. New media may have manyout his techniques new facets but one among the most important fea-and find the right ture is its capability of ‘spreading information’. Liv-one which best ing in this fast pace tech-friendly universe the needsuited his personal- to get ‘entertainedity. “A powerful and never bored’ isvoice layered with the new black.captivating tones in- Thanks to smartciting the desire to phones! With just aact on something is click of a button youwhat every anchor can not only send ashould possess,” picture but create asaid Mr Abbas. revolution. One pic- He has interacted ture or a single wordwith a host of per- interpreted in differ-sonalities like Ratan ent ways can createTata, Lucky Ali, its own impact. It isRahul Dravid, Kapil Sharma and more in his show, extremely important‘Jhakkas Chai with Abbas Bhai’ and worked with to keep your pen on aDeccan Chargers, Bangalore Royal Challengers. neutral stand, asFurther, he is also renowned for his lyrics and sha- quoted by Mryaris, his talks are undone without poetic phrases. Pushkar. He endedHe concluded his talk with a beautiful shayari, his talk by making his audience ponder on what is“Manzil se aageyaurbhimanziltalaash kar, mil- more powerful- a voice or the truth-.Sarah Jamesjayetujhkodariya, samundartalaash kar”. -Rumela Chandra Keeping It MinimalMr Amogh Ravindra, Art Director at Acme Experiences, is a self-proclaimed ‘Hardcore Bangalorean’. Hav-ing cousins who were into architecture, designing which inspired him to follow a similar path, Amoghhad the advantage of growing up with like-minded people.He kicked off his talk with a humorous quoteon screen, ‘I am a sardard but definitely not a sardar’.Designing is all about fun, money and illustrating people, he quips. Speaking about his inspiration, hemade references to pop culture icons like the various Simpson’s characters and morphing images intomemes. He made a special mention of his early experiments of collecting Lego bricks and sharing posterson Facebook. Today, he holds to his name a Cannes award for an advertisement which had him shufflethrough 20,000 images. He also holds the honour of having his posters shared by Mr Christopher Nolanhimself. Mr Amogh’s session delved into the principles of minimalism and how it has evolved over timebecause of the rapid development in media. “New Media is an inspiration, I can’t draw. Hence, minimalismhelps me express and create caricatures which critique and appreciate the works of new media in dayto day life,” he concluded. -Rumela Chandra -10-

Media Meet 2017Dropping An ‘Anchor’ At The Port Of Success It’s A No To Hoax NewsIt is rightly said that the person who has lived the Bursting with a symphony of poise, reverence andmost is not the one with the most years, but the one knowledge; Nikita Puri takes the red spot at Mediawith the richest experiences. NischitaVerrendra is Talk’17, the foster kid of Media Meet2017. Nikitaone such individual. Puri works with the Business Standard and hasHer talk began with ‘Twitter polls’ and how social stout ideologies regarding the functions of media.media has changed our perception of news. Unlike Taking off her audience’s minds from the mundane,the days of yore, viewers today are actively in- she took the road less travelled wherein her per-volved in the news gathering and creation process. sonal experiences became her mouthpiece and herShe emphasised on the fact that for a journalist it illustrations became the thought which would res-is hard at times to be an idealist and appease onate for a really long time. Intertwining with theeveryone. theme of ‘New’ Media Expressions, her slapstickShe also spoke about ‘hashtags’ and how they were humour pointed at the shallow knowledge; whichdetermined by popularity. Speaking about the we as humans have endeavoured through the ad-effects of social media on journalists and news not vancement in technology. “I am 6 feet 2inches, I usebeing verified in the era of cut throat competitionbetween the news channels and how the credibility to eat samosas in class every day, now you as sen-of news is fading out she said, “In the race to delivernews, there is no verification at times.” sible audience! Do you think I am 6feet 2 inches?“The delivery of news in television has changedwith time. Today, reporters are given mobile cam- No right but I won’t lie, I use to eat samosas in classeras with inbuilt equipment and a hand held deviceis making the concept of \"one-man army or one- sitting on the front seat, every day. Now, this is thewoman army\" a reality,” she added.She concluded her speech by urging the students distinction between a lie and news”. ” It is high timeto join journalism for the right reasons, and not forglamour or misguided notion of changing the world that we all put an end and shun the medium andin a day. sources of hoax news. It is simply appalling that in -David H Sangma spite of such a vast visible evolution of technology, we as journalists are producing bogus news to feed to unending thirst and hunger of our audience. Miss Puri ends her talk not just motivating us to be- come great writers, speakers or journalists, but also to respect the value of each news presented to the public. -Sarah James -11-

Media Meet 2017 Media Meet Kicks Off With Blogging WorkshopThe Department of Media Studies, Christ University standing blogging as an “alternative medium”. Theorganised its first pre-conference workshop on workshop rightly titled “Blogging 101” incrusted aBlogging, on 2 July, as a part of their upcoming an- wide array of topics, which included understandingnual event, Media Meet 2017. the various types of blogs, blog designing, impor-Ms. Monika Manchanda, asoftware geek turned tant tools, Search Engine Opti-prominent food-blogger mization hacks, and blogconducted the workshop. It marketing guidance forwas attended by students novices.from various educational in- Monika Manchanda startedstitutions. “Conducting a her first blog in the year 2006,workshop on Blogging was a and today she runs a success-great initiative as these top- ful food blog titled 'Sin-a-monics usually go uncovered by Tales', which saw its first postthe academic curriculum. It in the year 2010. Monika'swas well organised with in- blog posts usually deal withtriguing topics and is inter- reviews, recipes and food sto-active in nature due to the ries from her travels. Thediscussions and healthy de- workshop was attended by 31bates. I am glad to be a part students and officially kick-of it,” said Anjali Bhagat, a student hailing from started Media Meet 2017.Bengaluru.The crux of the workshop lies in under- -Shanker Karthik NarayananThe second pre seminar workshop The Digital Tales We Weave photo essays or funnyof MediaMeet on ‘Digital Story Telling’ was held on- videos, each company puts out the message in itsJuly 9, 2017. Content curators Mr. Sreepathy Pal- modus operandi and it is the job of the content cre-liath and Ms. Aakanksha Singh Devi from Little ators to keep in mind the fact that the message hasBlack Book conducted the workshop and shared to be creative and must resonate in the minds of thetheir experience and knowledge with the partici- audience for a long period.pants. In today’s times where the attention span of Sreepathy said, “Most people do not understandthe people is like that of a buzzing gnat, it is impor- the work of a content writer or rather, creator. Theytant to arrest the attention of the audience and con- think that anyone can write a few words and havevey what you want to say in a shortest possible themselves proclaimed as the BuzzFeed of the in-time to leave a lasting impression. Quirky articles, ternet. It is an arduous task to create a catchy content while keeping in mind the pa- rameters. With thehelp of this workshop, we hope to clear misconceptions about story- telling and give them a purely industrial per- spective on what to expect in the field and the necessary skills they must equipthem- selves with before entering it.” Stories are ephemeral and people have their own tastes and interests. Catering to each one of those tastes and offering some- thing that is truly unique is not a job anyone would honestly want to fight for. Neverthe- less, for people who can’thelp but add a bit of flair and spice to their writing,weaving stories becomes almost second nature to them. -Pratap Pranay -12-

Media Meet 2017 Transition To Digital MaturityThe third pre seminar workshop of Media Meet on will take time, however necessary for the organiza-Digital Media Marketing, was held on 16 July, 2017. tion,” said Mr. Bijo Thomas. The workshop was aThe information packed interactive workshop was step by step session where the participants pro-presided by Mr. Bijo Thomas, a former digital con- cured knowledge from the basics to all the essen-sultant for Google and Marketing Communication tials for an amateur to set up a market for theexecutive for Le Meridien, Kochi. Mr. Thomas, who products and services in the future. Innovativeis currently working as the Marketing Executive forGrand Hyatt, Kochi is also the founder and director techniques with relevant examples were discussedof Media Sevants, an online news portal and Book extensively to broaden the participants’ imagina-Your Musician, and an artist management company. tion and the social media aspects of digital market- Over the years, marketing has taken a steep con- ing was also discussed upon.version from traditional platforms to digital plat-forms and this transition has been imposed on -Nivedhita A Venkateshseveral of them due to the growth of the trendthereby stifling a natural transition and creating awarped and forced one. “The conversion has beentough, but I would suggest that the transition hap-pens soon because it is beneficial to develop in thesectors of marketing. Already several companiesand organisations have started to realise and havebegun to make the transitions. The difficulty facedalthough is in terms of improvement and strategiz-ing so as to create an image on this platform whichAs Sunday donned on 23 July, The Metamorphosis -Theatre me to conduct these ac- tivities, this is not just tothe theatrical mask, with itsbright lit face sprinkling rays of potential on the break them from their cocoon but I want them totender buds; young dynamic actors were born. never ask themselves if it is normal to swim on theWith a dash of inhibitions and oodles of expecta- floor if character demands”. He molded the stu-tions these actors have embarked on a journey and dents to take the shape of certain alphabet anddelved into the world where an actor is considered made them believe that each alphabet could have an emotion, be it a blissfulto be a fool for God. “An R or a rapt O. “It is ex-actor should have Pride tremely necessary to beand this Pride should be expressive and not dead.carried with energy, To express oneself canawareness and knowl- only occur if they are trueedge but not ego” was to their gut and respectthe first mainstay was the sanctity of theater”.by Rajesh P.I, who is a The entire session bytheatre trainer and filmactor. His theatre footing started off in 1993. He co- these actors was divided into fluid sculpture, tablofounded ‘Script Peoples Theatre’ in 1995 and has and conflict; with the audience completelyacted in and directed numerous plays apart from awestruck by the accurate predictions and actingtraining hundreds of people in the nuances of act- of these actors. “Theater is therapy” as quoted bying. one of them also stated that “observe the reactionThe workshop on Playback Theater was steered of the people, become a patient listener, and listenas a part of Media Meet 2017 organized by the De- to your gut if you want to follow the truth, don’tpartment of Media Studies at the Central Block.The limit yourself and learn when to shut up.” By theamateur actors were educated to explore their end, all of the actors had a pattern to their insanity;space, believe in themselves and let go off all inhi- following what they love the most and imbibing thebitions. Mr.Rajesh P.I said “There is an objective for true spirit of theater. -Sarah James -13-

Media Meet 2017 Media Meet: Its Inception And The LogoThe Department of Media Studies is leaving no their course of study. However, a strong link be-stone unturned to make Media Meet 2017, a phe- tween the industry and the students seemed to benomenal success. The event is just about a fortnight lacking and this was where the concept of Mediaaway and the organising body is setting up high Meet took birth. Ever since its inception Mediastandards for its student heirs by showcasing some Meet has created tremendous opportunities for in-real devoted and consistent hard work. Originating depth research at post-graduate level.in the year 2010 with the theme Films to the cur- This very impulse to make these promising stu-rent theme ‘New’ Media Ex-pressions in 2017, the forum dents and the adept profession-for academic industry net- als meet led to the inception ofworking has had a remarkable Media Meet. The logo thereforejourney over the years. How- portrays an inverted ‘M’ to de-ever, an interesting story lies pict the meeting of two ‘M’sbehind the inception and the symbolising a confluence,conceptualisation of Media thereby implying a strong andMeet. The approach was rightly meaningful convention be-visualised a year before its tween students and the indus-birth by Dr Fr Biju K Chacko, try. Further the text in the logoCourse Coordinator of MA MCS (Academic Industry Network-and the Vice Principal of Christ ing ) powerfully contributes toPre University College. “The the same idea. With time, themain motive behind Media Meet is to reduce the colour of this logo has under-gap between students and the industry experts. gone several changes yet the design has been theThis is a venue to expose students to prosperous same since the event’s inception. Enunciating aboutindustry experts on a national level,” said Dr Fr Biju the future of Media Meet Dr Fr Biju said that he as-talking about the very essence of the event. pires to make Media Meet increasingly lucrativeThe department initially had several competitions and advantageous by inviting more internationalconducted to keep the students spirited towards resource personnel for broader exposure and im- proved knowledge.Let’s Kahoot ! -Karthik NarayananGiving meaning to its theme- New Media Expres-sions, the Media Department conducted a fun-filled able with the game. Amidst cheer and laughter thepublic quiz competition on 28th July, Main Audito- trial round had a total of 197-210 participants withrium, 3rd floor, Auditorium Block and it was the unique names like ‘Cupcake’ and ‘Sup’ signed up.first of its kind in the university. The most uniquepart of the public quiz was that it was open to all The original quiz consisted of 35 questions and 20and was conducted online using Kahoot, which is a seconds for each question was given.Each questionfree game-based learning platform. A link was pro- carried thousand points. The questions rangedvided to all the aspiring contestants in the emails from general knowledge to new media with theand all they needed to do was to click on the link main criteria to win the game were speed and ac-and login with the game pin that was provided be- curacy. The winners of the quiz were 1st prize- Sri-fore the quiz. The contestants used their smart- ram Burgula, Prateek Naidu and 2nd prize wasphones or their laptops. There were modems awarded to Siddharth, Saurabh and Odyssey.placed in the auditorium and the usernames andpasswords was provided.They were given access to -Sameer Kulkarniit for an hour so they could also use their personalmobile network.The participants had to mention their registrationnumber and to make it colourful, they had to selecta colour for their answer. A trial round with a fewquestions was to make the participants comfort--14-

Media Meet 2017 “VENI, VIDI, VICI”History has showered upon us tales and testimo- commendable worth. She holds her team, nevernials of women from time to time, the Bronte sis- letting them fall, never letting them go.ters for starters. Such legacies have been carried Peace, calm and the demure of a deer, Madhuraforward in every generation through women who Chandana seems to be the Talisa here. Her charm,stand up for their rights. They are radiant beams her smile, her ways and her gaze, Madhura over-of power, sharp and stark arrows of wisdom, looks the office team not wavering, in the storm.dark and doting beings of sheer strength. As the Emulating the sense of a courtroom drama, Divyaworlds align and the clock ticks towards Media Swamy decides the papers to be warranted. ViolaMeet, one cannot help but notice the power Davis is a great lawyer, and Divya is no less. Shepacked girl power adorning the event. does not stutter, nor does she falter. Her thoughtsThe clacker and click-clacks drown the hallways are sharp and her words are keen, Divya is trulyand the sounds echo far far away, yes, may the a benchmark to aspire. Obsessions are not weak.Queen Daenerys always reign forever. Ay! Ay! It They are intense often piquant and Maria is notis Ashwini Raj who holds the throne in this fight. one to mess around. Monica Geller is the glue thatSteadfast in her word and streaking through her stuck six friends together, and be it your mess orchores Ashwini is not a queen you should dislike. hers, she walks the extra mile to tidy up yourShe is the heartbeat of the event, a smouldering ways. Maria is a reserve of hospitality, the eye ofdragon to the delinquent and an anchor to the the gala the girl to get things done, a boon and aupright. Sansa Stark is a flower in the wilderness, blessing to countless many. She flies, she runsand Lisa, a true gem leading the events like a true and she walks the talk. A name to shudder ac-martyr in sight. Sansa does not come without a claimed to knowfriend, a foe, a family or a Stark. Take no chances Manasi Meghnani isat bending rules because Arya Stark has her always the way to go.ways. Behalya Naidu defines the power of women Vivid colours of aamong a pack of boys. She leads the promo team hard-core surgeon,and her weapon is a delightful tool. The power Callie Torres is mim-flows from a mother to her children and what is icked in the light ofa Stark without Catelyn by their side. A strong Manasi Meghnani.woman of unwavering faith, a mother with abun- She overlooks thedant warmth, Indu Shree is truly a character of money matter. Man- asi is nothing less of a super woman, not afraid to fly. She is a golden girl and a true gem to this clan. Along with them walks comrades in distress, Nikhil Pai, Prannay Kumar and Fr. Ebin Francis. Together they slay and don’t slither away. I’m in a tryst with fate. Clenching at the vision of these heroes walking forward in this battlefield. Never looking back, never racing past but holding hands and singing, “I came, I saw, I conquered- Veni, Vidi, Vici”. -Diya Maria Joseph-15-

Media Meet 2017 Editor’s Note“Call it vanity, call it arrogant presumption, call it what you wish, but I would grope for the nearest opengrave if I had no newspaper to work for, no need to search for and sometimes find the winged word thatjust fits, no keen wonder over what each unfolding day may bring,” said Bob Considine. I have a teamthat is as passionate as every word in the above quote.Life consists of a few rare moments where victory tastes sweeter than honey. This is one such moment.Spawning Carpe Diem is a collective effort of the Department of Media Studies, Christ University. Creationof layouts, managing to get the necessary approvals, trimming the stories and coordinating the reporters,photographers, videographers, the list infinite! What sets this edition apart is not just the sheer effortnor watching the entire spectrum, but the dedication that people have put in including students fromthe undergraduate department. One thing I would like to emphasise on which I feel every speaker hasstressed upon and that is ethics. In today’s world where morality seems to be flailing faster than a fishout of water, the only way to ensure that media remains the neutral fourth estate is by following the dic-tum of its morality as laid down by those who knew better.Generally, this is the point where I would signoff by saying something profound but this newsletter and the effort it took to produce this sixteen pagemammoth stands as testament to the wisdom, dedication and effort of the Media Department and everysingle member involved in Media Meet 2017. Faculty-In-Charge Reporters Prof.Suparna Naresh Nivedita A Venkatesh Editor-In-Chief Rumela Chandra Indu Shree S .R Shanker Karthik Narayanan Editors Anushka Phadnis Pratap Pranay Vaibhava Ram Diya Maria Joseph Sarah James Sameer Kulkarni Namrata Muralidharan David Sangma Chief Photographer Photographers Rose Tommy Joel Thomas Stanley Hector Girik Gupta Vidyashree Rameshkumar Sushakya Paul -16-