Mangaluru: Village TV, a web-based visual media outreach programme conceptualized and initiated by N V Paulose, Director, Media Innovations, Spearhead Media Pvt. Ltd, the owner of the popular Karnataka-focused website www.newskarnataka.com, and Global TV, was launched yesterday by Dr. Selvamani R. CEO, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchyat on September 13.
The programme was launched with a symbolic handing over of a TV mic to the HOD, Department of Journalism, Srinivas Pejathaya and students of the Department of Journalism, Alva’s College, Moodbidri, who were also present at the launch. The launch was preceded by the presentation of a model of the Village TV platform recorded and edited by the students of the Alva’s School of Journalism under the guidance of their HOD and faculty. It was a wonderful portent of things to come forth from this initiative.
Alva’s Post Graduate School of Journalism is collaborating with Newskarnataka.com and Global TV in designing and implementing this rural-centric media initiative that is designed to take the villages of Dakshina Kannada to the world through the medium of the visual media, using all available social media tools available today.
The idea is to visually record the positives of life in the village, its traditional knowledge, the potential for tourism, issues, and concerns, and beam it to the world using social media, which in turn will stimulate interest for reverse communication and investment that will help retain and strengthen the local fabric. Under this initiative, Alva’s School of Journalism will fan out into villages, attending Gram Sabhas, interact with local people in remote areas, visually record the topography and terrain, positives and negatives and disseminate this footage through the media platforms created by Newskarnataka.com and Global TV.
Lal Goel, Chairman, Organ Donation India Foundation and Chief Promoter Pandit Health Resort & Spa, CA Valerian Dalmaida, Director, Finance and Operations, Spearhead Media Group and Dr. Devraj K., Founder Director of SDM College of Business Management, Mangaluru and S. L. Bhandarkar, Coordinator, Alva’s Newseum (only the second in the world after Washington DC) were the guests of honor at the launch.
Prior to the launch ceremony, Dr. Selvamani interacted with the students and guests. He explained the current rural governance structure under the Panchayat Raj Act, emphasizing the Government’s bottom-up approach to development and his role in the governance set up. He appreciated the Village TV initiative and promised his and his department’s full support. He suggested that this initiative should focus on the traditional knowledge present in the villages as it is being usurped by the Pharma and Industrial giants of the world, because its sources are hidden securely in the depths of the villages of India.
He told the students to involve themselves fully in this project before aspiring to join the big brands in journalism, as it will enable them to develop their journalistic ethics, knowledge and abilities in the right direction, which will stand them in good stead in their future careers in the media space.
Lal Goel, in his address to the gathering, highlighted the importance of this initiative and said he hoped that Village TV will become a tool for the infrastructural development of villages. He also sought the cooperation of Dr. Selvamani in spreading awareness about the importance of organ donation in the villages.
CA Valerian Dalmaida said that it was his dream to take the village to the world and for Newskarnataka.com to pioneer and pilot this project, it is a dream come true. He hoped that it will result in sustainable investments in villages. Srinivas Pejathaya said Rural development journalism is the real journalism because it has a purpose, a message and is positive, in comparison to the superficial journalism generally practiced today and he and the journalism students of Alvas College are delighted and fully committed to this initiative.
Indeed they were, given that the launch which was scheduled for around half an hour, went well into two hours of intensive deliberations and interaction with a definite and delightful outcome – Village TV.
Director of the Spearhead Group, Canute Pinto, CEO Brian Fernandes and shareholder of the media group, Joel Crasta and Kishore Attavar, Director, outreach programme, Roshni Nilaya were also present.
