Messages or Massages

MESSAGES OR MASSAGES? MESSAGES OR MASSAGES? is an attempt at media analysis in the present Indian context. The author has attempted to be a watch-dog of the Indian media, dissecting it from an ethical point of view. Selections from his weekly column "Media Matters" in Indian Currents have been brought together in this volume. H JACOB SRAMPICKAL has a doctorate England (1986-90). He has also done Pune. He has been the President of the National Association for Media in India and Asia for Catholics and has authored a number of books on the media, and been a jury member at various international film festivals. Presently he is the Principal at NISCORT, (National Institute of Social Communications, Research and Training, A-2, Sector-I, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, UP -201 012) of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI). Table of contents I. Introduction 8 IS. The Power of the Media A. Films 1. Canned Dreams 2. Good Films, Bad Films 3. Is Song and Dance the Real Thing? 4. The Screenplay Controversy 5. Meraa Bharaat Mahaan - NRI Films 30 6. Can Film Festivals Be Censored? 7. And the Award Goes to 8. What Chance for India at the Oscars? 9. Film Stars in Politics 10. What Use Film Magazines? B. Television 11. Does TV Loot Cinema? 12. Coping with the Serial Boom 13. Watching an Ad or a Programme ? 14. TRP Rates Go Tumbling C. Radio 15. Community Radio D. Information Technology 16. Digital Divide to Digital Provide E. Media Education 17. Are the Media Eating Up Our Lives ? 18. How Can Media Education Subvert Mediated Values? Messages 19. Media Education in the Academic System 20. Pro-Life, Sexuality and Media Representations 21. Media Representations of Women 22. Media and the Poor 23. Media and Sports F Media Ethics 24. Media and War 25. Tehelka: Some Musings 26. Media Ethics is a Tight Rope Walk G. Media Control 27. Policing the Media 28. Prasar Bharati: A Dream Dying 29. Convergence Bill: A Bill Without A Will H. Training 30. Need for Thoroughbreds in the Media 31. Admissions Open... for Media Training 32. A New Type of Training Needed I. Alternatives 33. Sparring with the Media 34. Media Alternatives