Podcasting - an alternate media: A session by a journalist group 'Sigaram'

K. Srinivasan making
presentation on Podcasting

Around 50 journalists from print and broadcast media have joined together at Chennai (India) to form an informal group 'Sigaram' (meaning 'Peak' in English).  Through Sigaram,  they want to create awareness about the positive development  journalism and also to update the skills of journalists to suit the modern requirements.  Sigaram was formed three months back.  Mr Jana (Jaya TV), Mr Anantha Padmanabhan (Kalaignar TV), Mr Veda Sridhar (Freelancer) and few others have taken initiative to create this forum. Every month, they invite one expert to share the views and to enhance their skills. 

The organisers invited me to address their members on 24th October 2010 on "Podcasting - An alternate media".  In the session spanning over two hours, I focussed on the following:

1.  Though freedom of press and expression is being talked i high pitch, in reality, freedom of expression in main line media is more market driven and for fear of losing advertisement and market, mainline media owners do not allow their journalists full freedom.  I also quoted some examples of some instances, which were not reported by any mainline media, but got circulated only in social media.  This phenomenon has created more importance to social media and citizen journalism.

2.  I also focussed on the emergence of podcast as a powerful supplementary and alternate media to mainline media.  I also quoted and screened some of the podcasts, which were picked by mainline media. 

3.  I also explained how a podcast could be created and uploaded using simple tools, without any expenditure.

The programme was held in Jayagopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya, Anna Nagar. 

Around 30 Senior  journalists attended the programme.  
Mr Jana, President of Siigaram can be contacted at nellaijana@gmail.com. Please see the pictures.