Ms. A.C. Somali, Assistant Professor at the Amrita School of Communication, presented a paper titled Journalism – Literature in a Hurry? at the National Conference on Journalism at the University of Mumbai during November 11-13, 2011.

Discussing current methods used by journalists to attract the attention of the public, she stated that despite tremendous pressure of deadlines that journalists face, journalism is not a work of hurry.

Journalism became known as literature in a hurry, after Matthew Arnold, a British poet of the Victorian era, summarized a reporter’s job thus.

“Matthew Arnold probably meant that journalism was nothing but a hurriedly written piece of text,” explained Ms. Somali, speaking at the conference.

“But a 21st century journalist who is in never-ending pursuit of news to quench our 24×7 thirst for information, does need to think,” she added.

The paper discussed the thought process used by reporters in order to stimulate the public. It concluded with the view that despite the tremendous pressure of deadlines, journalism was not and could not be a work of hurry.

Not long after, in December 2011, Dr. Kalyani Suresh, Assistant Professor at the Amrita School of Communication presented a paper titled Social Media Participatory Cultures – A Study of the Dynamics Between User Personality and Facebook Use at the National Conference on Media Education in Puducherry.

“Eight years after its creation in 2004, Facebook has more than 660 million users in the world and 23 million plus in India,” stated Dr. Kalyani, speaking at the conference.

Having surveyed nearly a hundred Facebook users, Dr. Kalyani found that most users regarded being on Facebook as an integral part of their everyday lives, feeling a sense of belonging with the online community.

Younger respondents to the survey used Facebook during working hours, commenting on photos posted by others, posting messages on their friends’ walls, checking their own walls and sending private messages.

“In the future, it might be possible to create a database of user characteristics that would enable an understanding of the use of the medium in myriad situations and contexts,” Dr. Kalyani stated.

“For example, in Western studies, all research points towards extroverts using the medium more than introverts, but in the Indian context our study showed that Facebook is a level playing field for extroverts and introverts alike.”

With a Ph.D. in Mass Media and Communication, Dr. Kalyani researches the social aspects of new media communication. She received the 2004 UN Volunteer of the Year Award, after having set up an online course in Mass Communication for disadvantaged students world-wide.

February 11, 2012
School of Communication, Coimbatore