Noted journos to participate in media forum, discus changing news trends

Aiming to explore the changing trends in the news industry, some of the most experienced news professionals from India and abroad will come together to participate in the second edition of The Media Rumble at India Habitat Centre here.

Conceived by the media critique website Newslaundry and produced by pioneering entertainment and arts company Teamwork Arts, The Media Rumble 2018 is scheduled to take place on August 3 and 4.

Some highlight sessions at the forum include Bangladeshi-American author Rafida Ahmed on the shrinking space for religious critique in Bangladesh and the rise of religious extremism; Rappler Founder Maria Ressa on press freedom and taking on the Duterte government; and Mother Jones' award-winning senior reporter Shane Bauer on working as a prison-guard to investigate corporate-run prisons and the intricacies of investigative journalism.

Other sessions feature the father of the podcast, Christopher Lydon, discussing inventing the podcast and creating the perfect recipe for the revival of digital radio; and a session exploring the issues and challenges of media in small towns where journalism has high risk and low rewards with award-winning independent journalist from Bastar - Malini Subramaniam among others.

Gender parity and whether newsrooms are optimised for men and their successes, as well as reporting on women, will be in focus across sessions.

There will also be sessions on the media's relationship with the government and the future of news. The session "Sleeping with the Adversary" will explores whether journalists should take up public office or whether it affects their credibility.

There will also be a masterclass on covering Parliament.

"As the consumer negotiates the daily reality of what's been presented, we find that news has become a power unto itself -- with multiple prongs and repercussions. At our annual offering of The Media Rumble, (we) once again bring together award-winning journalists, analysts, commentators and industry experts from India and across the world to debate and discuss challenges, innovations, economic realities and future possibilities intrinsic to the news media," said Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts.

"For all of us who love every aspect of news, from the making of it to the business of it, the two days of The Media Rumble, an invigorating, vibrant and fruitful exchange of ideas, is a must-attend," he said.

The forum will further explore how technology giants like Facebook work with news publishers and how Google helps connect people to trustworthy information in this age of false news.

--IANS

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