HDear readers, and welcome to the April edition of the Reader’s Editor column.
This month, let’s take a look at stories that would hardly have become news otherwise. Stories about people we rarely hear about or hear in the din of political fracas generated in the media.
I’m thinking of stories on ThePrint: Nine-year-old Sadhvi Digantapragyashreeji, heiress of diamonds in Gujarat – she and others like her Sacrifice The world became more Jain nuns and monks for the faith.
I’m thinking of the girls from Kalakshetra Foundation, a Chennai-based dance academy, who found their voice and courage To declare against sexual harassment; I am also thinking of Kajal from Najafgarh, Delhi who aspired to become an IAS officer revived through online edtech platforms offering “affordable UPSC” classes; and Karanveer Singh, an unemployed from Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, who Dreams to immigrate to Canada.
And we shouldn’t forget Faridpur Qazi in Bijinour district of Uttar Pradesh, where students have stars in their eyes During the day – we’ll tell you why, in a moment.
By a strange coincidence, the subjects of these stories are young people; Or maybe it’s not a coincidence. India is now most populous country In a world with nearly 40 percent of the population under the age of 25, and if journalism is to remain relevant, it must record their personal histories, tracking the streets of today to those of tomorrow.
ThePrint’s Rama Lakshmi Opinion And ground reports The editors consider these stories to be a significant “journalistic intervention”. Each report reflects a ground reality – good or bad – often overlooked or ignored by the media. “Through these stories we aim for a 360-degree perspective, and go deep into one area, one issue. It shows our journalistic commitment – we put in the time, resources and reporters for stories like these.
Watch carefully and you will see that ThePrint has increased its on-the-ground reporting – not just spot reports of 400-800 words but in-depth reports that can go up to 4,000 words to achieve a “360-degree perspective”.
And they’re not always confined to a single story – there are series that allow journalists to do a deep dive, recently’science and community,
Read also: Kalakshetra Chennai has a PoSH problem. Panic among students, gag order imposed, art world shaken
keeping an eye on posh
These are stories and series that give readers a broader perspective and perhaps make them think.
And then there are the stories that make a lasting impression.
Over the past few months, ThePrint has had two outstanding acts of journalism that have done just that. The first is a fearless piece of fearless reporting by Shubhangi Mishra. in the series ‘posh watch‘, Shubhangi exposed allegations of sexual harassment leveled by teenage students at the prestigious Kalakshetra Institute in Chennai, which were dismissed by the authorities. The story was not new, but had been buried by the authorities and largely ignored by the local media. It took Shubhangi’s dogged commitment to bring it to the fore.
it turned out to be news break instant result – An assistant professor at Kalakshetra was suspended along with three employees; The National Commission for Women sat up and took notice, and Justice K.K. An independent inquiry committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Kannan (retd). Ever since the break of Shubhangi, the media has been flooded with stories about the institute.
ThePrint’s senior correspondent Shubhangi said, “The problem was that the complaint was made by former students and not by current students. “The students there were scared. But without them, there was no story.
Shubhangi stayed back in Chennai. The first four days were fruitless – she made no progress with the students. “It’s hard to build a bond of trust in a short amount of time,” she said. But her persistence eventually convinced some teachers and current students to come forward and talk to her. He had his own story and ThePrint an ‘exclusive’: “The flight back to Delhi was turbulent. I kept telling myself, ‘I can’t die now—I have to write this story!'”
As part of the POSH watch series, Shubhangi explores loose mechanisms in the first Bollywood s production house and Play Regarding implementation of guidelines related to Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act. But it is Kalakshetra’s story that will hopefully lead to action and change.
Capturing Extraordinary Life Choices
Some stories stick with you because of their originality—and because they reveal something about human nature you didn’t think you could think of.
One such example has come to the fore from Gujarat, I told photographs By and in National Photo Editor Praveen Jain Word By Monami Gogoi, Senior Assistant Editor: Here’s a unique and interesting account of young, wealthy, urban kids from the Jain community who abandoned their homes, families, K-pop and toys to follow the monastic lifestyle – child initiation, The central character of this story is nine year old Sadhvi Pragya.
See her come alive as a young nun in Praveen’s pictures- you are startled by the modest figure in a white dhoti, cheerful and lively as she goes about her daily chores.
Monami captures the complexities of this extraordinary life choice by writing with sensitivity and simplicity. “The challenge was not fair. I found the experience overwhelming,” she said. “The circle of our lives is very different – I am still trying to understand the deep hold of their faith. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Monami said.
The idea of the story came to Praveen who researched it for two months. “Why would such rich people, small children, give away their wealth for this ascetic, nomadic life? It fascinated me,” he explained. Traveling through rural Gujarat, staying with nuns and monks, it took time for Praveen to be convinced of his sincerity. “They didn’t want to talk to us. I showed them my photographs, I called people I knew to persuade them – only then they agreed. But it was a strange act because I was one of the sadhvis. They told me to speak Don’t just click the photo.The result is quite shocking.
Praveen said that sometimes a story comes along that gives you satisfaction: this was one of them. ,from the heart,” he revealed.
Read also: Surat’s diamond heiress is a 9-year-old Jain nun who now moves in a ‘bubble-like world’. bare foot
ground under young feet
There are other such stories which have enhanced my understanding of the India we live in. Here are some.
One is online coaching classes for UPSC aspirants, which is a very costly undertaking in person, which is revolutionizing- physical coaching classes can cost anything above Rs 5 lakh, and accessible to the underprivileged and less privileged. may be out of Correspondent Nutan Sharma explores the internet and social media and takes note of its growing popularity affordable online classes in urban and rural areas. “Poor candidates can join without going anywhere or spending all their parents’ savings,” he said.
And then there was journalist Sonal Matharu reports On the unemployed youth of Punjab – thousands of youth like Karanveer Singh who do not get professional jobs due to lack of requisite skills. With many private institutes in the state handing them ‘useless’ degrees without proper skills, and with fresh graduates not ready for Rs 10,000-12,000 monthly salary, Punjab’s youth now dream of migrating to countries like Canada. The story of Punjab, the land of wasted opportunities, unfolds in Sonal’s story.
Read also: Astro Lab is the new wave in rural schools of UP. Delhi man bringing revolution in physics
popularize science again
Another favorite takes us from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh, not too far from each other – except for senior editor (science) Sandhya Ramesh, who’s never been this far north before. The Faridpur Kazi of Bijnor district was far away from his home in Bangalore.
She was there to see a unique initiative for herself: astronomy laboratories Developed by 23 year old Aryan Mishra, for school children. “I knew about it, but it is unbelievable to see how much the kids have learned about science,” said Sandhya. “They’re fascinated by the tools, the possibilities in front of them.”
The report was the result of his week-long tour of the state. Since I had not heard of this program in UP, the story was an eye opener. This is the kind of report that delves into grassroots developments that many people know nothing about.
Of course, ThePrint has always had a special corner for science. Sandhya writes regularly on scientific discoveries with Mohana Basu (Assistant Editor, Science and Health). “We want to popularize science,” said Rama Lakshmi. “To help form the scientific temper.” In that direction, Sandhya now works in the pursuit of science in our daily lives.
Read also: Lights, Camera, Storytelling – How ThePrint’s photojournalists tell the news and win awards
counting stars to count data
Another way to find out how India lives is by stupidly looking at the numbers – and ThePrint is doing just that. “Data is not just about economics, it is important to have information about education, health care – just about anything,” said Sharad Raghavan, Deputy Editor (Economy). And, if you don’t believe that, read this Story By Nikhil Rampal Who Consumes More Milk in India.
Or, learn about becoming fuel prices mysteriously stable This in-depth data-gathering by Sharad caught the attention of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor—just before the elections—and he quoted it in the Lok Sabha—which, as Sharad said, now makes it “a piece of history”. “Cold.”
Really cool.
A few final words about the editing team for these ground-breaking reports: Without their hard work shaping thousands of words, fact-checking, name-checking and the mass of information and opinion, these stories might never have been told.
(Edited by Prashant)