The Indian Panorama

Tag: Journalism

  • An Open Letter to New York City and State Leaders

    An Open Letter to New York City and State Leaders

    Wanted: A Legal Protection for a Commendable Model

    On May 22, 2019 Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order 47, one of the most consequential measures supporting the city’s community media industry, directing all city agencies to spend at least 50 percent of their annual print and digital advertising budgets on community media publications.

    The initiative has been a resounding success, as shown in an independent report by the Center for Community Media (CCM) at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. In the fiscal year after the executive order was signed, New York City spent a record $9.9 million on community media publications, 84 percent of its total print and digital advertising budget. We were offered a lifeline as we saw city agency campaigns rolling in, many of us receiving them for the first time.

    We are more than 230 print and digital publications serving communities in all five of the city’s boroughs, publishing in 37 languages. Without advertising from city agencies, many of us would not have survived the pandemic that saw so many businesses – who had advertised in and even distributed our newspapers – shutter across the city. Many of these businesses may not return, and now more than ever, we have an essential role to play in helping our readers survive and rebuild in the wake of this pandemic.

    These public service campaigns reached vital communities of color and immigrant communities, in many languages, creating awareness about the resources available to them during the pandemic, guiding them on how to access critical services, and encouraging stronger civic engagement from an informed and responsive citizenry.

    As we move into a new year and get ready for the 2021 municipal elections, it’s time to build on the remarkable progress made by the de Blasio administration. Important steps are necessary to build on the progress made by the mayor:

    A renewed commitment from city leaders to continue the current policy of allocating at least 50 percent of the total print and digital ad budgets to the local community media, while maintaining a robust ad budget City Council legislation to solidify this commitment and protect it from political or administrative changes Effective implementation of the new legislation in its true spirit.

    We also ask that the New York State government and Legislature follow suit. Like the City, the State will also find the community media a necessary partner in building a more engaged society.

    Kowshik Ahmed, Editor, Weekly Bangalee

    Najmul Ahsan, Publisher, Weekly Parichoy

    Manuel Alcantara, Editor, Peruanisimo News

    María del Carmen Amado, Newspapers Group General Manager-Editor, Westchester Hispano, New York Hispano

    Czarinna Andres, Co-Publisher, QueensPost

    Lovlu Ansar, Executive Editor, Bangladesh Pratidin

    Ruben Avxhiu, Editor-in-Chief, Illyria

    Michael Babwar, Publisher, Caribbean Times News

    Liudmyla Balabai, Managing Editor, ForumDaily Inc (ForumDaily.com)

    Kevin Benoit, Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Parlé Magazine

    Helen Cadena, Ad Sales Representative, Ecuador News, Ayllu Times

    Isseu Diouf Campbell, Publisher, Africa in Harlem

    Ibrahim Chowdhury, Editor, Prothom Alo

    Angie Damlakhi, Owner, Allewaa Alarabi Newspaper

    Silvana Diaz, Publisher, Noticia, El Correo NY

    Sheikh Musa Drammeh, Publisher, Muslim Community Report, Parkchester Times

    R. Farrukh, Publisher, Weekly Awaz

    George Fiala, Publisher, Red Hook Star Revue

    David Mark Greaves, President & Publisher, Our Time Press

    Sunil K. Hali, Publisher, Divya Bhaskar North American Edition, The Indian Eye Newsweekly

    Michael Hinman, Editor, The Riverdale Press

    Rick Ho, General Manager, Sing Tao Daily

    Manzoor Hussain, Executive Editor, Weekly Dunya International

    Paul Jackson, Publisher, Harlem Times

    Léopold L. Joseph, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Haiti Observateur

    Adnan Khalil, Chief Editor, Al Hawadeth Newspaper

    Maude LeBlanc, Editor-in-Chief, Haiti Progres

    Henry Levy, Editor & Publisher, Jewish Post

    Paddy McCarthy, Publisher/Editorial Director, The Irish Examiner

    Debbie McGoldrick, Senior Editor, Irish Voice Newspaper

    Alec Meeker, Publisher, Bushwick Daily

    Kamlesh C. Mehta, Publisher, The South Asian Times & Forsythe Media Group, LLC

    Hameed Minhas, Publisher, New York Awam

    Síle Moloney, Interim Editor-in-Chief, Norwood News

    Zawadi Morris, Founder and Publisher, BK Reader

    Mutiu Olawuyi, Editor-in-Chief, New York Parrot, Parkchester Times

    Kishor Panthi, Editor-in-Chief, Khasokhas

    Cristina DC Pastor, Founding Editor, The FilAm

    Pearl Phillip, Editor-in-Chief, Caribbean American Weekly, The Immigrant’s Journal & Workers’ World Today Publications

    Garry Pierre-Pierre, Founder/Publisher, The Haitian Times

    Edward B. Prial, Publisher, The Chief Leader

    Ilayas Quraishi, Chief Operating Officer, Parikh Worldwide Media, LLC and ITV Gold

    Mahfuzur Rahman, Editor & Publisher, Weekly Bornomola

    Mizanur Rahman, Editor, Thikana

    Traven Rice, Publisher, The Lo-Down

    Stuart Richner, Publisher, Herald Community Newspapers (including The Riverdale Press, Rockaway Journal, Jewish Star)

    Ricky Rillera, Executive Editor, Philippine Daily Mirror

    Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja, Chief Editor, The Indian Panorama

    Angchhiring Sherpa, Publisher, Everest Times

    Sharanjit Singh, Publisher, The South Asian Insider and Punjabi Dunya

    Mica Soffer, Publisher, COLlive.com

    Scott Stiffler, Founder/Editor, ChelseaCommunityNews.com

    Danny Tisdale, Founder and Publisher, Harlem World Magazine

    Sunil Tristar, Managing Director, eMalayalee Online, IndiaLife Online, IndiaLife Television, Pravasi Channel

    Angel Vazquez River, Local Sales & Marketing Director, El Diario

    Momar G. Visaya, Executive Editor, Asian Journal

    Stephen Witt, Publisher, KingsCountyPolitics.com, QueensCountyPolitics.com, NewYorkCountyPolitics.com

    Jeong Shin Yoon, Publisher, The Korea Daily New York

    Liena Zagare, Editor & Publisher, BKLYNER

    Kevin Boyle, Publisher, The Rockaway Times.

  • Indian–Origin Man gets $1.2 Million in Compensation for “Fake News” Article in Canada

    Indian–Origin Man gets $1.2 Million in Compensation for “Fake News” Article in Canada

    VANCOUVER, CANADA(TIP): An Indian-origin Canadian businessman has been awarded $1.2 million in damages after he was defamed in a series of fake news articles instigated by a prominent American blockchain investor.

    It is one of the biggest compensations of its kind in Canada. Vancouver-based Altaf Nazerali, who is originally from Bhuj, Gujarat, had sued Patrick Byrne, CEO of online retailer Overstock.com, for a campaign of lies aimed to tarnish the reputation of the NRI businessman.

    Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada rejected Patrick Byrne’s appeal against $1.2 million granted to the NRI businessman by the Supreme Court of British Columbia in 2016.

    The huge compensation for Altaf Nazerali comes after a seven-year legal battle to clear his name after a series of articles published in 2011, on an American website DeepCapture.com tried to depict the NRI businessman as a drug trafficker, arms dealer and gangster and a financial supporter of al-Qaida. The articles tried to show that he had links to Russian and Italian mafias.

    The articles were written by Mark Mitchell and published on the website – owned and published by Byrne- which reports on criminal financial conspiracies.

    In its 2016 judgment in favor of the NRI business, Justice Kenneth Affleck of Vancouver-based British Columbia Supreme Court had said: “Mitchell, Byrne and Deep Capture LLC engaged in a calculated and ruthless campaign to inflict as much damage on Nazerali”s reputation as they could achieve.

    “It is clear on the evidence that their intention was to conduct a vendetta in which the truth about Nazerali himself was of no consequence.”

    The American blockchain investor challenged the judgment in the Supreme Court of Canada which last week threw it out.

  • Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar passes away at 95

    Veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar passes away at 95

    NEW DELHI(TIP): Eminent journalist and author Kuldip Nayar, who fiercely fought for press freedom and protecting civil liberties, passed away on Thursday, August 23 morning. He was 95.

    Nayar died at around 12.30 am at the Escorts hospital in Delhi, his elder son Sudhir Nayar said.

    He was suffering from pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital five days back, Sudhir said.

    The journalist is survived by his wife and two sons

    “He kept working till the last and dictated his column before being admitted to the hospital,” his granddaughter Mandira Nayar said.

    Recalling his enthusiasm, she said he retained the eagerness of a cub reporter and wanted to know details of every development, she said.

    Nayar, known as a crusader for civil rights and press freedom, worked in several newspapers, including as the editor in ‘The Statesman’.

    He had also served as the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in the 1990s and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1997.

    Kuldip Nayar was among the journalists who had staunchly opposed the Emergency and was jailed during that period. Seen in the picture, among others, are Kuldip Nayar (second from left) and Khushwant Singh (third from left).
    Photo / courtesy Indian Express

    He was arrested during the Emergency.

    Nayar was also known for his efforts to improve frosty relationship between India and Pakistan, including leading peace activists to light candles on the Independence days of Pakistan and India at the Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Nayar, saying his strong stand against the Emergency, public service and commitment to the country would always be remembered.

    “Kuldip Nayar was an intellectual giant of our times. Frank and fearless in his views, his work spanned across many decades. His strong stand against the Emergency, public service and commitment to a better India will always be remembered. Saddened by his demise. My condolences,” Modi said in a tweet.

    Editor of the Week magazine, Sachidanand Murthy, remembered Nayar’s contribution in fiercely protecting press freedom and civil liberties.

    “He had protested against the infamous Defamation Bill which was brought by the Rajiv Gandhi government in late 1980s. He had also worked tirelessly to ensure protection of civil liberties in India,” said Murthy.

    The Defamation Bill was seen as an attempt to contain free speech in India. Following public outcry, the then government had withdrawn it.

    Nayar had written a number of bestsellers, including ‘Beyond the Lines: An Autobiography’ and ‘Between the Lines’, a book on politics. Nayar was also one of the most respected syndicated columnists and his columns and op-eds were published in over 50 newspapers.

    He was born in Pakistan’s Sialkot in 1923 and began his career in journalism in Urdu press.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • UK Based Indian Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Set to Combat Fake News

    UK Based Indian Entrepreneur’s Start-Up Set to Combat Fake News

    LONDON (TIP):  UK based entrepreneur Lyric Jain, a Cambridge University engineering student originally from Mysore, developed the start-up that uses a machine-learning algorithm to sift fact from fiction is set to combat fake news around the world, including plans for a project specifically targeted at India.

    The platform, which is currently going through technology trials with partners and advisors, will have its full public launch in September for the UK and the US, and hit India by October.

    The aim is for the service to work as a news aggregator as well as an indicator of factual accuracy.

    “The Logically platform gathers the biggest news stories from over 70,000 domains and determines the credibility of the claims across each article. It does this by using a machine learning algorithm that is designed to detect logical fallacy, political bias, and incorrect statistics,” the 21-year-old techie explains.

    “By illuminating the quality of information across these articles, logically provides users with a transparent and insightful view that allows them to determine how trustworthy the news they read really is,” he said.

    With a growing number of cases of fake news being exchanged over the WhatsApp messaging service in India, his start-up is exploring ways for artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately assess the validity of information faster than any human can.

    India has over 200 million WhatsApp users and with the system being encrypted, it becomes extremely difficult for law enforcement to intervene and stop fake stories from spreading.

    “Because of the highly emotive nature of these stories, people are quick to react. This means the time it takes to disprove compelling fake news stories is often too long to prevent action being taken,” Mr Jain said.

    “We are still exploring options such as an instant verification chatbot on WhatsApp and will announce our plans by the end of the year,” he said.

    Logically has a board of advisers made up of alumni from both Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and Cambridge University in the UK and has raised 1 million pounds in funding. It employs 38 people across the UK, India and the US and is planning to almost double that figure.

    Mr Jain believes there is an urgent need for greater education around the issue of fake news and misinformation being spread, largely via online networks.

    “The technology we are developing will equip people with the tools they need in order to navigate a complex and confusing information landscape better than before, but governments still need to do a better job educating people on the real dangers of interacting with misinformation,” he said.

    His platform, which combines AI and human intelligence as well as complex analytics, is planned as a first-of-its-kind “intelligent news feed” that he believes may prove to be the future of journalism.