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Greetings!
This Newsletter from the GujaratGlobal brings to you the latest happening in the media particularly in Gujarat, whats hot and whats not , who's in and who's out , you want it and you get it here !This newsletter is about people who craft voice and image of others. It is about the real newsmakers.
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Editor.....Newsletter completes one year
 The first issue of the media newsletter was launched on March 18 last year. During this one year except the last two months, the newsletter remained quite regular weekly column of news and views about media. In the process, Newsletter has gained 3017 regular subscribers.
No doubt a lot is to be done. But, it is not a small achievement. I will try to make sure that the frequency of the newsletter remains weekly. Some of my friends have suggested that even if I do not have much stuff, I must maintain the periodicity. It's a good idea.
Content composition of the newsletter has become almost stable and so its design. Despite my concentration on providing literature for developing professional skills, left side content, media masaala is the most popular. Certainly, it is the newsy and moving aspect.
Considering this aspect, in the first issue of the newsletter of the second year, much is media masaala.
As you know, the newsletter is part of India's first state centric news portal www.gujaratglobal.com . Friends, gujaratglobal is undergoing complete change. Soon the new look website with more content variety and highly interactive design will be launched, probably by March 31. It will be more fruitful and creative experience to navigate through the new edition of the website.
www.gujaratglobal.com is already number one on Google for Gujarat news. Just have a look at it before its looks change.
Have a happy reading.
With love
Yogesh SharmaGujarat Global | |
Archive...
Did u miss out on any of the action which has taken place or want to sneak a peek again?? Here is our Archive.
Now you can find all our earlier issues here.
Archive Gallery..
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Ajay Umath ko gussa kyon aataa hai!
Recent changes in Divya Bhaskar group in Gujarat have left its state editor Ajay Umath very angry. The changes sparked off a kind of SMS campaign among journalists which said that Ajay Umath was to be shifted to Delhi and on his refusal, the management has put Jagdish Sharma over his head.
This is not the first time that there is a SMS campaign with Ajay Umath in focus. Ajay says that this is the third time that someone has tried to damage his image and thus of Divya Bhaskar. "This time I am not going to leave the person behind this mudslinging operations and I will lodge a complaint with the Crime Branch", he replied when asked about the SMS news doing rounds about him.
When asked whether it will be in official capacity as State Editor of the group or Ajay Umath, he said that it would depend on the legal advice. But, in any case, I will not leave the person behind SMS campaign against me, he asserted.
Story ke liye kuchh be karega
Scene is changing in media. Writing skills are not enough to keep you in reporter's job! In fact, if one goes by the present trend you need not know writing. Not even much of the language of your publication. That is the job of translators and rewrite people.
Ahmedabad Mirror is working out with different ideas for the sticky content. It makes its reporters do some kind of sting operations to expose underhand dealings. It is a different matter that most of these sting operations are about poor low level persons!
However, this week our friends in Ahmedabad Mirror had to act as beggars to do a story on beggars' income.
In future histrionic skills may be preferred qualifications for a journalist's job.
The buzz of bizz channel
The newly launched Bizz channel is not about business, though it will have business news, explains its head operations Satish Mori. It is owned by Bharwad group and for them beej, the second day of the Hindu calendar is very important, he says. Besides bizz sounds like beej, the seed, he explains. So friends how is the buzz of the bizz, the 24 x7 channel in Gujarati about Gujarat and if Mori is to be believed, first channel by a Gujarati group. Certainly a good example of our own Gujarati english, the Ginglish !
Election time Congress magazine time
Come elections, Congress start preparing for its magazine Krut sankalp. Even this time, editorial board has been constituted under the editorship of Hasmukh Patel. The first issue will be a 32 page stuff dominated by Rahul Gandhi's Gujarat visit photographs.
Academician turned politician Hasmukhbhai is candid. He says the frequency of the publication will be fortnight and it may have maximum four issues. Last issue was in last Lok Sabha elections. Hasmukhbhai who is former education minister and has held senior positions in Gujarat Congress has another lesser known distinction. He is a regular contributor to newspapers when he is not editing Krut sankalp.
He is permanent editor of the election time magazine!!!
Best of luck Hasmukhbhai. | |
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You can subscribe yourself
Friends daily I am receiving requests from many friends for the newsletter. There must be many who might not have contacted me. For all here is a simple way to get this newsletter. Every newsletter has a sign up box. Just fill it and you will get the newsletter. The sign up box is also on the top of the right side of the website www.gujaratglobal.com.www.gujaratglobal.com. Still if you wish me to register your subscription write to me!!
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Depression Times
For the staff of TOI group, news is quite depressing. They will have smaller pay packet from the next month. All have been indicated about the "meltdown" effect and its effect is obvious in the body language of the staff. They appear quite glum serious says a journalist friend.
There is a reason for this extra serious look. The talks of the staff cut after the salary cut are doing rounds. In the case of salary cut the management has given slabs. Higher the increase last year, more is the deduction from the next month. All are busy calculating the real loss in terms of rupees.
But there is no such indicator about the retrenchment. No one knows who will be handed over the pink slip. So everyone has imminent threat to his job.
In the case of Gujarat operations of the group, it is learnt that staff is mobilising support to represent a case before the management for a fair and transparent deal.
With much of its staff shunted out, Ahmedabad Times has a deserted software infrastructure look. After piggy riding on main TOI for one year, Ahmedabad Mirror is daily scouting groups for photo sessions to kick up sagging sales. It is coming up with new ideas which hardly have anything to cheer up the morale of our pink slip phobia stuck friends.
Gujarat Times, future uncertain
Popular Gujarati weekly in the USA Gujarat Times is also facing troubled waters. The story is slightly different than other media houses. Estabilshed in 1999 by late Mr Gopal Raju, the magazine in short span of time gained popularity amongst Gujarati community in the USA and Canada.
Trouble arose only after the demise of its founder Gopal Raju last year. According to sources, there is no succession plan at Management level and at present Prakash Parekh,Editor and Publisher in New York looks after the magazine. Due to strong economic crisis in the USA,the management is in deep financial problems. It is believed that the magazine runs in loss. According to sources, the present management wants to sell off the magazine, but there are few takers. Sources also mentions that one group from Ahmedabad is interested in buying the publication, but management demands higher price.
Sources say that Resident Editor of Gujarat Times Ramesh Tanna is also trying hard to survive the magazine by contributing more in terms of advertisement revenue. However, there is no clarity at management level about the future of Gujarat Times. Let's see what happens in coming days!!
PR Merger creates more jobless
Last month PR Industry also faced jolt when the news of Escher Communications' sell off to Sampark PR broke.Escher Communcations had high profile clients like Reliance Big TV,Manipal Cure & Care etc. It was formed by merger of two PR firms-Image Matters and Source, whose founders had jointly promoted Sampark PR before a decade.
The story started only in October'08 when the wind of economic crisis started blowing. Sources say that due to high running expenses of Escher,the promoters decided to sell it off to Sampark PR.Only four of Escher got a job in Sampark PR. All offices of Escher Communications have been closed down.
Zee gujarati to close down
Zee Gujarati is going to close down from the next month. It is going to render scores of journalists and others jobless. Though, the staff has been told in advance, they have nowhere to go. They were hopeful that they would be absorbed in the 24 hour news channel Zee was planning in Gujarati. But that idea has been abandoned in board room meetings only.
Since January, Zee has not taken any new entertainment programme. Local artists are now left with doordarshan only.
Anil Pathak is no more advisor of DNA
As part of its cost cutting campaign, DNA has not renewed the contract of Anil Pathak as advisor. He is still with the group, but only as freelance contributor. The newspaper has three posts of advisors, but only two were filled. Earlier one advisor's contract was not renewed and now the second one. Management thinks it has now no need for advisors!
Metro staff also for Jansatta
Staff of noon paper Metro felt something special when axe fell on the staff of Jansatta newspaper in Gujarat. Both are products of Sambhav group of newspapers. Many in Gujarati Jansatta were made to take compulsory VRS by way of willing resignation letters. Those who were spared were asked to work with lesser pay. Staff of Metro, tabloid of the Sambhav group, was on the other hand, given special treatment. Salary of the staff was increased.
But this sense of elation was quite temporary. In a short time, beats of the Metro reporters were changed suddenly. They have been asked to work for Jansatta also! Still they have their jobs to console themselves in such an expected situation.
Shailesh Joshi is back with Jansatta
Shailesh Joshi is seen back in the Municipal Corporation as representative of Gujarati Jansatta. This is the beat he has held for years. The return of Shailesh is news because he is the only staff member the newspaper has taken back after retrenchment of about 50 persons from Ahmedabad edition. Of course, he does not have the old status of a regular staff.
Siraj shaikh retires after 37 years
Shiraj Shaikh, most familiar face of Press Information Bureau in Ahmedabad is missing. He retired recently after 37 years of service with PIB in Ahmedabad. A smiling face with friendly approach, Shiraj was always in the service of journalists daily bringing bunch of PIB press notes on his bullet motorcycle. The beat of bullet had become his identity.
His farewell had many leading journalists and others from media to say good bye to him.
Ashwini Agrawal transferred
Ashwini Agrawal who used to look after Gujarat operations of Divya Bhaskar group of newspapers has been transferred. His new assignment is to look after Merger and Acquisition operations of the group. However, it is not certain whether he will have Bhopal as his headquarter or Delhi.
His place has been taken by Jagdish Sharma. He will be the COO and Managing Editor.
Rathin Das with pioneer
Rathin Das has ultimately got rehabilitation in the Gujarat Bureau of Pioneer. He was with the HT Gujarat Bureau and fine day he was called to Delhi and handed over marching orders.
Prasad is COB of HT
Prasad Nichenametla has taken over as COB Gujarat of Hindustan Times. He has come in place of Rathin Das. Earlier he was with the Delhi office of the HT. A PG diploma holder from IIMC, Prasad is BSc and MA. He started his career with the Business Standard in Mumbai and was with its political bureau in Delhi before joining HT eight months back.
New Gujarati 24x7 channel Bizz News
On Thursday, a new Gujarati channel appeared on the small screen. Bizz News will have its content in Gujarat and much of its stuff Gujarat centric, says its operational head Satish Mori. It is by a Mumbai based group dealing in real estate hospitality industry.
The group basically belongs to Bhavnagar city of Gujarat where it has a three star hotel Blue Hill. Mori says that the channel has already set up a network of 160 stringers besides a staff of 50 in Ahmedabad. Channel has come at a time when Zee Gujarati is closing down. It expects to gain a share of the viewership of Zee Guajarati.
Mori who is a senior media person in the field and had done pioneering work in the Etv which was number one until the dominance of TV 9.
Santosh Chaudhari with IANS
After a bitter exit from DNA , Santosh Chaudhary is now with the Ahmedabad office of the Indo Asian News Service. Old Indian Express staffer , Santosh has good length of his career in UP.
Samir More NID PRO
After elevation of Mihir Bholey as faculty of the NID, Samir More has been appointed Communication and Media Relations Officer. Samir had joined NID last year as OSD in the Director's office. Prior to this, he was with Alliance Francis as its Manager Operations for ten years.
Narayan Bhatt to join Adfactors
Senior journalist with rich experience in financial journalism, Narayan Bhatt will soon join Adfactors Public Relations Company. Presently Bhatt is Executive Editor of DNA, Ahmedabad.
He started his career as an anlyst before joining TOI Bangalore. He was transferred to Ahmedabad edition of the TOI and here he joined DNA Money. His next job was with the Economic Times and now he is with the DNA.
He is joining Adfactor on a very senior position and will be based in Mumbai.
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With Love, Yogesh Sharma
GujaratGlobal.com |
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