MAM
Media seminar proposes self-evaluation amongst organisations
MUMBAI: A seminar ‘Media as Vehicles of Change’ held in Pune on 16 and 17 September explored subjects covering the aspects of academia, social and corporate relevance relating to the contemporary media trends. The seminar was organised by Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and Indira School of Communication (ISC).
In his keynote speech Dr Mohan Agashe, an eminent theatre and film personality, cited the example of mentally challenged children who paint very powerful images. He also foresaw a democratisation of the media through easy availability and wide penetration.
One of the highlights of the seminar was a workshop on post-modern cinema. Renowned filmmaker Ashoke Vishwanathan took the audience through aspects of filmmaking in the postmodern era. Earlier in the day, indiantelevision.com CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari gave a presentation on content regulation on television, suggesting a model for the functioning of the proposed broadcast regulatory authority. Wanvari also stressed the need for self-censorship in television channels.
Under the theme “The Future of the Media”, Xanadu Communication MD and ex-publisher of The Times of India Jaisurya Das forecast the future of the print media, among which the important ones were replacement of news by analysis and discussion, also the increase of colour in the print media. He decried the sale of editorial space in newspapers, but suggested that journalists cannot forget their new combination of functions of writing, packaging and marketing, informs an official release.
Participating in the seminar, Idea cellular national GM marketing Manosh Sengupta spoke about the rise of SMS from being an accidental discovery 12 years ago to the birth of a new language, and new imperatives. According to Sengupta, the lack of privacy that this medium offers is nevertheless a cause for concern.
The first day explored themes such as the ‘Changing face of media’, ‘Media representations in Society’ and ‘Media and Development’. Tam India director Sharan Sharma identified the trends in children’s television viewing, and elicited it through some startling statistics.
Subroto Roy, a well-known, city-based journalist, revealed that media often withholds information from its audiences due to various imperatives stemming from source credibility. AMIC- India country manager Nandini Sahai argued for the need for community newspapers in rural areas, and narrated the success stories of such localised publications in Orissa, supported even by the state government. Meeta Parekh and Sudhanya Dasgupta Mukherjee, representatives of SEWA, Ahmedabad, illustrated a video news service by rural women, an innovative self-help initiative that has helped in empowerment of women in villages.
Indira School of Communication, Pune director Shashidhar Nanjundaiah advocated the need to revamp the current method of communicating at higher levels of education: “Classes need to get more interactive and meaning oriented rather than message oriented.” Nitin Paranjape and Anita Borkar from Nasik-based Abhivyakti Media for Development stressed the need for people to free their minds by being creative as well as critical. “Realising that the power is within ourselves is a political change,” they argued.
According to the release, the speakers ranged from media practitioners to academics and NGOs. ISC director Shashidhar Nanjundaiah explained the concept of the seminar and said, “Eclectic perspectives are needed for a balanced developed of this budding and ever-changing field. Our seminar is a platform for self-evaluation amongst media organisations and for critique from related institutions. Periodic stock-taking through such dipstick methods ensures that we know where the media are headed and what shape the changes effected by them will take.”
The questions raised during the interactions with the speakers were a testament of the active thinking that the topics triggered among the audience, who were a blend of corporate professionals, academicians, NGOs and students. The seminar brought on the same platform perspectives from all these faculties of society and thus put forth a very balanced view of the change media is slated to bring in the future and how this change will affect our lives.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
