St.Xavier's College, Mapusa today kicked off its two-day seminar on Convergence Technology and its impact on media. The well-attended seminar saw speakers from diverse cultures and backgrounds present their views on the changing role of media today. The Chief Guest for the day was the President of St.Bernard University, Sao Paulo. Dr.Marcio Moraes, in his address, spoke about the progress in the communication industry, emphasizing on the digital revolution and its consequences.
The Keynote address was delivered by the South Asia Bureau Chief, Voice of America, Mr.Steve Burman. In his speech, he asserted that the issue of convergence technology and its impact on media is not a new one, but one that has been debated for almost a century. He cited examples of the telegraph and telephone, the inventions were also met with widespread skepticism by those with vested interests. He asserted that, in the new age of media, Content is King. Quality and quantity is vital for all fields. He also said that in a fast world, delivering the goods in a timely fashion is imperative. He also commented on India's obsession with Bollywood and cricket, and noted that entertainment-based news is now prevalent, rather than that with political and social significance. He also compared the dearth of relevant news to a transportation system devoid of vehicles. Following the keynote was a discussion on Digital technology in Journalism, moderated by GT editor, Mr.Derek Almeida. First to speak was Rediff editor, Mr.Prem Paniker. He maintained that convergence is a fact of life for journalists, and knowledge of the operation of relevant technology is essential. He also said to students that it is no longer enough just to report something, but find the best medium for doing so. He reiterated that a journalist has to work in multiple media , thus pushing the culture of divergence towards convergence. He also spoke about tactical journalism, where ties are forged with other media channels, for information sharing. Ms.MS Sapna, lecturer, Mysore University, spoke about journalism as a medium for social change. She also spoke about the future of journalism and the scope and oppurtunites it would offer. Dipanjan Roy, Special Correspondent with KUNA said that journalists with multiple skills are highly valued in the industry. The last session of the day was a discussion 'Lost in MySpace', moderated by Sunaparant chief, Mr. Sandesh Prabhudessai. Techie and cyber-journalism veteran Frederick Noronha presented a paper on Possibilities and Perils of the new media. In a well received address, he highlighted the importance of mailing lists as a medium to have ones views aired. He also explained the advantages on internet groups to the transferrance of knowledge from practitioners to people in the field. Sunil Bhadri, Lecturer at MIC, Manipal, also presented a paper on Public sphere and democracy in the age of the World wide web. Jagdish Kumar of TV Australia shared his experiences in the media as a journalist, and the last speaker was Mr.Oystien Krogsrud, freelance business journalist for the Economic Times, Norway's leading financial newspaper. He stressed that with the advent of the web, all info is available for everyone at a cost which is highly affordable to the middle class, and cited an example of a Swedish minister having to resign after a blogger exposed him. He also spoke about how the internet threatens revenues of newspapers, and said that the era of privacy is coming to an end, and there are potential paparazzi everywhere. Nikhil Pereira was the compere and Ms.Amita Fjeld proposed the vote of thanks. Truth Liberates Nigel Britto
