Elective Courses

Electives form a vital component of the ACJ’s academic programme. Over the second and third terms, all students take three elective courses chosen from a wide variety of offerings. Students who opt for the Business Plus elective need to take only one other elective. These courses, which may be conducted in the form of lectures, seminars, or workshops, are taught by adjunct or full-time faculty members who are experts in their fields and are drawn from both academia and the media. The electives provide an opportunity to study some of the subject areas introduced earlier in greater depth and to learn certain specialised kinds of reporting.

The list of electives varies from year to year, and subjects may be added if there is sufficient student demand. The following electives are offered for the year 2010-2011:

Identities in a Plural Society Nalini Rajan, Professor, ACJ Nalini Rajan The idea of what constitutes an “Indian identity” is of crucial importance to working journalists. In a country of such bewildering diversity and pluralism, it is important to analyse the social construction of identities. The reporter should be sensitive to the specificity and particularity of individuals and groups while at the same time locating them in the mosaic of the Indian social polity. While reporting on caste and communal relations, the journalist must be alive to the sensitivities of her or his subject groups. This course is designed to give the student an understanding of the dynamics of a pluralistic society through the study of contemporary popular culture, media articles, and contributions by distinguished social scientists. The subject assumes special relevance in the context of the constitutional interpretation of secularism, culture, social and economic equality, and the nation state. Students explore the question of identity against the backdrop of the experience of other multicultural societies. Top

Critical International Issues V. Suryanarayan, Professor and former Director of the Centre for South and South-East Asian Studies, University of Madras, and Sudha Ramachandran, journalist and scholar in international studies V. Suryanarayan Sudha Ramachandran This course aims to familiarise students with a few critical international issues that have a bearing on India and its neighbours. The topics analysed in depth include the end of the Cold War and emerging international relations; ethnicity, identity, and national integration; India’s relations with its neighbours; the implications of nuclear weaponisation in South Asia; SAARC and the challenge of regional co-operation; the impact of terrorism; and the question of democratisation of the United Nations. The course underlines the need to strengthen international affairs coverage in the Indian news media Top

Leading Issues in Economics Venkatesh Athreya, Advisor, Gender and Food Security, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai Venkatesh Athreya The elective will acquaint students with the principal issues and debates in the international and Indian economy. These include economic globalisation and its implications for international inequality; the role of international institutions like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation in the current context; the factors that explain the liberalisation wave in the less developed world in general and India in particular; the redefinition of the economic role of the state in the new context, and its consequences in the form of the new monetarism and privatisation; and the implications of these developments for growth, poverty, and the quality of life in India and elsewhere. Students will be familiarised with the essential identities used in macroeconomic studies and the basic concepts underlying national income, and budgetary and balance of payments analysis. Selected issues at a sectoral level, such as the impact of trade liberalisation, the effect of land ownership structures on the nature of agricultural growth, and the effect of economic reforms on food security will also be discussed. Students will be exposed to the principal data sources on the Indian and world economy, to simple statistical techniques used in the analysis of such data, and to the essential elements of the theories that underlie contemporary policy debates. Top

Health Reporting Jayalakshmi Shreedhar, Medical Doctor and Health Consultant Jayalakshmi Shreedhar This elective provides an overview of health journalism, by making sense of research reports and clinical studies, examining the pros and cons of public and private health, discussing the coverage of outbreaks, epidemics, endemics and pandemics, examining the new phenomenon of packaged healthcare, including the rising incidence of lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. At the same time, poverty-related diseases like malaria, malnutrition, TB, gastroenteritis, and occupational diseases will be covered, along with social issues related to organs’ trade, infanticide, sex selection and HIV/AIDS. The students will learn about the controversies surrounding patent protection and human protection, new developments in medical technology, patients’ rights and government health policies. In addition, there will be information on traditional medicine and on mental health. As part of the course work, there will be field visits to hospitals, student presentations and written exams. Top

Covering Ecology and Environment Nityanand Jayaram, indpendent journalist and social activist Nityanand Jayaram Issues relating to ecology and the environment have received substantial, though not insightful, media coverage in the last decade. The coverage, by and large, has failed to make the linkage between environmental degradation and issues of justice. The effects of environmental degradation are portrayed as affecting all of humanity in a similar manner. However, an overwhelming body of evidence maintains that the poor, the marginalised and historically oppressed sections of society suffer a disproportionately high share of the ill-effects, while the well-off and politically powerful manage to not just fare better in the face of adverse environmental circumstances but also benefit from the degradation. Writing on environment and ecology requires an ability to make sense of social and natural sciences in addition to the conventional journalistic skills of identifying sources and interviewing. In covering science, the ability to discern fact from conjecture becomes crucial. The role of industry and commerce (corporations), through their control of media and scientific institutions, needs to be understood if one is to tackle the myth that all “science” is science and that“science” is objective. The course will also touch upon some of the critical environmental issues. More importantly, though, it will help students pitch environmental stories and identify environmental angles to mainstream stories. This course will heavily emphasise “environmental justice” (Who gains? Who loses?) as a framework to understand environmental problems, their causes and effects. More than the skills of writing, the course aims to develop research and analytical skills. This elective will be a combination of lecture sessions, field trips, interactive sessions, research projects and role-play exercises. Top

Covering Gender V. Geetha, Editor, Tara Publishing V. Geetha Students studying to work in the media are engaged in the business of looking and reporting, seeing and understanding. But one rarely looks and sees innocently. There are ways of seeing that we have inherited from the past and which define vision itself. The gender lens is primary in this context — it frames and naturalises inequality, deprivation, violence, and injustice. The course argues therefore that gender — as a way of seeing, living and understanding — has to be both unlearnt and re-Iearned, in the interests of equality and justice. To do this, the learner has to implicate herself in what she wishes to analyse, put herself in the middle of her subject of study. This does not mean the classroom turn into a confessional, but it does mean that the everyday that we take for granted be stood on its head and examined critically. The course demonstrates how we may do this, both conceptually and practically. It begins with an examination of the circumstances in which gender emerged as a category of analysis. It suggests that gender relationships are historically contingent and goes on to demonstrate why and how we might want to deploy gender as a critical category. The units that follow examine critically those personal, social and public sites where gender routinely ‘happens’: family, kinship, community, work, sexuality, art, and culture. The last set of units is titled ‘Issues in Focus’. This section looks at contemporary concerns using the gender lens: caste and community, political power, poverty, and survival. Top

Photojournalism D. Krishnan, Photo Editor, The Hindu D. Krishnan The course teaches students to handle professional photographic equipment to produce news photographs and photo features. Students who take the elective have already learnt the basic terms and concepts of photography – terms like shutter speed, aperture, exposure, etc. The elective emphasizes practical work; students are trained to cover VIP visits and meetings and to take candid street photographs. Use of natural light and bounce lights, reflectors and Fill-in Flash are taught in classroom and hands-on sessions. Caption writing and photo transmission also form part of the course. The elective includes classes in Black & White processing and printing and studio photography. Guest lectures on the history and development of photography, and interactive sessions with leading photographers are also arranged. Top

The World of Cinema Krishnan Hariharan, film director and scholar Krishnan Hariharan There is no doubt that cinema has had a profound influence on the shaping of the concept of the ‘world’. In this course, students will get an understanding of the history of cinema, the various technical aspects of the medium, different aesthetic approaches that have been taken in interrogating the subject, and the way viewers all over the world have responded to this unique form of art and entertainment. They will be introduced to the works of a few acclaimed masters from the world of cinema. Cinema has had a great influence on the shaping of national identities, on ideas of law and justice, on values centring on race and gender, and on the shaping of popular culture. Students will learn to look at such aspects as the text of a film, the technological aspects of the medium, how entertainment cinema is delivered to the viewer through the iconic presence of the ‘Actor’, and how the text and the medium get renegotiated by the actor’s presence and reach the audience. The course will pay special attention to Indian cinema, its unique origins, the development of its popular melodramatic form replete with songs and a large dose of family ‘values’ and ‘conflicts’, and the impact of regional cable television channels on cinema. Have mass television and the consumerisation of cinema through videocassettes, VCDs and DVDs altered our perceptions? A screening of some landmark films and excerpts will be part of this course. Top

Politics and Ideology Lecturer Arvind Sivaramakrishnan Arvind Sivaramakrishnan All political actions, policies, and laws embody some ideas about society, politics, and the good, as well as of human nature and human action, and therefore of what is right and fitting for human beings. This holds even if the political actors concerned have no interest in or no knowledge of political theory or political philosophy. This course will introduce about a dozen major political theories and ideologies and will use examples of political actions and events, so that we can analyse the ways in which specific actions, events, and policies express ideological commitments. The aim is for us to develop an enhanced sense of the issues involved in any one topic or controversy, so that we can ask better-informed questions of the participants and analyse the issues more acutely. The participants and policymakers may include politicians, party officials, civil servants, public- and private-sector managers, pressure-groups, and other bodies. Most of our examples will be drawn from South Asia, but we shall refer to other countries and systems at suitable points as well. Wherever possible we shall use supporting material from the mass media. Top

Science Reporting Subbiah Arunachalam, distinguished fellow Subbiah Arunachalam We are living in a world increasingly shaped by science and technology. People need to be aware of scientific advances as well as their implications. A good deal of public knowledge about science is acquired from the mass media. The reporting and coverage of science in the print, broadcast and online media become a vital part of contemporary journalism. The purpose of this elective is to train students to cover scientific and technological subjects accurately and readably without sacrificing complexity. Students will learn to write about garden-variety science, cutting-edge research, and the underbelly of science as in funding and policy. We will read examples of the best science writing today in newspapers, magazines and books for the general reader. We will discuss the science that informs these stories. We will try to understand the techniques these reporters and writers use to communicate abstract ideas and to make complex issues seem comprehensible. The science beat in journalism is extremely varied. Students get to study and write on issues of local significance such as drought, desalination or the fate of our ground water. They will deal with new frontiers in science as in gene therapy, stem cell research, black holes and the future of the universe. The range of topics helps students learn the challenges and excitement of making science accessible through a journalism of precision and liveliness. Top

Urban Studies A. Srivathsan, Senior Assistant Editor, The Hindu A. Srivathsan The urban turn we are going through is increasing the importance of cities in our life. The sheer size, number and spatial convergence of activities puts cities as the engines of growth and makes them epicenters of cultural production. For the same reasons, they also become the sites of contestation. Some view cities and their growth as parasitic and anti-rural. Others think India no more mainly lives in villages, but in cities as well. An understanding of what forces shape urban life and development has become compulsory to cover cities. This course will offer an overview of urban development in India. It will focus on city planning, real estate markets, city laws and culture of cities. Issues of infrastructure investment, private partnership in city development and role of civil society in city affairs will be discussed. The rural-urban divide and urban poverty would be one of the key concerns of this course. A special section on the cultural and political landscape will explore mapping tools to gain new insights into city life. The course will draw on select writings on urban development and also include representations of city life in popular literature including films as its resource. Top

Sports Writing Nirmal Shekar, Sports Editor, The Hindu Nirmal Shekar There is a great demand for good sports writing in India. In addition to theoretical issues concerning the nature of sport and its function in society, this course leans heavily on practical work. A good sports writer has to be, above all, a good writer, and while knowledge of particular sports and games is essential, it is not sufficient to ensure high quality sports journalism. The exercises teach the do’s and don’ts of good sports writing. Students learn how to read a game, profile famous and little known players, and write on mainstream and marginal sports. They learn interviewing skills through class work and practicals, develop the visual sense to select and crop action-pictures, and prepare material for publication. Sports appreciation is also part of the course. What do they know of sport who only sport know? The course lays emphasis on context, and on both depth and breadth in good sports coverage. The course also considers the market for sports writing— what story to do, and where to place it. It introduces students to the special requirements of sports reporting for various media. Students read outstanding sports writers, including ‘non-specialists’ who have written with passion on the sport they love: C.L.R. James, Mike Marqusee, Norman Mailer, and Joyce Carol Oates, among others. Top

Business Plus Course in Economics TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan, Associate Editor, Hindu Business Line and D. Sampathkumar, Corporate Editor, The Hindu-Business Line Sampathkumar TCA Srinivasa Raghavan To become a good business journalist, it is essential to have a good grounding in basic economic theories. This course is designed to familiarize students with the essentials of economic theory in microeconomics and macroeconomics. It will rely mainly on the globally used textbook by Paul Samuelson. To some extent the textbook by Richard Lipsey will also be used. The areas covered in microeconomics will be demand theory, supply theory, the concept of elasticity, utility, marginal analysis, market structures, and very rudimentary aspects of probability theory and game theory. The objective is to demonstrate to the students how, while analyzing economic and business phenomena, these concepts can be used to achieve a better understanding of individual, firm and industry level behaviour. In macroeconomics, the students will be exposed to the theories of John Maynard Keynes with a view to explaining how the State plays a crucial role in the economy. Fiscal policy, monetary policy, and international economics will be explained in their theoretical as well as practical aspects. Once again the objective is to equip students with the intellectual wherewithal so that they can report on complex economic phenomena in a simple and comprehensible manner. Top

Business Plus Course in Economics Abi Sekimitsu, Editor, Reuters, Bangalore, Kavita Chandran, Trainer, Reuters, Bangalore Abi Sekimitsu & Kavita Chandran Reuters Business Plus is a module that focuses on reporting, writing and editing stories on financial markets and instruments, be it equities, commodities or fixed income securities. Students get an adrenalinrushing peek into the life of an international wireservice journalist. Each day covers different countries and relevant business topics, often turning the class into a newsroom, showcasing the global standards required for Reuters stories. Top

Covering Arts and Culture Sadanand Menon, journalist and cultural critic Sadanand Menon The course develops the context for reading arts and culture not as a soft package to be tucked into a conventional weekend journalistic format, but as central to the very comprehension of how a society functions. It focuses on the specificity and diversity of the arts and culture context in India and Asia. It introduces students to the value of empirical and analytical tools for studying the arts and culture.The course ranges over the fine and plastic arts, books and literature, visual and electronic arts, performing arts, cinema and mass entertainment, popular expression, craft and design. Several critical issues are addressed, including issues relating to pre-colonial foundations of cultural principles, the makings of a national cultural policy, the tension between state patronage and private funding, and how the arts are housed. Through a brief history and also a contemporary appraisal, students are introduced to the art of reporting the arts — a critique of reviewing. The course offers opportunities to visit artistic and cultural events, to meet and converse with artists, and to generate an all-round sensibility in this complex area through lectures, debates, discussions, seminars, and actual coverage. Top

Making Sense of Politics Dr V. Krishna Ananth, Advocate and political columnistic V. Krishna Ananth Political developments, as they take place in India, pose serious challenges to the modern journalist. This course will teach students to make sense of political complexity and contradiction and to understand the constellation of forces and factors that shape political conduct at the micro and macro levels. It will deal with central issues such as caste, communalism, ethnicity, separatism, and centralisation, and place the tendencies of the various political platforms in context. The course will give students an understanding of the character of political parties, national and regional, and political beats and teach them to navigate, as professional journalists, through partisan and feuding electoral politics. It will also explore the role of ideology in politics. It will prepare students for informed coverage of elections and the functioning of Parliament, State Assemblies, and local bodies. The basic idea of this course is to provide students with the perspective and competence necessary to analyse events, trends and processes, rather than look at politics as a series of unconnected happenings. Top

Covering Technology N Kalyan Raman, Associate Professor, ACJ N Kalyan Raman The prevalent view of technology solely as an enabler often blinds decision makers and the public at large to the problematic aspects of its deployment and use. The most serious issues facing humankind today – staving off the effects of Climate Change, achievement of food and energy security for countries and regions, access to quality healthcare and education for all, a just and equitable order within and among nations – are vitally dependent on the promise of technologies for their effective resolution. For journalists, covering technology in this context extends way beyond reporting to analysis, expounding on and championing innovative ideas, policy advocacy and more. Through an assortment of select readings from eminent thinkers of the twentieth century – scientists, philosophers, economists and political scientists – and hands-on assignments, this course seeks to provide the student with a more complete understanding of the nature, role, impact and promise of technology, appropriately contextualized in each case. Top