INCLUSIVE MEDIA FOR CHANGE

IDEAS, INFORMATION & ALTERNATIVES ONINDIA MARGINALISED: A web resource

Im4change.org – a free web-based resource centre of

info, ideas and alternatives on India Marginalised – is designed for media persons, policy

makers and researchers. For journalists hard pressed for time, and for researchers and policy

makers looking for alternative viewpoints, the site is an automatic first choice

Just do a keywords search or simply click on one of its backgrounders to get to thousands of

links/ URLs connecting the readers to authentic facts and figures, academic papers, official

reports and studies by civil society and global organisations. Every study is organised in such

a way that you get an executive summary in bullet points along with a web link of the report/

paper. The objective of the exercise is to regularly update media persons about the most

pressing developmental issues and to sharpen their understanding through a wealth of ideas,

alternatives

and academic knowledge.

A team of media professionals and researchers – who engage with and understand the needs

of working journalists — organises and updates backgrounders and offers new facts and

insights, particularly when policies are being debated and discussed. The resource centre is

emerging as a network of networks with the ability to connect development thinkers, civil

society organisations, policy makers and domain experts to mainstream media and vice versa.

Im4change.org is visited by thousands of unique visitors every month and growing, though

the number of hits is in millions. The site is bilingual and the Hindi section contains many

unique elements.

Im4change.org website encourages reporters, editors and commentators to apprise themselves

of the range and depth of issues while participating in and reporting on policy debates. It is

well known that powerful lobbies push motivated perspectives, particularly when policy

changes are contemplated. Our belief is that the availability of a quick and credible resource,

where perspectives of disenfranchised people are readily available, would make the debate

more inclusive and democratic.

The Inclusive Media Project team does not normally write media content but it provides

information to enable others to write their own stories. It seeks to expand the intellectual

climate for analytically informed coverage by providing a convergence platform for the

issues of the marginalised. What it provides is not stories but data and raw material for

writing incisive and balanced stories.

The news alert section makes use of latest data, information and reports to present stories that

have been missed by the mainstream media.

The Inclusive Media Project also conducts media research, hold occasional media workshops,

offers media fellowships for journalists, and organises regular exchange of ideas.

So far the Inclusive Media Project has given fellowships to 38 journalists and reporters.

(Please visit im4change.org for more details).

Im4change.orgbackgrounders are available on the following topics:

Farm Crisis

- Key Facts

- Farmers' suicides

- Rural distress

- Debt Trap

- Unemployment

- Migration

Empowerment

- GENDER

- Displacement

- Right to Food

- Right to Work (MG-NREGA)

- Social Audit

- Right to Information

- Right to Education

- Forest and Tribal Rights

- Union Budget

Hunger / HDI

- Poverty and inequality

- Hunger Overview

- Malnutrition

- HDI Overview

- Education

- Public Health

- Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)

- PDS/ Ration/ Food Security

- SDGs

Environment

- Water and Sanitation

- Impact on Agriculture

- Time Bomb Ticking

Law & Justice

- Social Justice

- Access to Justice

- Human Rights

- Corruption

- General Insecurity

- Disaster & Relief