Studies in Media

Big Brother Google is Watching You! All the time. How do you think Google gives you fairly accurate traffic information on Google Maps? Initially, Google Maps was used as just that - like a map. To find your way in an unknown place, or to know the distance between two places. But some time in March 2012, Google developed an algorithm that measured the density of devices logged in to Google along with tracking the location based on GPS. So if you are logged in to Google on your mobile phone, tablet, or your computer or laptop, Google knows exactly where you are located. This does raises privacy issues. What if you do not want to be tracked by Google? What if you don't want Google to know your location? Well, Google lets you opt out. Here's a link to know how to do just that: http://bgr.com/2014/08/28/google-maps-location-tracking-opt-out/ Very recently, Google Maps has introduced a feature to actually let your contacts track your location. You can share your locati

Let me tell you a story I read when I was in the 3rd or 4th standard, probably in Chandamama the children's monthly. A greedy man prays, does tapascharya , and pleases God. God appears before the man and asks him his wish. " Var maango, vatsa ", God says. The man says, "I want to ask you a few questions before I wish for anything". "Go ahead", God says. "We are so small, so all that is in heaven must be bigger than here on earth?" God replies in affirmative. So the man asks, "How much is your 1 kilo?" "It is like million tons." "And one acre?" "Like a continent" "And 1 litre"? "Like one of your oceans." Pleased, the man thinks for a while and says, "God, I am not greedy. I wish for just one acre of land, and only 100 rupees. Please grant me my wish." God says, "Sure Vatsa , I will certainly grant you your wish. I will make the arrangements, and wi

I give you what you want, and I don't have the time, nor the inclination (pun intended) to think about what you, the society needs. Like, I think you should also start thinking, instead of blaming me, the media, for all the unhappy, sad, evil, and all the wrongdoings in the society. Instead of brainlessly switching on channels and watching programs which insult, degrade, make fun of other people, and supposedly encourage superstition, maybe you should just go out, take a walk (pun intended again). You think I should have some social responsibility, which I do agree. And I do give you programs that are beneficial to the society. But I have so many people working with me. You think all people who work for me should go hungry to bed? They don't deserve increments? They don't have family responsibilities and ambitions? Well, you are wrong. Being socially responsible cannot come at a cost of my family and my ambitions. Like, I am the media. I am a business. I am here to

The Media and Communication sector, essentially has only one product - content. Content that touches the lives of people, affects the senses, invades privacy, content that becomes a part of our daily lives. Media products do not distinguish between, religion, caste, creed, status, or your geography or region. What we see on television is what the world sees. What we aspire for is what the world aspires for. And the products that we produce are for everyone's consumption. There are no geographical boundaries anymore. I visited some remote villages in Maharashtra with my students for their Rural Immersion Program. The villages of Waghawale, Morni, Arav, Valvan and Chakdev are largely cut off from the rest of the world, especially in terms of transportation and mobile connectivity. There is just one bus that arrives in the evening and leaves in the morning. We found mobile connectivity in just 2 places, and that too with a poor signal. No newspapers are delivered to this entire a

The profound changes that the media and communication sector has experienced are because of 2 factors: Digitization and Convergence. The newspaper industry has experienced major upheavals by the disruptive digital technologies. Here is an interesting study being conducted: http://cis-india.org/raw/digital-transition-in-newspapers-in-india-pilot-study

We say this again. To be successful in manager in the media and communication sector, a management training program should also have creative courses in the curriculum. Citing from the article below, Excel Sheets don't make successful media products, at the same time, artistic brooding also doesn't. There has to be a balance of both to make a successful film. "Industry insiders, admittedly those on the creative side, say the MBAs running studios do not understand story, script, or screenplay. So they play safe by signing on the biggest star they can. That done, they get the director the star wants. And then they look around for a script. If the movie fails, they can always say it is not their fault, after all, they did get the most saleable star." Do read up folks, you will understand why the Advanced Diplomas in Management in Advertising, Entertainment, Digital Marketing, and Diplomas in Journalism and PR at MET Institute of Mass Media will help you for getting

The Reliance's jio Bomb has burst. In the aftermath, it will be interesting the watch the game being played out by the mobile companies in the market, and in the quality of their services. Reliance's disruptive strategies are certainly not new. It has been a game changer in the past too. My earlier post Karlo Duniya Mitthi Mein -Part 3 gives the basics of Reliance's predatory pricing method to cause disruption. There will no doubt, be an initial orgy of downloads using the free 4G services. But when the dust settles down after the free internet offer, the realities will take over. This launch could erupt into a price war, but what will be really interesting to watch is the effect it will have on the delivery and consumption of media content. The communication culture in India has been in a constant mode of adapting to newer technologies, with the cell phone winning hands down across the country. Today, the maximum growth in the media sector is in the mobile content seg