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. 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 2007-2008:

MAKING SENSE OF POLITICS
Dr V. Krishna Ananth, Advocate & political columnist

Dr. V. Krishna AnanthPolitical 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 will place the travails 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.

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LEADING ISSUES IN ECONOMICS
Dr. Venkatesh Athreya, Professor and Head, Dept of Economics, Bharathidasan University, Thiruchirapalli

Dr. 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 reform 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.

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CRITICAL INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Dr 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

Dr. V. Suryanarayan

This course aims at familiarising 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.

IDENTITIES IN A PLURAL SOCIETY
Dr Nalini Rajan, Professor, ACJ

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.

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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 week-end 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.

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COVERING ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
H.C. Sharatchandra, Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board

H. C. Sharatchandra Issues relating to ecology and the environment have received reasonably good media coverage in the last decade. Environmental issues are closely linked to livelihood issues, especially of the poorer sections of society. Many developmental projects aimed at reducing the gap between the rich and the poor have brought more misery than benefit to the vulnerable sections of society.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the pressing problems of environmental degradation, regional and global poverty, and political tensions re inter-related. This course introduces students to both the problem and possible solutions.

The media have a vital role to play in raising awareness of issues of ecology, environment, development, and trade. Students will be introduced in this elective to the fundamentals of ecology and environment, national and international policies and law, conflicts between development and environment, the wildlife and natural resources of India, conflicts between livelihood rights and wildlife conservation, the WTO and the environment, and related issues. They will learn to cover issues of ecology, the environment, livelihood, and development in a fact-based, independent, and balanced way.

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COVERING GENDER
Dr. V. Geetha, Editor, Tara Publishing

Dr. 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.

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PHOTOJOURNALISM
D. Krishnan, senior news photographer

D. Krishnan with students

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.

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BUSINESS REPORTING
D. Sampathkumar, Corporate Editor, Business Line

D. Sampathkumar

The aim of this course is to introduce students to business and financial reporting. Students are trained in reading balance sheets and income statements, understanding financial ratios, assessing the value of a firm, and the technique of constructing and interpreting basic indices like the Consumer Price Index. They are familiarised with developments in the corporate sector over the last decade and with alternative explanations of trends and variations in output and profit performance in different industrial sectors.

The course pays particular attention to the extent and implication of the rise of the new economy and the supposed decline of brick-and-mortar companies. It introduces students to the functioning of the stock market, equity and debt issues, bull and bear markets, stock market regulation, investor protection, and capital market reform. The relative roles of major stock market players like the Indian financial institutions and foreign institutional investors in shaping trends in the capital market are assessed.

Students learn to analyse issues raised by attempted or ongoing banking and insurance industry reform and discuss the problems of regulating a liberalised financial sector. Students also gain a basic understanding of the various international stock market indices like the Dow Jones Industrial, S&P 500, FTSE, Nikkei, and Hang Seng.

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THE WORLD OF CINEMA
Krishnan Hariharan, film director and scholar


Krishnan HariharanThere 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 approaching 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 in general. Students will learn to look at such aspects as the text of a film, the technological Rushing from a class to an outdoor shoot assignment. A combination of critical theory, practical training, and several opportunities to interact with professionals from different 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.

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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, above all, to be 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 actionpictures, 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 aim 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.

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SCIENCE REPORTING
Dr Vijaya Swaminath, scientist and science writer

Dr. Vijaya Swaminath

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 becomes 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.

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CITIZENSHIP, IDEOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY
Lecturer Dr Arvind Sivaramakrishnan

All political actions embody some ideas about society, politics, and the good, as well as of human nature, 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.

Dr. Arvind Sivaramakrishnan

In the context of specific issues and empirical information in public policy, we shall examine several major political theories and ideologies.  We shall see that each theory gives rise to a particular view of human beings, to a particular view of what should be included in public policy, and to a view
of how public policy should be made and implemented.  For example, in a theocracy the priesthood would have final authority in such matters, and
in a technocracy the experts, like biologists or engineers, would have final authority; each group would almost certainly consider very different kinds
of evidence and give very different kinds of reasons for their decisions.

The aim is for us to learn how to identify and evaluate the assumptions underlying a wide range of examples of public policy, so that as journalists we learn to ask more incisive and better-informed questions of the policy makers, who may include politicians, civil servants, public- and private-sector managers, pressure-groups, and other bodies.  It is likely that among the examples we use will be things like AIDS, education rights, privatization,
anti-terrorism legislation, health policy, and so on.  We shall draw our examples from all over the world, and will use supporting material from the mass media wherever possible.

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URBAN STUDIES
A. Srivathsan

A. Srivathsan

The urban turn we are going through is increasing the importance of cities inour 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.

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