CITIZENS REPORT is an initiative of the JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism. It is a platform where citizens may use the tools that journalists use to participate in the conversation of our democracy. The objective of Citizens Report is to be a voice for people across India to participate in this conversation in the language of their choice. As you will notice, we have begun with Maharashtra, and more specifically Mumbai and Thane. Soon we will go to other towns and villages across the state, and then on to other states. We would like Citizens Report to be multilingual where all citizens can potentially share their stories.
JM FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM
The JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism. We are a not-for-profit institution incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1956. Our mandate is to use research, teaching and archiving to promote excellence in journalism in India.
As a non-partisan institution, we are guided by three values that are at the core of journalistic practice – fairness, accuracy in reportage, and respect for the conscience of individual journalists. We are committed to free speech and an unfettered press. In the Indian context, we are dedicated to the promoting of excellence in journalism practised in all Indian languages without the use of etymologically derogatory or self-congratulatory nomenclature like the vernacular press, national press, or the language press.
In these times, circa the second decade of the 21st century, when the credibility of journalists has taken a beating and the faith of the people in the press as an enabling institution has eroded, we consider research, teaching and archiving as the means using which journalism can be returned to a position of rectitude and respect.
We believe that the work that we have set up for ourselves calls for alliance, partnerships and support from across the world. We request similar organizations to help us in ensuring excellence in teaching, research and resource sharing. Also, we seek the advice and counsel of those who believe in our objectives because we think that these aims cannot but be shared by those who believe in a strong, effective media and in a participatory democracy.
JM Foundation for Excellence in Journalism was set up by Shishir Joshi and Aloke Thakore. Its other programmes include a Media Literacy Programme and Journalism Mentor, a post graduate diploma programme in journalism.
Shishir Joshi was till recently the Group Editorial Director of the Mid-Day group of publications, which includes Mid-Day (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune), Sunday Mid-Day, Gujarati Mid-Day and Inquilab. Prior to Mid-Day, Joshi was with the TV Today group, where he was executive editor. He has also been editorial consultant for the Sahara group, helping set up TV channels across India as well as recruiting and training professionals for them. Prior to that he was with NDTV as its sole business news correspondent based out of Mumbai. He has worked with CNN.com, written for Reuters and AFP and has contributed to UK based ITN-Channel 4 News and has been the South Asia Representative of Peter Arnett’s Broadcast News Network (BNN TV). A law graduate, he is a Chevening Scholar.
Aloke Thakore is a journalist, researcher and teacher. He has worked in print and television. At various times he has reported, written columns, authored academic articles, anchored programmes, taught at university and colleges, and coached in news rooms. He has also helped launched newspapers and magazines both as editorial and management consultant. He counts many journalists and media professionals among his students and trainees. A Media Leadership Fellow of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, he has a Ph.D. in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an AM in International Relations from the University of Chicago, an MS in Journalism from the University of Kansas. His first degree is from Calcutta University.
