Announcement for Media briefing on tobacco control efforts by Indian Media Centre for Journalists, Lucknow

Announcement for Media briefing on tobacco control efforts by Indian Media Centre for Journalists, Lucknow

On behalf of the Indian Media Centre for Journalists (IMCFJ), Lucknow, we are pleased to invite you to a series of briefing and Journalist to journalists briefing on tobacco control issues. The briefing and journalist to journalist (J2J) interaction are being organised across the 10 Hindi and Urdu speaking states of north India (please see the proposed itinerary below). On May 31, 2008 IMCFJ organised a briefing in Lucknow for over 200 editors, proprietors and journalists of Hindi and Urdu press to discuss, debate and build consensus around the role of journalists in addressing serious health concerns like tobacco use and inspiring journalists to report actively on this issue.

Objective
Globally, India is the second largest consumer of tobacco and is the cause of millions of deaths in India. Smoking alone causes 10% of the 10 million (1 crore) deaths that occur in India per year. Despite this tobacco remains poorly regulated. For the Government of India, tobacco industry is a source of revenue and therefore it deliberately subverts policy interventions and effective enforcement. Despite sound laws, and deterrents like taxes and bans on advertising and promotion, these together are inefficient deterrents for vulnerable groups especially the young and the poor in getting addicted to tobacco for life. There is little political will or sustained commitment to control the devastating impact that tobacco products can have.

About the J2J programme
The J2J sessions are informal presentations, made by senior journalists and development professionals. Short presentation and use of films and case studies (about 40 per cent) followed by discussions and debates (about 60 percent of time) is the general form of pedagogy. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, challenge existing belief, science and wisdom and present local facts and realities in debates.

About IMCFJ
The Indian Media Centre for Journalists, Lucknow (the proponents), established in 1997, as part of the Rural Journalists Association of India (a grassroots organisation serving rural journalists since 1958) to train and encourage journalists to write on pressing development issues of local and regional concern. For more details visit: http://www.imcfj.org.in/

How to apply
The positions are limited (25 to 30 participants) and highly competitive and open to local journalists and media people reporting in Hindi, Urdu and local dialects. Students and other media professionals (like community radio professionals) are welcome to apply. Participants will be awarded a certificate of participation and exceptional participants will be invited to apply for a fellowship after each workshop. Please send your nominations (self or others from your institution) and for venue and other logistic details to the following people.
Feel free to contact-
Shri Ashutosh Singh 'ashutosh@imcfj.org.in', 09450164908, 09918857366
Shri Dhananjay 'dhananjays17@gmail.com' 9410573428
Mr. Badis Bensid 'imcfj.j2j@gmail.com'

Date of J2J briefings
September 19th & 20th 2008: Banaras
September 26th & 27th 2008 : Dehradun
October 8th , 2008: Bhopal
November 7th & 8th , 2008: Shimla
November 29th & 30th, 2008: Ranchi
December 19th & 20th , 2008: Jaipur
Two fellows meetings proposed in early January and another mid March 2009