Book Release: Shobha Warrier's "Diary of a journalist"

Shobha Warrier, a Chennai based Senior journalist (presently Associate Editorial Director at Rediff dot com) has authored a wonderful book tiled, "Diary Of A Journalist The Little Flower Girl And Others" recently.  She has shared lots of her experience as a journalist.  This will be a very useful book for the young journalism/ communication students and professionals to understand the nuances of the profession.

I reproduce below the note published in the back cover of the book.

The Little Flower girl and Others: Diary of a journalist

A story teller unravels the extraordinary stories of some ordinary people. On our journey through life we meet so many people--many we forget but some leave memories that refuse to fade away.This is a collection of true stories-of actual meetings and encounters that the author had with these people over the years as a journalist. The 11-year-old flower seller with her unfulfilled dreams, the gay men forced into lives of heterosexual unhappiness,the heart-wrenching stories of abandoned HIV positive children whom no-one wants to adopt. There are poignant stories of old women in old age homes.Among the exploited prostitutes there stands out Sandhya who proudly describes how being a sex-worker has enabled her to educate and marry off her siblings.Poor home-less pavement dwellers live together amicably regardless of their religion.One old lady tells the author:"here everyone has only one caste-Ezhari jaati-(the caste of the poor). Yet what shines through these stories isn't despair but hope and triumph of the human spirit against all odds.

About the Author

Shobha Warrier works as the Associate Editorial Director at rediff.com.She is also a short story writer in Malayalam, having published three collections- Ramakundam, Meghana and Jalavidya. She was awarded the Lalithambika Antharjanam award for the young woman writer in Malayalam in 1996 for the book Jaalavidya. Her short stories have been translated into Kannada and Telugu. 

There are 36 diaries on real people, the marginalised in society like AIDS orphans, HIV+ people, transgender, gay people, abandoned mothers, sex workers, etc.

Details of the book

Title: The Little Flower Girl and Others: Diary of a Journalist

Publisher is Vitasta Publishing House, Pages- 134. Price Rs. 245

Available online - Flipkart  and rediff books. 

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C K Sardana's book "The Challenge of Public Relations" - Second edition released

Ram Naresh Yadav, Governor of M.P., formally released the book on October 01, 2013 at an impressive function at Bhopal. On extreme right is the writer, C.K. Sardana. Next to him is K.S. Sharma, Former Chief Secretary, M.P. Government.

Shri Ram Naresh Yadav, Governor of Madhya Pradesh formally released the second edition of the book titled "The Challenge of Public Relations' on 1st October 2013, authored by Shri C K Sardana, one of the veterans in the Indian Public Relations industry.  

Shri Sardana during 1980s and 1990s was heading the Corporate Communication Department of BHEL, one of the biggest Public Sector Undertakings of India.  After 1991, when the liberalisation process started in India, he was building awareness about PR among the Public Sector organisations.  He was also the President of the Public Sector PR Forum at Delhi.  

I personally know Mr Sardana from early 1990, when he was the President of Public Sector PR Forum. In early 1990s, I used to have lot of discussions with him on various aspects of PR and he used to share his rich experience with me.

With that influence and  with the support and guidance of Mr S Narendra, then  PIB Chief and Advisor to the then Prime Minister, we  started a similar Public Sector PR Forum at Chennai to bring together all the Public Sector organisations and to create PR awareness.  

In his book (206 pages), through 18 chapters, Mr Sardana has brought out in  lucid style various aspects of Public Relations concept. Though the first edition was published in 1995, immediately after the launch of liberalisation era, he has revised the second edition with additional inputs, including sensitive case studies like Bhopal gas leak,  to educate the new generation PR professionals.

There may be changes in the style and practise of public relations in the current social media era.  But whatever be the changes in the communication medium, we need to remember that the target group viz. human beings remain unchanged. Public Relations professionals deal with the human beings, their sentiments, their emotions, their culture, etc. Many eminent communication professionals have endorsed this book in their foreword.  I personally feel this a good handbook for the young PR and Corpcom professionals and corporate CEOs, to understand the nuances of the PR concept.. 

This book is published by Har-Anand Publications Pvt Limited, New Delhi and priced at Rs.225/-.

News report dated 2nd October 2013 in Hitavada

Shri Sardana after retirement is now settled at Bhopal, mentoring young communication professionals.  He can be reached at casardana@gmail.com.

I am very proud that one of my senior colleagues has brought out the second edition of his book on public relations, which has been released by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh.

- Prime Point Srinivasan

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