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She was speaking at a Changemakers session at the Bengaluru campus of GITAM (Deemed to be University)
Hyderabad, August 2023: In
a thought-provoking Changemakers session at GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru campus, distinguished journalists Dhanya Rajendran and Vignesh Vellore shed light on the underrepresentation of the Southern news stories in mainstream media and their mission
to bring about change.
As a former TV journalist, Rajendran highlighted the struggle to get Southern news featured on national bulletins, while
seemingly trivial incidents from other regions received extensive coverage. “It made me feel like not just a journalist but also a marketing agent for South India. There was a lack of focus on Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, or Kerala, and Kerala hardly found a
place on the national map unless there was political violence leading to deaths,” she expressed.
Speaking about their media entrepreneurial venture, Rajendran shared her college experience, saying, “College life was all
about forming opinions, whether about politics, life, or how I view things.” Recognizing the level of awareness and strong opinions among the student community in South India, Rajendran and Vellore were driven to create The News Minute, a platform dedicated
to balanced regional news coverage.
Founded in 2013, The News Minute started as an aggregator and evolved into a full-fledged news organization focused solely
on South India. Vellore emphasized their strategic decision to publish in English to reach a broader audience in the region.
The session explored broader aspects of journalism, with a focus on the responsibility to reflect political realities and
hold governments accountable. The duo expressed their commitment to question liberal and progressive governments to ensure transparency and accountability.
Reflecting on late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s case and the importance of mental health in organizations, Dhanya Rajendran
also stressed the importance of addressing mental health in organizations, stating, “Acknowledging employees’ mental health issues doesn’t lead to concessions, but rather, it is essential for organizations to support their workforce in a mindful and compassionate
manner.”
The event also shed light on the challenges faced by media organizations during government-imposed information blackouts.
Rajendran voiced concerns about internet shutdowns and their impact on people’s access to vital information, referring to recent incidents in Manipur.
The Changemakers session at GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru campus brought dynamic insights from national and
global leaders, inspiring a positive transformation in media representation.