Inside the newsroom, beyond the headlines...
Goa’s media landscape is as vibrant and complex as the land it represents. From the early struggles of homegrown journalists to the modern day challenges of digital disruption, a new book paints a picture of the media through memories and musings of those in the field.
Through the voices of veteran reporters, photographers, editors, and young writers, this collection captures the spirit of storytelling, the struggle to tell the truth, and the ever-changing nature of the profession.
Noted Mumbai-based journalist and ex-editor Olga Tellis explains how she entered the field, and her experiences there. Journalists Dharmanand Kamat and Mohan Vaidya (ex-Gomantak) give their unusual insights into the field.
John Aguiar was a journalist from his schooldays; Julian D'Costa e D'Cruz narrates her victories over the years; Patricia Ann Alvares shares her freelance and fulltime journalism experiences; as does Cordelia B Francis.
The book is divided into sections -- home-grown talent, younger voices, niche spaces, views from the outside, and looking in-looking back.
Besides Tellis, the other outstation journalists with strong Goan links or experiences include Ayesha Kagal, Lina Mathias, Reena Martins, Adrian da Cunha (who worked in circulation in some prominent organisations), Capt Norbert Rebello (whose family ran the community Romi Konkani 'Cine Times'), and Olav Albuquerque.
Niche spaces focussed on include column writing (Miguel Braganza), Konkani journalism (Fausto V da Costa), from journalism to books (Sheela Jayway), alternative media (Frederick Noronha, who also edits the book), and radio (Nerita D'Cruz).
Younger journalists who share their experiences include Gerard de Souza, Anna Fernandes, Anish Esteves and Diana Fernandes. Largest is the second section of `home-grown talent', including Pamela D'Mello, Fr Elvis H Fernandes, noted photographer Sandeep Naik, the late Joel D'Souza, Michael Fisher, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, Camil Parkhe, and veteran late Mariio Cabral e Sa. Daryl Pereira, an expat Goan who spent a year working in Goa, narrates his story of how he moved "from Goa to generative AI". Pereira has worked for some giant IT corporations too. Former journalists and non-journalists also share their experiences in Goa, including Debashish Munshi, Pushpa Iyengar, Gasper D'Souza, the late Ashley D'Mello (his last piece contributed here).
Whether it’s the nostalgia over scarce typewriters, the smell of newsprint, or the reality of pink slips in today's newspaper industry, each chapter is a window into the lives of those who have shaped and chronicled history. Most of the writers are from Goa, though some are based outside.
With reflections on ethics, press freedom, and the impact of technology, this book is a sequel to the book In Black and White: Insiders Stories about the Press in Goa, which was published in 2008. Now out of print, the earlier title is available at archive.org. See https://archive.org/details/inblackandwhite This completely new book updates the discussions, over a decade-and-half later.
CONTRIBUTORS
John Aguiar, Olav Albuquerque, Patricia-Ann Alvares, Miguel Braganza, Mário Cabral e Sá, Fausto V. da Costa, Julian D’Costa e D’Cruz, Nerita D’Cruz, Adrian da Cunha, Anish Esteves, Anna Fernandes, Diana Fernandes, Fr. Elvis H. Fernandes, sfx, Michael Fisher, Cordelia B. Francis, Pushpa Iyengar, Sheela Jaywant, Ayesha Kagal, Dharmanand Kamat, Ashley D’Mello, Pamela D’Mello, Reena Martins, Lina Mathias, Debashish Munshi, Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, Sandeep Naik, Frederick Noronha, Camil Parkhe, Daryl Pereira, Capt Norbert Rebello, Devika Sequeira, Gasper D’Souza, Joel D’Souza, Gerard de Souza, Olga Tellis, Mohan Vaidya.
Frederick Noronha Media and Journalism 2025. Pp. 258. Rs 500. ISBN (Print) 978-93-95795-76-0 ISBN (Ebook) 978-93-95795-32-6
