Media Representation and Reality in Assam
2.7 Profile of Media Respondents
A section of media persons were approached for the detailed survey as per the questionnaire. While many media practitioners approached were apparently enthusiastic about serious academic study being undertaken in the regional media field with respect to violence reporting and stereotypical projection which they felt actually needed academic as well as industry attention for scope of betterment; a section of media practitioners also refrained from responding citing professional hindrances and lack of proper knowledge. Respondents specifically refused to comment citing speculated professional hazards that may occur responding on specific issues like sub-nationalism, political involvement in media coverages, media ethics and professional secrecy of functioning. As a result responses were gathered only from those media practitioners who volunteered for the same.
2.7.1 Interview Methodology
The present study deploys theoretical/ purposive sampling based on the knowledge of the likely to be respondents’ population and the purpose of the study. In-depth
personal interviews with 112 respondents (59 from nine electronic media houses, 28 from 13 newspaper media houses and 25 freelance media persons) were held.
Table 2.3: Profile of the Respondents from Media Houses (N=112)
Television/
Electronic Media Houses
Newspaper Media Houses Freelance
Media Persons
Total Respondents
n=59 n=28 n=25 N=112
English language Press
Vernacular language Press
21 7
n= Sum total of respondents from various Media Houses N= Sum total of respondents
Table 2.4: Respondents from nine television/electronic media houses (N=59)
DY 365
News Live
Frontier TV
Prime News
News Time Assam
DD News
NE TV
Aaj Tak
Asian News International
Total Respondents
16 5 13 4 4 9 6 1 1 N=59
N= Sum total of respondents
Table 2.5: Respondents from Eight English language newspaper media houses (N=21)
Seven Sisters Post
The Sentinel
The Times of India
Eastern Chronicle
Tehelka The Telegraph
The Assam Tribune
Total Respondents
8 2 3 4 1 2 1 N=21
N= sum total of respondents
Table 2.6: Respondents from Vernacular press, five Assamese and one Bengali (N=7)
Dainik Assam (Assamese)
Pratidin (Assamese)
Ajir Dainik Batori (Assamese)
Dainik Jugasankha (Bengali)
Adinor Sambad (Assamese)
Gana Adhikar (Assamese)
Total Respondents
1 2 1 1 1 1 N=7
N= Sum total of respondents
Table 2.7: Responses from Freelancers* (N=25)
Television media
Print media Radio journalist
Photo- journalists
Web Journalists
Total Respondents
7 11 1 3 3 N=25
N= Sum total of respondents
*25 Freelance (Table 6) media practitioners working in Assam, associated with specific media house and contributing to various other national and international agencies were approached. The freelancers who were available to comment during the survey include personalities like Editor, Jeevan magazine;
Reporter, The Asian Age; Editor-In-Chief at Northeastnews.in; former BBC Correspondent, Photojournalist cum Independent Film Maker; Bureau Chief, Pratah Khabar Media Pvt Ltd; North- East Correspondent, Rajasthan Patrika; Sub-Editor, The Sentinel Group; Columnist, The Indian Express; Secretary of Guwahati Press Club; Chief Photographer at Little Hands Production;
Transmission Executive, All India Radio; Associate Editor, The Arunachal Pioneer; former Times of India correspondent; Senior Journalist at Press Trust of India; Northeast correspondent for ETV news;
Radio Jockey at South Asia FM; and independent film makers; photojournalists and documentarians, features writers, independent content developer, media experts and academicians from the field of Journalism and Mass Communication.
As the data intended for the research analysis swas acquired by virtue of a verbal guarantee of anonymity promised to survey respondents before data collection, strict confidentiality regarding their identities and media affiliations have been maintained throughout the thesis in most instances. Therefore the list of media persons provided below consists of only the respondents’ institutional designations and not names in order to protect respondents’ anonymity.
Along with the above selected media persons who were approached for the detailed survey as per the questionnaire, views of practicing media experts including Arnab Goswami (Times Now), Ratnajit (Tehelka Northeast correspondent), Lassa R (Information Bureau officer Assam), Shabir Nishat (PRO, CM Assam), Pamela Philipose, Guest Editor, The Thumb Print; Indrani Raimedhi, Freelance Writer;
Teresa Rehman, Editor The Thumb Print; Bhaswati Khaund Centre for Northeast studies, Delhi University; Sanjoy Hazarika) were compiled from their published articles in various media which include online content as well.
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