The second session of the day on ‘The issues for regional press’ was chaired by Professor Robin Jeffrey, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Canberra.

“The term ‘minority’ is used as a euphemism for Muslims while there are other minority communities like tribals and Scheduled Castes in the country, particularly in the state of Gujarat. There is much more to the state than the ‘two Ms’: Muslims and Modi,” said Ayesha Khan, Assistant Editor, The Indian Express, Ahmedabad in her presentation on the topic ‘Depiction of minority communities in mainstream regional press.’

Terming homogenisation of minority communities in the media as incorrect, Ayesha said even within the state, the community varies in different aspects.

Giving insights from the eastern and the southern parts of the country, Rajat Roy, a political commentator from a regional television channel in Kolkata and Arun Laxman, a Trivandrum-based journalist spoke about balancing regional/state politics with national issues and challenges in reporting local issues and domestic politics respectively.

With the vote of thanks, Professor Robin Jeffrey pulled the curtains on the two-day seminar with the hope that similar kinds of seminars would be orgainsed in the future too.