Christina Meetoo

This blog has moved

2006-08-31T14:04:00.000+04:00

This weblog has now moved to http://www.noulakaz.net/christina

Towards the creation of an association of journalists?

2006-08-11T12:31:00.000+04:00

It is now confirmed that some 60 journalists have met to discuss the ways and means of forming an association. According to yesterday's issue of Le Mauricien (L'express has also published the news), they met on Wednesday and it was Nad Sivaramen and Sedley Assone who started it all.

I'm glad the idea is taking shape and more so to see that even the chief editors of the two rivals L'express and Le Mauricien attended the meeting. Gilbert Ahnee in fact devoted his editorial to that meeting, expressing his appreciation of the initiative (as well as his qualms about how to go about it and the obstacles they may meet). He also mentioned the creation of a mailing list/forum and a blog.

Soho, let's wait and see whether any common ground can be found. Good luck.

Update - Radio One show on 27th July

2006-08-10T11:43:00.000+04:00

It's been some time since I last posted on this blog. There are multiple reasons for this: I had to finish a consultancy report, the kids and us were on holiday for a week, and I guess I had sort of disconnected / plugged out...

I however want to report on a radio show I was invited to on R1 on Thursday 27th July. The show is called 'Controverses' and was hosted by Francoise Marechal-Charlotte. The programme was devoted to the local media, more specifically to the Media Trust. The other guests were journalists Henri Marimootoo and Sedley Assone.

Death of the Media Trust?
The starting point for the discussion was the alleged programmed death of the Media Trust, which still has no chairman as the PM has not yet designated one though the media reps had already been elected in January. This has handicapped the Media Trust Board which cannot operate as usual.

This lack of decision by the PM together with the announced proposal of a Media Commission Bill is prompting journalists to say that the govt wants to punish the press and drastically restrict its freedom.

As an external observer, I analysed this as a strategy of govt to frighten the press. As I pointed out in an earlier post, this seems to be working to some extent as some journalists are sometimes unduly overcautious in reporting even official speeches and parliamentary questions.

I don't know what will be the content of the Media Commission Bill (if there is one) but definitely, we will have to be careful that it does not stifle the press (though some regulating would be desirable, specially to protect the interests of ordinary citizens).

Self-regulation not control
However I truly think that it is high time for the press to show its goodwill (and thereby avoid the 'necessity' of imposed control from above) by creating its own association or institution to discuss and establish codes of conduct, provide mechanisms for handling complaints and ensure redress and also incidentally raise funds for training programmes. Self-regulation is always better than imposed laws.

I also pointed out that the Media Trust is currently receiving only some 2 million rupees annually from govt, basically to fund seminars and training of journalists. Surely, if the Media Trust were really to die, that would not be the end of journalism in Mauritius.

The need for common ground
The problem is that journalists of the local press itself have not been able to communicate amongst themselves (ironic, isn't it?). Though diversity of approaches and beliefs is certainly desirable to provide a large array of choices on the market (and thus ensure multiple voices are heard), some common ground has got to be found to ensure freedom of speech that is also respectful of all.

I heard recently that some journalists have met to discuss the creation of an association. Could it be that my suggestions have been heard? I hope the initiative is a serious and solid one...

Are Mauritian journalists afraid?

2006-07-12T10:57:00.000+04:00

One of the major headlines in the local media these days concerns the 'Bookie affair'. To recap, some 7 CD-ROMs were seized at bookmaker Joomun's place. These are being progressively 'decoded' and apparently, important public figures' names appear on these lists of illegal bets (illegal as they are not declared to the Income Tax and they are done 'a credit').

Yesterday (Tuesday 11th July), at National Assembly, the Opposition Leader, Nando Bodha, asked the acting PM, Vasant Bunwaree whether the name of two ministers of the present govt were on these lists and he mentioned the names of the ministers. Of course, Bunwaree denied the info and there was an uproar in the majority. That's normal...

But what's not that normal (any lawyers or people from a legal background who can help out?) is that the a major part of the media are deliberately avoiding mentioning the names of the ministers. Most probably because the PM, Navin Ramgoolam, made a loud declaration condemning the Opposition Leader's stance and warning people who might be tempted to make similar allegations. Yet, during the week-end, the same PM had threatened people who make vague allegations without having the courage to say the names. That's normal again for him...

This is what Le Mauricien published yesterday:
"Bodha : As a matter of integrity and transparency et dans le souci déclaré du gouvernement de ne pas avoir recours à un Cover Up, peut-il confirmer que les noms des deux ministres … (à ce stade le leader de l'opposition cite les noms de deux ministres, dont l'un est présent dans l'hémicycle et l'autre est absent) figurent sur cette liste ?"

And Radio Plus and Radio One also adopted the same strategy of not citing the names. However, it was easy to figure out that one of the ministers is Asraf Dulull as he gave a press conference to deny Bodha's accusations and extracts of the conference were aired by the radio stations.

Could it be that our journalists are afraid of even quoting what was publicly uttered by a member of Parliament at National Assembly (the proceedings of which are normally accessible to the public via its website on the govt portal, though updating is delayed by a few weeks)?

Only L'express published the names in today's paper:
"C’est le moment que choisit Nando Bodha pour lancer un pavé dans la mare. Il cite nommément deux ministres, demandant si leurs noms sont mentionnés sur la liste des parieurs illégaux. Il s’agit d’Asraf Dulull, ministre du Logement et Rama Valayden, ministre de la Justice."

Unsurprisingly, Le Matinal did not even bother to write on the affair...

Debriefing: "Live Chat" show

2006-07-04T14:20:00.000+04:00

The 'Live Chat' show on 'Advertising' turned out to be a quite light programme. As the name indicates, we chat live on air ;-)
The starting point for the discussion was in fact the decision of the govt to ban all adverts on billboards for alcoholic drinks as from 7th July.

As I explained to host Sadhna Teeluckdharry there are no studies that prove there's a direct and strong impact of ads for alcohol upon people's behaviour (in terms of buying and consumption) just like for any other type of product or service for that matter. Of course, we must acknowledge that ads have some form of influence on people (otherwise firms wouldn't spend so much money on ad campaigns) but their influence cannot be isolated. There are a host of many other factors that are intermingling to produce the kind of society we have. We can't put all of the blame on ads.

Will this ban on ads for alcohol help reduce drastically the consumption of alcohol? Not so sure... The approach should be more holistic (e.g. provide information and educate youngsters, provide people with the necessary cultural, social and educational framework, ensure the provision of healthy activities for all...)

La question est: ki alternative pe propose banne zom ki all boire dan bar pou passe passe zot le temps ek gagne ene kick?

Sex again...
We also talked about shocking ads, for instance using sexual allusions and the female body in ads. This seemed to preoccupy many of the callers who were quite confused about the ideas they wanted to express... Personally, I do not see that many shocking ads on the local scene in terms of the sexual overtones but I do see some ugly ads though as well as some vulgar media creations here and there. This can most probably be explained by advertisers' lack of 'finesse' and money to invest in good intelligent creation.

All ads and all agencies cannot be put in the same bag. Some creations are quite interesting and do win awards on the regional scene, which is a sign of some progress in the mauritian adscape!

On "Live Chat" show tonight

2006-07-03T13:08:00.000+04:00

For those who might be interested, I will be on the MBC Radio's "Live Chat" programme tonight from 5.15 to 6 p.m. The theme of the show is 'La publicité: pour ou contre". Sadhna Teeluckdharry is hosting the show which is meant to be interactive with questions from listeners over the phone or via chat.

La Cathedrale de Harrikrisna Anenden

2006-06-29T10:35:00.000+04:00

Le long métrage 'La Cathédrale' de Harrikrisna Anenden a été montré pour la première fois hier soir dans les jardins du Centre Culturel Charles Baudelaire. Le film est inspiré d'une nouvelle écrite par son épouse Ananda Devi en 1977.

C'est un beau film qui célèbre la poésie particulière de la ville de Port-Louis et des visages qui grouillent dans ses rues. J'ai beaucoup apprécié l'esthétisme des images du cinéaste, dont c'est la première fiction. Il nous livre une belle photographie accompagnée d'une bande sonore qui utilise à fond le séga avec des classiques tels 'Charlie', 'Alouda Limonade', 'La Riviere Tanier'.

La capitale
Si l'histoire tourne autour de Lina, une fille de soleil, avec ses rêves et ses doutes, c'est surtout la ville de Port-Louis, ses rues, ses vieilles maisons en bois et tôle, ses trottoirs, son vacarme et les corps qui y défilent (mendiants, colporteurs, jeunes cadres, businessmen, flâneurs...) qui semble en réalité être le véritable sujet du film. A tel point qu'on devrait probablement changer le titre du film pour 'La Capitale'!

On sent d'ailleurs le regard omniprésent du photographe et du documentariste tout au long du film (Anenden a été photographe, puis réalisateur de films documentaires pour l'OMS), celui qui va à la recherche du typiquement mauricien afin d'en fixer le souvenir (le vieux Marché Central par exemple).

C'est un film qui ne manquera pas d'évoquer des souvenirs et de la nostalgie chez ceux qui ont connnu les maisons en bois avec le 'godon' ou 'godam', les volets en bois, les vieux tuyaux et la robinetterie ancienne, le lit 'collégien', la lessive sur roche (lave linze lor rosse), le 'coco rapé' (glaçons râpés)....

Bref, un cinéaste qu'il faudra surveiller. L'histoire est certes un peu mince et le corps de la belle jeune fille aurait pu être exploité de manière plus subtile (ça déhanche un peu trop à mon avis et elle est trop lisse pour être réelle) mais nous avons là les premiers pas d'un novice dans l'art de la fiction cinématographique.

L'épisode chez la guérisseuse (longaniste-traiteur) est une belle trouvaille avec de multiples travellings (de gauche à droite et vice versa) déroutants sur les deux personnages. Le feu crépitant et le fond noir qui remplit parfois le cadre lors de ces travellings créent une atmosphère de mystère et d'étouffement.

Un mot sur les acteurs
L'actrice principale, Ingrid Blackburn, est prometteuse. Elle devrait peut-être davantage intérioriser son rôle. On sent qu'elle vient d'un autre milieu que celui de son personnage; son créole en porte les traces et elle joue un peu trop de son corps. Mais les expressions faciales sont bonnes et pas 'surfaites' comme c'est souvent le cas à Maurice.
Le père est bien interprété par Darma Mootien. Dommage qu'on ne le voit pas plus. La mère est également bien interprétée par Geeta Mootien. Tous deux sont des personnages réalistes dont le jeu est juste. La remarque vaut aussi bien pour le marchand de glaçons.
Le jeune soupirant San, incarné par le fils du réalisateur, nous accorde une belle image qui rappelle un peu les jeunes passionnés du 'Cercle des Poètes Disparus' avec sa belle envolée lyrique sur Shakespeare.
Le photographe est aussi bien interprété par Yves Hermann même si la scène finale est un peu maladroite et que ses scènes de 'poète-écrivaillon' ne convainquent pas.

Partie officielle
Lors de la présentation officielle, Ananda Devi a été égale à elle-même avec son maniement parfait des mots et sa poésie tranquille. Son époux, le cinéaste est, lui, d'une simplicité et d'une modestie peu courantes en ce bas-monde.
Par contre, un mauvais point pour Christophe Vallée, le philosophe, qui a failli gâcher notre plaisir en nous parlant du film avant la projection. Il nous a tartiné une présentation de 5-6 pages, trop content de faire montre de sa capacité à manier la langue de Molière et à pontifier. Un vrai fat, dirait ce gentil Molière. Il y a parfois des gens qui aiment s'entendre parler sans savoir si les autres aiment les entendre.

Une image de Harrikrisna Anenden vaut bien cent heures de babillage à la Vallée...

Debate sparks hope for mature democracy

2006-06-28T13:39:00.000+04:00

Radio Plus hosted the former PM Paul Berenger and the current Finance Minister Rama Sithanen this Saturday for a debate on the Budget speech.

This turned out, to my surprise, to be a 'civil' debate as none of the guests indulged in the usual futile verbal feuds we had been accustomed to. Opposing views were put forward in a sensible manner with seemingly rational arguments on each side. Of course, the divergence of views was very much present but there was, more importantly, respect for the adversary and thus respect for the audience.

Could it be that our politicians can behave in a mature way and lead the way to the formation of a mature people and democracy after all?

'Da Vinci Code': a foolish controversy

2006-06-21T12:43:00.000+04:00

Recently, one of our 'not so honourable' members of parliament purposely asked the PM whether the 'Da Vinci code' film would be shown in Mauritius without any prior consultation with the Church. Clearly, he wanted it either banned or censored on the basis of not hurting religious sensibilities in Mauritius. Whatever that means!

Yesterday, the film was also at the centre of a debate on Radio One. The guests were the president of the Censorship board, a theatre owner and a priest. I heard only parts of the show but my general impression was one of beating about the bush... as is often the case here.

What these people have forgot to mention is that this is a film that, according to the critics, is not even worth watching. So, raising debates about it is in fact serving the producers' interests: it can only arouse curiosity and have more people watch it than it deserves, thereby helping turn it into a commercial hit.

A disappointing book
Anyway, I didn't see the movie but I did read the book. And I wasn't particularly impressed. The first 70% are OK but the rest is absolute crap with a hasty finish and loose ends. I was very disappointed after having heard so much about it. I'd rather read Asimov or even a simple but solid Agatha Christie book. Even Harry Potter stories are much more finely written.

Immoral Bollywood
Also, to come back to the issue of how the film could have a negative influence on people (!), shouldn't we be taking some time to look at the content of those Bollywood films that are shown on MBC early in the evening and that attract large audiences in our movie theatres? Those are full of almost-nude actresses dancing erotically with extremely voyeuristic shots! And the scenes of violence are so apalling! Plus should I mention the lack of morality and indecency of those lavish backgrounds in which those perfect bodies evolve?

And what about those very popular serials like Tulsi, Sindoor and Muneca Brava? Absolute sh..

I'm sick and tired of the hypocrisy and double standards. Our children are watching films and serials that do not help them understand and face the real world at all, that are intellectually poor and are completely immoral.

Talk about blinding the people!

Busy week on campus

2006-06-19T14:32:00.000+04:00

It's been a pretty busy week on the Reduit campus for the academic staff. Though students are already on holiday as exams are over, this is not our case (pauvres de nous!).
It's been a whirlwind of marking of scripts, of placement reports and of dissertations, plus we've had our external examiner visiting and examiners boards as well as various talks and lectures.

I've attended two of those this past week, the first by our own external and the second by the Politial Science external.

Development Coms
Prof Jan Servaes (from Univ of Queensland, Australia) who talked about 'Communication for Development and Social Change' gave some info about the needed move from the Western 'diffusion and adoption' model and Lerner's Modernisation framework to a more bottom-up participatory approach which favours indigenisation and multiculturalism.

Put simply, this means that development should involve people at grassroot level in the process... (for example in the implementation of the UN MDGs or Millenium Development Goals)

But I have some doubts regarding whether this is achievable - I fear that much of the international organisations' money is spent at the level of bureaucracy rather than where it is most needed.

The British political system
The second talk I went to was given by Prof Paul Shelley (from LSE, UK) who elaborated on the British First Past The Post system of elections. A very interesting talk on the evolution of the system from monarchy to present day and discussions about Proportional Representation.

The clear expose helped understand the behind the scenes of political power, specially how, once they had gained access to power, the Labour Party no longer wanted PR which they had been campaigning for when they were in the opposition.

Looks like politicians are the same everywhere, isn't it?

Talk on Communication for Devt

2006-06-14T11:56:00.000+04:00

For those who might be interested, there's a public lecture on 'Mapping the new field of Communication for Development and Social Change' this afternoon (Wednesday 14th June) at 4.30 p.m at UOM in Lecture Theatre 2.

The talk will be delivered by Prof Jan Servaes from the School of Journalism and Communication of University of Queensland, Australia. The outline of the talk reads as follows:

<<
All those involved in the analysis and application of Communication for Development and Social Change - or what can broadly be termed “development communication” - would probably agree that in essence communication for social change is the sharing of knowledge aimed at reaching a consensus for action that takes into account the interests, needs and capacities of all concerned. It is thus a social process which has as its ultimate objective sustainable change at distinct levels of society. Communication media are important tools in achieving this process but their use is not an aim in itself—interpersonal communication too must play a fundamental role.

The basic consensus on development communication has been interpreted and applied in different ways throughout the past century. Both at theory and research levels, as well as at the levels of policy and planning-making and implementation, divergent perspectives are on offer.

In this presentation we attempt
(a) to summarize the past of Communication for Development and Social Change;
(b) to identify the roadmap for the future of Communication for Development and Social Change ;
(c) to identify different communication strategies for sustainable development; and
(d) to address the key purposes, functions and competencies needed to steer communication for social change.
>>

More on the talk later...

On Bollywood Cinema

2006-06-08T15:30:00.000+04:00

Prof Vijay Mishra gave an interesting talk on the critical genealogy of Bollywood Cinema at the University yesterday evening.

He provided an interesting insight into the evolution of Indian films from the mid-thirties (with the dramaturgical traditions and the classical courtesan theme) to the rise of the present Bollywood industry.

It is interesting to note that the film industry in India was given official recongition by the State only in 2000 despite the fact that the first Indian silent was released in 1913 and that India is the biggest producer of films in the world (in volume).

Vijay Mishra pointed out that there is a tension between, on the one hand, the traditional thematics dealt with in Bollywood films (e.g. family and traditions) and, on the other, the new representation modes being employed and which now focus on techno-realism and hyper-modernity. In simple terms, there is a stark contrast between those eternal traditional values and the debauche of wealth and sexual overtones in Bollywood films.

Men as objects to be looked at
I tend to think that there is a form of regression in Indian films as the courtesan theme is being extended to men also (think of Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan exhibiting their muscles in sexy dance numbers). Whereas, in the old Bombay films, films were laden with meaningful dialogues uttered by men whilst women used to dance in a lascive manner, this is no longer the case. Men's dialogues have been replaced by silly dance numbers as well... So that there is a form of 'progress' in the gender balance (women and men dance now and are both to be looked at) but the artistic and asethetical value of films has been lowered!

Mishra also highlighted the 'diaspora effect' in the circulation of films as many of those big hit fils (Devdas, Kal Ho Na Ho, Khabie Ghushi Khabi Gham....) are seen increasingly by non-resident Indians in the western world. Could this point towards a wave of nostalgia for their motherland? Mishra says yes, but it is no longer the same Mother India. It is a defiled version which is now being sacrificed on the altar of profitability.

Media and Politics in Mauritius

2006-06-06T14:07:00.000+04:00

Photo of Le Mauricien 05/06/2006

The Mauritian population was given the opportunity to watch the Prime Minister's Press Conference on television on Saturday... or should I say that they were forced to... All three local television channels of the MBC were broadcasting the conference at exactly the same time after the 7.30 p.m. news bulletin!
For those who do not have access to private channels via pay TV or satellite subscriptions, there was indeed no other choice (except that of switching off their TV set of course!)

It could be argued that this was a very important 'moment' and that every Mauritian citizen had the duty to listen to the PM as he gave strong indications regarding drastic decisions for our economy. And, indeed personally, I think it was important that we listen to him and his Finance Minister on the eve of budget presentation (scheduled for this Friday). Yet, simultaneous airing on the only three local channels available, that may have been a bit too much...

But to come back to the press conference, the PM did a great PR job. Of course, his Finance Minister Rama Sithanen had already tested the ground with his proposals for salary compensations which had also been aired on TV. Sithanen was great at explaining clearly the reasons why. He was also very convincing on the necessity of being more disciplined, more efficient and more productive...

The PM thus took advantage of this positive reception by the media and the population at large to announce some 'courageous' decisions, like closing down the DWC. But he also performed some of the age-old political antics so cherished by our local politicians, i.e. the 'put-the-blame-on-him' song. Mind you, the other parties did it too when they were in power...

As for the journalists, they were quite 'soft' and 'nice' to the PM. They still lack that sharpness that would allow them to put the right questions to the decision-makers, questions that would really open up worthwhile debates.

For instance, no-one dared point out to the apparent contradiction between the austerity being advocated and the fact that old age pensions had been fully restored to all + bus transport made free for all students irrespective of social class and revenue....

I'd say, this means that our politicians have progressed a lot in terms of communication strategies and their implementation but our media people still have to learn to unwind those strategies in order to get to the bottom of things.

On freedom of the press in Mauritius

2006-06-01T10:02:00.000+04:00

Yesterday, I was one of TopFM two guests for the HardTalk show hosted by Habib Mosaheb. The other guest was Yvan Martial, a well-known experienced journalist in Mauritius. The programme's theme was 'Is freedom of the press threatened in Mauritius?'.
Both Ivan and myself agreed that freedom of the press is not threatened in our island. In fact, our country is ranked 34th out of 167 countries in the 2005 Press Freedom Index of Reporters Sans Frontieres (we were ranked 46th in 2004) and we are 4th on the African continent. See www.rsf.org
As I pointed out in the show, politicians (specially when they are governing the country) tend to complain a lot about the alleged lack of responsibility of the local press. Their irritation at the press is for me a good sign, a sign that we are living in a true democracy. If they were in love with the press, then I would truly be worried!
However, this does not mean that we have a perfect press in Mauritius. There are different kinds of newspapers on the market (some serious, some not) as there are different breeds of journalists (some professional, some not). Of course, ultimately it's the readers who decide on the fate of their papers by choosing to buy or not the titles that are on offer. To my mind, the most popular papers in Mauritius enjoy a high level of credibility with the population. Sometimes, they do betray this credibility by publishing incomplete or distorted accounts of local events but on the whole, they are doing a fine job. This does not mean that they should rest on their laurels. In a world of increased openness, they too should accept being subjected to questioning just like the public figures on whom they report.
Though there has not yet been any consensus on the institution of a local Press Council or Press Complaints Commission despite Kenneth Morgan's recommendations in 1999, it is high time that the local journalism world starts ensuring quality assurance within its own ranks instead of having government-imposed laws and regulations (like the proposed Media Commision Bill). The creation of posts of Ombudspersons (or 'mediateurs' in French) could be a first step...

Welcome to my first blog

2006-05-30T10:53:00.000+04:00

I have decided to have my own blog since some time but never actually found (or made) time to do it, despite constant subtle reminders on my husband's part (see his blog at www.noulakaz.net)
I hope to use this platform to share my thoughts and comments on things that interest me on a regular basis: on media and communication (I am a lecturer in this field at the University of Mauritius), on society in general and on my home country Mauritius.
My particular fields of interest in academia include, inter alia, cultural studies, film theory, journalism and new media.