Ehsan Fazili

Having worked for the print media for more than three decades, which began with the use of typewriters and printing of newspapers after setting each alphabet by hand, it was a unique experience to work for the newly launched news portal. This initiative may have been taken in tune with the rising demands of the media, equipped with the all-inclusive and overwhelming internet facility.

Initially, I felt apprehensive but with the experience of availing the latest technical facilities, things became easier, focus remaining on discharging professional duties at the core. Unlike in the print media which I was associated with from local to national levels, where laying your hands on the hard copy every morning or a week was paramount, the portal like social media covers a wide range of audiences.

During the past three years, social media, FB, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc., have been pivotal to the increasing accessibility of Awaz to the global audience. As a result, the news portal has increased its feed manifold not only in English but in other languages including Urdu and Hindi, apart from audio-visual output.

The growing output by way of the news stories mainly the features in multiple languages, in addition to audio-visual productions, and interviews, has gained a wide acceptability across the country and the globe. It is explicit like news coverage of varied social, cultural, political, educational, sports, and youth affairs, identifying evils deterrents to a healthy society, which are becoming the focus of the news portal.

This focused attention differentiates the portal from several other media outlets, particularly the traditional hard copies of newspapers with coverage of different issues, mainly the on-spot events and political or administrative affairs.

The readers’ choice, under the prevailing social media scenario, has also changed as the major portion of the audience requires focused coverage in varied fields. The news of day-to-day happenings is already available to the audience not only through the newspapers hitting the stands every morning but also through the television channels. Moreover, the accessibility of citizens to the news of varied fields on social media has reduced the traditional readership of newspapers. Under this scenario, the significance of news portals, with particular reference to the Awaz achieves greater importance.

ALSO READ: Uruka: A night of revelry, a night to remember for all Assamese!

The feature stories with related photos and visuals add to the flavor of the stories. These stories are drawn from the distant or sometimes neglected sections of society, which need to be highlighted and come to the fore. That serves its purpose as the focused news features have reached the remotest corners and the remotest fields bringing out the valuable contribution of people, neglected in many cases, and thereby contributing to the overall nation-building.