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DIGITAL MEDIA IS GROWING PHENOMALLY!
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DIGITAL MEDIA IS GROWING PHENOMALLY!

Life & Living, May 09- May 15, 2026, ON MY OWN May 8, 2026 , by

This was clear at the 3rd National Convention 2026 organized by the Digital Media Editors and Journalists Association at the Kala Academy in Panaji on May 4, 2026…

MEDIA prides itself as being the fourth estate in a democratic set-up. But nowadays what happens to media people when they stand up for a just cause or fight – is interesting if not horrible! Media people don’t really have any guardian angels to take an interest in them and what happens to them …today, there’s so much talk about the changing face and personality of media as it is transforms for better or worse.
 Today’s media scene is on the boil constantly even as print media fights to keep up with both electronic and far more advanced digital media platforms. Funny, or not funny, anyone can be a reporter today given a smart phone in hand, you can be a reporter or a spy providing you keep your wits about you and perceive what is going on, and who’s right, who’s wrong — and click photographs and communicate it to whoever you wish and who may or may not take you seriously! Once upon a time credibility was rarely at stake, but now it is an everyday issue and not only in the world of media.
Fanaticism and lunacy gets easily promoted in today’s social media platforms. Social media with the add-ons of artificial and grok intelligence and more has changed the whole media game vis-à-vis visual presentations fairly or unfairly — depending on which side of the fence you are, you are a dismal failure or a soaring success.
Many are harvesting success stories managing digital media sites but more are failing to monetize on their websites, podcasts, platforms or channels which demand working around the clock — but any guarantee of a decent advertising revenue to stay alive is dismal, even with government blessings (on which traditional print media depends on majorly).
If you’ve noticed nowadays we’re more hung up on a social media presence and it is here the cash registers ring. But not for media people, it goes in the coffers of the bosses of say Google and Facebook, Instagram, What’sApp, UTubes and so on. I must confess I still have to catch up with the intricacies of digital media for it is such a vast network of software and hardware, utterly complicated if you don’t study bottoms-up in the kindergarten of computer and digital technologies.
REMEMBER, it is only the 50 plus generation which still prefers to read a daily newspaper in black and white. Ask around and you will hear many say, “I trust print media more than any other media!” Print media is old faithful and not just a standby as the younger generation of media folk like to think. Print media will never be outdated for it still commands respect and advertising – and even if the media/communication/ PR game (so interchangeable today) has changed or merged or overlapped so much. Notice how politicians now have their own hired personal media teams to project government in positive and favorable light and in technicolor, on various screens small and big.

AT THE AGDMEJ 3rd CONFERENCE
With all this in mind of course I take an interest in media and media people keenly, for I’m wrapped up in it myself albeit in marginal ways now. Do you know that there is an All Goa Digital Media Editors and Journalists Association and it is a growing body? In fact, it had an impressive 3rd conference at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Auditorium at the Kala Academy on May 4, 2026 in Panjim. It saw the presence of over 600 plus national media editors and journalists from something like seven states meaning Maharashtra (largest contingent), then Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa.
 My friend Anil Patil who was playing a key organizing the event urged me to attend the conference. My view is that regional language media is far more dynamic than English media and this has always been so, English media may command more prestige value and get cream of advertising (or maybe I’m wrong)!
Anyway, Anil Patil said I should attend the conference seeing how we’ve managed to keep the 24 years old “Goan Observer” weekly alive online, if not in print. So I was happy to go, even if sustaining any kind of an online media weekly is an uphill, unrewarding experience – what worth is respect if you’re struggling to pay bills at the end of every month?
For your information it was the AGDJA which condemned Gautam Khattar’s rude remarks about Goan journalists and journalism in the recent incident to do with the Bhagwan Parshuram celebration in Vasco da Gama and across Goa. I’ll skip all that here and just say the day-long AGEDJA conference was a colorful affair, with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai and other dignitaries sporting turbans Maharashtrian-style. Even Sadanand Tanavarn turned up to comfort the language media folk. Everything was pretty much in Marathi and the ceremonial lamp was lit before a framed portrait of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with speakers ending their speeches with Jai Maharashtra, only a few remembering there is Jai Gomantak too!
The CM assured that the government respects digital media and its demands would be put in place on par with print media as soon as possible. Digital media is still new kid on the block seeking patronage, sustenance of a material kind even while struggling to stay on the right side of freedom of speech, etc.
One of the speakers, Raja Mane reiterated that digital journalism too adheres to the five W’s of journalism and much more – what, when, where, who and how of anything that happens; it is every bit as conscious of accountability and responsibility as traditional print media! REPORTER means: “R is for Responsible, E is for Energetic, P is for Professional, O is for Observant, R is for Reliable, T is for Truthful, E is for Ethical and R is for Respectful.” Imbibe all this if you want to be respected as media people.
I MUST ask Anil who funded the DMEJA conference but he is not likely to tell me, probably a minister from Maharashtra. There was a dance performance and lots of awards were presented to the media people, followed by a good lunch, although for some dumb reason the Bhingy’s canteen people at the Kala Academy wouldn’t allow the digital media folk to sit at its tables to eat lunch in peace; the fans were also not working on a hot summer’s day. Miserable.
I made a few more friends in the regional media apart from those in Goa, there’s Anil Patil of course, and Sanghavi Rajvardhan, Kamlakar Humraskar (of Shabdsharda Media, also president of the All Goa Digital Journalists Association) and others. By the way the AGDJ’s motto is “We Stand United, We Stand for Ethical Journalism.” I wish them good-luck and plenty of friends to care about them and give a damn when something untoward happens to them in the line of living up to the exacting standards of the 4th Estate in any medium.
Otherwise, we really don’t have a democracy, we have only “democrazy” — lies, half-lies, pretences, covert and overt hatred…all spoiling to spill into bloody warfare for power, profit and control of the worst kind, in a world teetering anew on the edges of a nuclear catastrophe.

AT THE JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI HIND GOA EID CELEBRATION…

SOME more media talk! The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Goa always invites media folk over for an Eid Milan get-together and this time it took place at Terminal Banquets above Caculo Mall in Panjim on April 6, 2026. This is a most pleasant venue if I may say so with kitchen chefs who can really do their menu with wellbeing in mind!
It was saying hello anew to the most pleasant Jamaat or JIH zonal president Asif Hussain, who in turn introduced all who’d accepted the invite to visiting JIH assistant secretary –PR, Layeeq Ahmed. He spoke little, listened more, but later briefed about how large a network the Jammat really is. It has an all-Indian presence, it was founded 76 years ago in 1948. It is engaged in a host of economic and social welfare work in 22 states, with 3,000 local chapters, a membership of seven million across the country.
Yes, the Jamaat-E-Islami Hind has its own satellite channel with publications in 16 languages, dailies, weeklies and journals; more, multispeciality hospitals with a large network of doctors…indeed, the Jaamat is a major force in eradicating poverty with its microfinance schemes. It was in touch with NGOs, forums, groups and much more, the story of Muslim minorities is not what the majority may imagine any more!
Present at the social do were the sociable Shashwat Gupta Ray who gets all kinds of awards and is a good raconteur, then there was Prakash Kamat, associated with all kinds of do good deeds, Sandesh Prabhudessai, Anil and Yati Lad, Mahesh Divekar Patil, Khutesha Shaikh, Ferroz Shaikh, Anis Patel, Nazrana Darvesh who is the JIH media incharge and some more, Samiullah Belwadi (secretary-JIH Goa) and a few more.
It turned out to be an agreeable afternoon of interaction, goodwill and shared celebration of Eid, with excellent chicken and vegetarian biryani, most delicious raita, sheer korma sweet to wind up.
Media folk were also asked to share some conversation and Shashwat Gupta Ray, edits the “OHeraldo,” shared many things and he highlighted how a friend of his from the Jamaat community, donates blood regularly, but never has a patient asked if they are getting Muslim or Hindu blood when in dire need!
Really, he observed, media should present what it is and not what is not, although there will always be a few rotten apples in every society. It’s best not to tar anyone with same paint and it is important to go by merit. For if media loses credibility, people will stop taking media seriously. Being a journalist means all doors are open to him, so he tries not to betray trust of the people.
Prakash Kamat, a social activist media person for the handicapped of society, added pretty much the same thing, he highlighted people’s stories before they become success stories! Saying media people should be inclusive always and not exclusive, it should look for positive things for that is how we grew up – in an inclusive society, not an exclusive society. Young gen needs to be molded by social media which is also a media of democratic values and it is at one’s fingertip nowadays…one must be very careful with how we use words. Life is all about words or so to speak. Mind your words!

I MUST go out socializing more often. On that note it’s avjo, poite verem, selamat datang, au revoir, arrivedecci, hasta la vista and vachun yeta here for now!

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