Annual Report 2007 - Observer Research Foundation

ORF IN MEDIA
ORF also has a
database of more
than 1000 email
addresses to which
information about the
activities of ORF and
also the contributions
of faculty were sent
regularly
Delhi. The ORF report written by Murli Menon under the title India’s Silicon Valley – Dreams, Reality
and Challenges Ahead, was released by Mr. Kiran Karnik, President of NASSCOM.
Besides interviews of ORF faculty by many television networks and international radio stations,
special programmes on the International Maritime Conference and the South Asia Regional Workshop
on ‘Security and Liberty: linking Counter Terrorism and Human Rights’ were broadcast on All India
Radio.
ORF faculty contributed more than one hundred articles in various Indian newspapers and many
internationally reputed academic journals. The papers included the Hindustan Times, Times of India,
Nav Bharat Times, Hindustan, Pioneer, Indian Express, Financial Express, DNA and Sahara Times.
ORF also managed a good relationship with the media persons who also benefited from the talks
and discussions besides providing them interesting stories. The healthy and mutually beneficial relationship
has encouraged us to open discussions and interactions to the media.
ORF has also broadened the data base of addresses to which ORF Policy Briefs, Issue Briefs, Occasional
Papers and other publications were sent. It also has a database of more than 1000 email addresses
to which information about the activities of ORF and also the publications of faculty were
sent regularly.
ORF has been opening up its talks/meetings to media quite often. These frequent events have received
good response – in terms of involvement from the media personnel and also coverage. This
strategy has made ORF activities quite familiar with the media personnel who keep on enquiring
about the next event.
Managing news agencies to flash stories on most of our (open) events have
helped us to reach the media organisations instantly and easily. This has also
made ORF popular with almost all media organisations.
Faculty members Deba Mohanty, Nandan Unnikrishnan, Harinder Sekhon
and Ramana had also appeared in television interviews and stories. Some TVs
like Enadu TV, ANI, Sahara, NDTV frequently visit ORF for interviews.
Radios like Voice of America, Voice of Germany are also in regular touch
with ORF faculty, interviewing its faculty whenever major events take place.
It has also been possible to place articles in leading papers like Hindustan
Times, Indian Express , Financial Express, Pioneer, DNA, Tribune etc.
With Naxalism spreading rapidly and becoming a major internal security
challenge, our scholar Dr. PV Ramana has become a name to beckon with in
the media circle. Dr PV Ramana’s frequent quotes led to The Economist and
the Wall Street Journal interviewing him. Recently, he was interviewed twice
by Prabhat Khabar, the largely circulated paper of Naxalites affected Chattis-
40 Observer Research Foundation ◆ Annual Report 2007