About Samir

Recent stories by Samir

India's campaign for "missing women" finds controversy

By Samir Alam, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre

The Indian government is paying families who have baby girls, but the statistics don't clarify whether the program signals social change.(Read)

Forums, LISTSERVS & the Amazing World of Fan Fiction

By Samir Alam, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre

Do you remember the time you read the first Harry Potter novels and only seven were written to read? Well fret not, its all still alive and well waiting for you!(Read)

DurgaFest: The Commercialization of a Deity

By Samir Alam, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre

New Delhi's Bengali neighborhood celebrates Durga Puja Festival amongst overwhelming evidence of rampant commercialization aof religion and culture.(Read)

I Tweet, Therefore I Am

By Samir Alam

New research sheds light on the "cognitive dangers" of Tweeting. What do the Twitizens think?(Read)

Recent comments on Samir's stories

Ted Iliff commented on "India's campaign for "missing women" finds controversy" (8 months ago)

First off, your headline and summary both asked questions. A story is supposed to answer questions, not ask them, so they were rewritten. The start of the story has similar problems. You assume that baby was saved by the government program, and then you ask another question. You say it could be considered “a revolution” then contradict your own opinion with the ensuing quote. More opinions appear throughout the story with words like “deplorable”, “rightly arguing” and the use of “might” (speculation) without attribution. Finally, the last sentence was hard to understand. This is an interesting and important topic in and outside India, and the quotes are fascinating. But by injecting opinion along the way, a good news feature became more like an opinion piece. Just reporting the facts, the quotes and the statistics in the same order would have made it a solid news feature.

Rashmi Singh commented on "India's campaign for "missing women" finds controversy" (8 months ago)

Good work Sameer..its well organised.

Ted Iliff commented on "Forums, LISTSERVS & the Amazing World of Fan Fiction" (8 months ago)

It is indeed an amazing world, as documented in this story. The topic is interesting, and the quotes and background support the narrative. One concern involves the identities of some of the sources. Full names are always preferred over just first names or Internet names. If sources don’t want to give their full names, there may be a reason that raises questions about their reliability as sources. Also, there is one glaring hole in the story: it brushes aside copyright concerns, but there are probably publishers and other intellectual property owners who see "sharing their dreams" as plagiarism. Comments from them would have provided balance and another perspective for your topic. Finally, you have sprinkled your favorable opinion of this kind of activity throughout your story. In terms of journalism, it's better to let your sources describe all sides of the story.

Ted Iliff commented on "DurgaFest: The Commercialization of a Deity" (8 months ago)

The story has some colorful imagery, but in places the use of adjectives is a bit excessive. You call the statue “awe inspiring,” which is a judgment on your part. The point is made later in the story. You say “something is amiss,” which is your opinion. You can say there is a “contrast” or quote someone else who says it is amiss, making the point without revealing your opinion. Similar loaded words (obnoxious, conflict, etc.) detract from the vivid descriptions in the writing. You later provide ample quotes that explain all sides of the issue. These are the ingredients of good journalism.

Aamir Khan commented on "I Tweet, Therefore I Am" (9 months ago)

Pointless babble or not, twitter is here to stay. Imagine the power of the tweet. It has the potential to change lot many things. Just wait till its full potential is realized.