The website has been created under the auspices of the Media Foundation, which is based in New Delhi. Its registered office is 11 C Dewan Shree, 30 Ferozshah Road, New Delhi 11002.
The Foundation is a society of like-minded individuals founded in 1979 to achieve the following objectives:
To promote, support, encourage and undertake social science, statistical and scientific research pertaining to the print, electronic, film and other media with a view to enhancing and strengthening their freedom and independence; to uphold constitutional freedom of speech, expression and information; and to encourage freedom in society and enhance the quality of life through media and process of communication.
In pursuance of these it may do the following:
a) Sponsor research projects, studies, publications, lectures, seminars and discussions, including those pertaining to the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of communications systems and problems.
b) Support research and development in design, graphics, type, keyboards and any of the arts, artefacts and equipment that are or could be used by the media or enhance their utility in any way.
c) Promote and support research and development in appropriate, adaptive and advanced technology with a view to making the media accessible to the masses atlow cost, especially in the rural areas.
d) Promote such training courses and facilities for creating, fostering and encouraging the growth of skills, opportunities, and experience that enhance critical inquiry, and analysis, as well as creativity, professionalism and excellence among practitioners of all branches of the media and communications generally.
e) Publish or cause to be published research studies, documents, monographs, articles and reports in print, film, tape or any other medium.
f) Offer grants, stipends, fellowships, or other assistance and make awards as may be appropriate.
g) Maintain a library and documentation centre of books, pictures, film, tape and other media materials and collections, which it may acquire or obtain for reference or exhibition.
The Media Foundation gives the Chameli Devi Award to an outstanding woman journalist every year since 1981. It was instituted by the family of the late Chameli Devi Jain who was among those who responded actively to Mahatma Gandhi~s call and participated in the Indian freedom struggle. An annual lecture or panel discussion is also organised by the foundation every year on the occasion of the awards ceremony.
Since March 2001 the Foundation runs this media watch website, Thehoot.org. The Hoot is run from 1/23 Shantiniketan, New Delhi 110021. It is edited by Sevanti Ninan.
Editorial team:
Indira Akoijam
Monazir Alam
Consulting Editors
Geeta Seshu
Nupur Basu
Managing Committee and Members of The Media Foundation
Chairman: Rajiv Mehrotra, Managing Trustee, Public Service Broadcasting Trust, Secretary/ Trustee, The Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH The Dalai Lama, broadcaster, film maker, author.
Honorary Secretary: Sevanti Ninan, columnist, media researcher, author
Treasurer: Shubha Singh, columnist and foreign affairs writer, author
The current executive committee members are:
President Emeritus: B G Verghese, Magsaysay Award winner, Former Member of the National Broadcasting Corporation of India. Former Editor the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express.
Jai Chandiram, former DDG, Doordarshan
Nupur Basu, film maker, former NDTV correspondent
Sajan Venniyoor, former executive, Prasar Bharati
Mannika Chopra, media columnist, Statesman, Hindustan, Chandigarh Tribune
Latika Padgaonkar, Former Fditor, Cinemaya, formerly with UNESCO.
The Foundation~s members include:
Nitin Desai, Member, News Broadcasting Standards Authority, Former UN Under Secretary General
Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Author and television anchor
Aloke Thakore, teacher, columnist, media consultant
Pamela Philipose, Director, Womens Feature Service
Usha Rai, development writer, former deputy director, Press Institute of India
Rami Chhabra,Journalist and Author
Shailaja Bajpai, Consulting Editor, Indian Express, author and novelist
Archana Kumar, Lady Irwin College
Ashok Chatterjee, Ahmedabad
H K Dua, Former Chief Editor, The Tribune, Chandigarh
Rajmohan Gandhi, author, former parliamentarian, newspaper columnist.
Vinod Mehta, Editor, Outlook Magazine
Neerja Choudhury, Political Editor of the Indian Express
Founding members of the Media Foundation included the late LC Jain, Prabhash Joshi, N S Jagannathan, and Ajit Bhattacharjea
Publications
The following books have been published under the auspices of The Media Foundation:
A Media Audit, 1984
India~s Living Languages, The Critical Issues, by Sumi Krishna, Allied Publishers 1999.
Beyond Those Headlines, Insiders on the Indian Press, edited by M V Desai and Sevanti Ninan, Allied Publishers 1996.
Making News, Women in Journalism, by Ammu Joseph, Konark Publlishers 1999.
Independence and the Indian Press, Heirs to a Great Tradition, N S Jagannathan, Konark Publishers 1999.
Making News, Breaking news, Her own Way, Editors Latika Padgaonkar and Shubha Singh, Tranquebar Press, 2012
2011. THE HOOT. All Rights Reserved.
