IV National Media Conclave begins at SNU
Kolkata: The IV National Media Conclave, organised by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Sister Nivedita University (SNU), began on Wednesday with over 100 research papers to be presented across three days.
Considered among the most significant academic gatherings on media in eastern India, the conclave has grown since its inception four years ago, when it featured 40 papers.
The theme this year, “Representing the Unseen: India at the Margins and Media,” focuses on communities, practices and narratives that remain excluded from mainstream discourse.
The event is being held in collaboration with two international partners—the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Gender and Communication Wing and the International Communication Association (ICA)—linking its deliberations to global media scholarship.
The inaugural session was attended by Prof. (Dr.) Sanku Bose (Vice-Chancellor), Prof. (Dr.) Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay (Pro-Chancellor), along with distinguished guests that included Mamta Rani Agarwal (Additional Secretary, AIU), Jayanta Ghosal (Consulting Editor, NDTV), Prof. K. G. Suresh (Director, India Habitat Centre), and Rishiraj Singh (Former IPS), Dr Snehasish Sur, president Press Club, Kolkata, among many other eminent figures from academia and the media.
Dr. Minal Pareek, Dean of the School of Media Communication, Fine Arts, Design and Drama, said the conclave was designed as “a space where students witness scholarship and critical thought at its best.” Convenor Prof.
Arindam Basu noted that the conclave had become “one of India’s most respected platforms in media studies.”
Plenary sessions cover themes such as stereotyping, gender representation, social media inequalities, indigenous culture, and algorithmic silencing.
The final day will include keynote addresses by Doordarshan’s Ashok Srivastava and Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey, followed by a documentary screening and cultural performances.
The conclave also features partnerships with CyberPeace, Grooving Kolkata and Shopper’s Stop, underscoring its mix of academic depth, digital focus and cultural engagement.
