About CAM

Home


Centre for Agricultural Media (CAM), which came into existence on December 3, 2000 has been expanding its activities successfully to accomplish its objective of strengthening the farmer friendly communication system. Two months back it was registered as a trust under the India Trust Act. This a forum initiated with the support from several likeminded persons who are experts in farm and rural development journalism.

Given below are some of the activities of CAM:

Networking for the cause:

  • It has compiled a directory of farm-environment journalists in Kannada. It has profiles of 60 well-known writers in Kannada.

Expansion of the library:

  • The centre has set up a small library with books and journals on topics like organic farming, soil and water conservation, environment and media. The library is used by CAM candidates, farmers, journalists and research scholars.

CAM-Net:

  • CAM has so far released 50 e-bulletins through CAM-Net. The bulletins reached over 10 thousand people across the world. Due to lack of technical support we had to stop sending bulletins.

Web activities:

  • CAM maintains this website (www.farmedia.org) which acts complementary to CAM’s activities.
  • Two important issues of water and organic farming have been addressed extensively in this website. Two separate sections have been created for the purpose.

CAM awards:

Since its inception CAM has been presenting awards for best farm writings in Kannada. The awards are given in two categories - practicing farmers and general. CAM instituted these awards to encourage farmer-friendly journalism in Kannada. The awards carry a cash prize of Rs.2000 each besides a citation and a parisara shilpa.

CAM Initiatives

    Training in farm and rural journalism

  • The correspondence course in farm and rural journalism set up by the centre in 2003 is the first of its kind in Kannada. CAM has started this one-year course with an intention to support and encourage farmer-oriented journalism in Kannada. Veteran development journalists of Kannada are in the panel of resource persons.
  • Successful candidates are considered as CAM Fellows for two years. If they sustain in the field and try to bring an impact in the agriculture sector through their articles, they they are considered CAM Fellows permanently.
  • CAM fellows and candidates are writing in-depth articles bonding media and development positively. There is overwhelming response from across the state (particularly rural areas) for this correspondence course in farm and rural journalism.

    • Media for sustainable development

  • CAM introduced a programme called, ‘Media for Sustainable Development’ to facilitate media to focus on the positive efforts carried out in the rural areas.
    • CAM organised two events under this programme, to link sustainable development and media.

Publication

As an extension of CAM’s efforts the Centre ventured into book publication in 2005 and has published two books and in the process of publishing the third one. The books got good response from the public.

Issue based networking

  • CAM has indicated a promising future in creating issue-based awareness through Internet.
  • The centre has played an active role in drawing the public attention on the issue of endosulfan tragedy in certain districts of Kerala. Through its timely bulletins, CAM has effectively disseminated related information to concerned people, which helped the people’s movement considerably.

    • CAM, in general, supports any pro-farmer issue in all possible ways. This is the first venture of its kind in India.

    Centre for Agricultural Media
    119, 1st main, 4th cross, Narayanapura, Dhrawad – 580008, Karnataka, India
    Email: caam@sancharnet.in

Home