CINEMA OTT AND DIGITAL CONTENT

Dr. Saxena has been associated with more than 20 universities as External Expert in BOS and DRC. He also contributes as Reviewer in national-international research journals. He is a member of the Academic Council of K.R.. Mangalam University, Gurugram. He has written study material for IGNOU and produced lectures for Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), a unit of UGC. He has worked in the film projects of the Films Division and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

Dr. Saxena is Secretary of Global Media Education Council (GMEC) and a member of the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). He is also a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and South Asia Communication Association (SACA). He has visited several countries in 5 continents prominently the US, China, Australia, Spain, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, UAE, Egypt and Bangladesh in pursuance of his academic interest. He keeps holding sessions for the students of Canada, France, Belgium and Germany. Also, he has trained journalists in Maldives, and journalists of African countries. Dr. Manasvi Maheshwari is Associate Professor in DME Media School and Secretary of DME IQAC. She has over 14 years of teaching experience in journalism and mass communication. She did her Doctorate from the School of Journalism and New Media Studies, IGNOU, Delhi. Her area of expertise has been advertising, public relations and media management. She has written more than 20 papers in reputed national and international journals. She has edited and co-edited 4 Books. She is a member of IAMCR and GMEC .

Foreword

I would like to first congratulate the editorial team to have put in the hard work to come up with these content rich books as an outcome of ICAN, the International Conference organised by DME Media School every year. The theme of the sixth edition of ICAN was Identity, Culture and Agenda-driven Newscast. This conference was a staggered co-location academic endeavour which took place across Daffodil International University (DIU) Dhaka Bangladesh, MCU Bhopal and MRIIRS Faridabad after taking off at DME. This unique format facilitated a diverse exchange of ideas, drawing scholars and researchers from different corners of the globe to engage and disentangle the complexities of some pressing themes and issues.

In the backdrop of a rapidly evolving world, the exploration of identity, culture and agenda-driven newscast has become increasingly crucial. As marginalized communities continued to assert their voices, the cultural expressions undergoing profound transitions, particularly in India, where tradition intersected with modernity is creating new realities, exploration of these issues is a welcome move. Simultaneously, the prevalence of agenda-driven newscast reflects the challenges facing media integrity and its role in shaping the public discourse.

This giant conference witnessed high participation of media scholars and researchers, engaging in the technical sessions, panel discusions and masterclasses, each offering invaluable insights into some pressing issues confronting the media globally. Also, the papers presented in technical sessions did result in thought-provoking ideas and generated new thoughts. The brainstorming enriched media scholarship, which also resonated with a broader audience seeking to navigate the complexities of our times

As always, the papers submitted and presented in various sessions in India and abroad have found place in 6 books published with ISBN. These books cover multiple dimensions of media – cinema, OTT and digital content, social media influencers and followers, credible journalism and news treatment, new trends in advertising, branding, and marketing, gender issues, media literacy and development, impact of artificial intelligence and digital technology.

DME has succeeded in creating a storehouse of knowledge by publishing 30 books with the incorporation of hundreds of papers in 6 editions of the ICAN conference. Having come up with the contribution of several scholars, researchers, faculty members and students, these books will remain the property of academia and society. May the insights generated and documented through these books continue to inform and inspire meaningful dialogue, innovation, and progress in the field of media studies and beyond.