Madhyamam Daily

Madhyamam

Front page of Madhyamam, April 9, 2009
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner	Ideal Publications Trust
Editor-in-chief	O. Abdurahiman
Founded	1987 (1987)
Political alignment	Pro-Islamist
Language	Malayalam
Headquarters	Silver Hills, Kozhikode , Kerala, India.
Circulation	above 9 lakhs daily
Sister newspapers	Madhyamam Weekly.
Official website	MADHYAMAM.com

Madhyamam (Malayalam: മാധ്യമം, meaning Medium) is a Malayalam daily newspaper published from Kerala, India, since 1987.^[1]. It was founded in 1987 by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,^[2] an Islamic organization,^{[3] [4]} It has 10 editions in India (7 in Kerala and Mumbai, Bangalore and Mangalore) and its Gulf edition Gulf Madhyamam has 9 in the Middle East. According to Indian Readership Survey 2009^[5] and IRS 2010 Q4, it is the fourth largest read newspaper in Kerala with a readership of 9.04 lakh readers.^{[6] [7]} Gulf Madhyamam is the oldest and largest Malayalam newspaper in the Middle East, with highest number of editions in the Gulf countries than any other daily in the middle east.^[8] The newspaper and its team of journalists have bagged nearly ninety awards including Ramnath Goenka Journalism Award, Statesman Award for Rural Reporting, PUCL Journalism Award for Human Rights, ESR World Journalism Prize and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) Developing Asia Journalism Award.^[9]

The newspaper exposed multiple stories of land encroachments, farming frauds, and malpractices in the name of assisted fertility.^[9] It also exposed an alleged kidney racket in tribal settlements in Idukki district of Kerala prompting a public outcry^[10] followed by an in-depth investigation by both the state government^[11] and the Indian Medical Association (IMA)^[12] into the incident.

Ownership

Madhyamam is owned by the Ideal Publications Trust, most of whose members are affiliated with the Kerala unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind,^[13] and serves as its mouthpiece.^[4] The trust claims as their aim "providing non-profit non-partisan and value-based journalistic service free from market pressures"^[9]. The non-profit nature of the ownership, it says ensures the paper stays free of market compulsions of a business concern and be selective in the advertisements it publishes.^[9]

History

Madhyamam began publishing in 1987 at Silver Hills near Calicut. Veteran journalist, Kuldip Nayar inaugurated the newspaper^[14]. Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Malayalam writer, described it as "the birth of a silver star". The opening editorial on June 1, 1987 read:^[9]

Madhyamam comes to you, the reader, with a clear sense of purpose... Mass media are today passing through a period of degeneration. This sphere is not an exception to the general deterioration of values. The face of truth is being concealed behind the glitter of gold. In this murky situation we offer wholesome journalism reflective of a healthy worldview free from narrowness, communalism and extremism. "

The second edition was launched in July 1993 at Cochin followed by the third at Trivandrum in April 1996.^[15] Gulf Madhyamam was first published from Bahrain in 1998 and then from Dubai in 2002 ^[16]. K C Abdullah, P K Balakrishnan, K A Kodungallur were among its editors at the early stage.Renowned writer C Radhakrishnan served as its consultant editor from 1997-99.^[17]O Abdurahman is the current Editor of Madhyamam and PA Abdul Hakeem is the publisher in charge. VK Hamza Abbas is the Chief Editor of Gulf Madhyamam.^[18] Media critique Dr. K Yasin Ashraf is the associate editor of Madhyamam.

Supplements

Cover page of Madhyamam Weekly

Screenshot of the online edition of the website

Apart from the daily edition, Madhyamam also publishes various supplements :

• Varadya Madhyamam, A weekend supplement
• Kudumba Madhyamam ( Family Madhyamam), focussing on family and children
• Thozhil Madhyamam, a career supplement
• Vidhyabhyasa Madhyamam, an education supplement
• Info Madhyamam, an IT supplement
• Upabhokthr(Consumer) Madhyamam, a business supplement
• Velicham, a school supplement^[19]

Growth

Madhyamam has the fourth largest circulation in Kerala, and combined with Gulf Madhyamam, the market leader amongst Malayalam newspapers in the Middle East^[8][6], has the third largest circulation amongst Malayalam newspapers^[1][20] . It now has nine editions in India: Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kochi, Malappuram, Kannur, Thrissur, Bangalore, Mangalore and Mumbai. The edition at Thrissur was inaugrated on 18 August 2009 by the Defence Minister of India A.K Antony^[21]. In April 2011, the paper expanded to its 10th edition in India from Mumbai. The Governor of Maharashtra State handed over a copy to Oscar award winner Resul Pookutty.^[22]

Gulf Madhyamam, is published from four locations in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah and Abha), one in the UAE (Dubai), one in Oman(Muscat) and from Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.^[23]

In October 2001, it launched a healthcare scheme for the poor, "Santhwanam" and has so far reportedly spent more than Rs 3 crore (30 million) to treat almost 5000 patients.^[24]

The Madhyamam Group is also expected to launch a news channel in Malayalam .^[25]

Awards and honours

ADBI Award winning article in Varadya Madhyamam, published on October 15, 2006

The Madhyamam team has won numerous national and international awards for its contribution to journalism and in particular issues of agriculture,rural development and human rights.

International Honours

Savad Rahman, a sub-editor at Madhyamam won the Development Journalist of the Year prize at the Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA), sponsored by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). An article on the plight of women trapped in the brothels of Mumbai earned him the prize.^[26] He also won the Diversity and Equal Opportunity special prize at the ESR World Journalism Prize 2007 for his feature Bant Singh The Lion of Mansa. The prize winning article was about Bant Singh, a Dalit activist in Punjab.^[27][28]

National awards

P.K. Prakash, a senior staff reporter since 1996, won the 23rd "Journalism for Human Rights" award instituted by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in 2003. His reports on the Adivasi land issue in Muthanga^[29], the illegal kidney trade in Kerala^[30], prisoner torture at the Aluva Sub-jail, and the illegal viagra experiments on infants at a private hospital in Kochi^[31] earned him the award.^[32][33] He also earned a special mention from the PUCL award committee the previous year.^[34]

His article series Choothattam Thudarunna vipani(The continuing gambles of the market, published 26-30 Oct 2007), explaining the impact of globalisation on the remote corners of rural India and Bhoomiyude jaathi(Caste of the land), an analytical study on the impact of land reforms on the Dalit population in Kerala won him "The Statesman Award for the Best Rural Reporting - First Prize"(2007),^[35][36] and the Ramnath Goenka "Excellence in Journalism Awards for Regional Languages 2007-2008" - Print category .^[37][38]. He also received the 12th "National Media Fellowship" instituted by the National Foundation for India, a Rs.100,000 grant for conducting studies on the plight of adivasis in the Kerala model of development.^[39]

MJ Babu, a senior reporter of Madhyamam since 1993, twice won "The Statesman Award for the Best Rural Reporting", first in 1998 and then in 2008. His series of articles titled Pattanam gramathodu cheyyunnath (What a city does to a village, published:7–9 April 2008) won him the 2008 award. The article-series was about the sorry plight of the people living around the Canoli canal of the Chakkamkandam Lake in Guruvayoor where all the waste including human excreta from the city were dumped making it a breeding ground for all kinds of diseases. It also highlighted how paddy cultivation near Guruvayoor was destroyed due to pollution.^[40]

State Government awards

PK Prakash won the 2007 Ambedkar Media Award instituted by the Government of Kerala, for his report on Bhoomiyude jaathi(Caste of the land), an analytical study on the impact of land reforms on the Dalit population in Kerala.^[41] He also won the same in 2004 for his investigative report on the illegal kidney trade in Kerala.^[42] Jisha Elizabeth, a reporter at the daily won the award in 2009 for her article series on a tribal colony working its way to join the mainstream of society with the help of the government.^[43] Razak Thazhathangadi, press photographer at the newspaper won the The State Media Award 2003 in the news photography category for his photographs titled “Niram Maratha Nimisham” (The moment which did not change colour).^[44] N P Jishar, Senior correspondent, won the media award constituted by Department of Culture, Govt of Kerala, for best reporting in International Film Festival of Kerala in 2010, December. ^[45][46]

Press Club / Press Academy awards

Madhyamam Reporter Akbarali Puthunagaram won the Theruvath Raman Award 2006 instituted by the Calicut Press Club for his work Super Chikiltsa, Hitech Kolla,(Superior treatment, Hi-Tech exploitation) appearing between August 31 to September 5, 2006.^[47].Assistant Editor T P Cheruppa won the award in 2007 for his editorial Nellu Mlechamo (Is paddy shameful? - Dec 11,2007) and ^[48] sub-editor G Prajesh Sen won the award in 2008 for his work Vadakathottiyile Vilppanatharatt, which appeared in the paper from July 31 to August 6, 2008.^[49] PK Prakash and Prajesh Sen also won the R. Krishnaswamy Journalism Award,jointly instituted by the Keralashabdam weekly and the Kollam Press Club in 2007^[50] and 2009 respectively.^[51] The two also won the V. Karunakaran Nambiar Award instituted by Kerala Press Academy in 2007 (PK Prakash) ^[52] and 2009 (Prajesh Sen).^[53] Reporter N P Jishar, got chowwara parameswran award of press academy in 2008 for the serial names 'karshaka paadangalil kaliman khananam'. He also received First Best reporter award constituted by government of Kerla in state school festival,2008.

PK Prakash won the first C.P. Mammu Endowment award 2006 instituted by the Ernakulam Press Club for his story Bhoomiyude jaathi(Caste of the land).^[54] TP Cheruppa also won the maiden Kambissery Memorial Journalism Award instituted by the Kollam Press Club in 2006 for the best editorial in a Malayalam daily. The chosen editorial was Irayakkapedunna Shaishavam(Victimizing childhood) which appeared in Madhayamam on June 24, 2006.^[55] MJ Babu also received the Dr Moorkkannoor Narayanan Award instituted by the Kerala Press Academy, the Oorja Kerala Award and the Farm Journalism Award instituted by the State unit of the Indian Veterinary Association .^[56][57]

Other publications

Madhyamam Weekly is a literary and political magazine since 1998. The magazines contains regular columns of prominent writers like Maythil Radhakrishnan(Moonnu Vara), Viju V Nair (Vellezhuthu), KEN Kunhahammad (Idapedal) and Babu Bharadwaj(Vazhipokkante Vaakkukal).

It gave a new insight into the murder of "Naxal Varghese", a 1970s leader of the CPI(ML) in Kerala during the Emergency of 1975-1977. A penitent policeman in the Kerala Police, Constable Ramachandran Nair dictated a confessional note to M.K.Jayadevan which was later handed over to "Gro" Vasu,^[58] an erstwhile Naxalite who later published it in the Madhyamam weekly.^[9][59][60] The letter was then used an important evidence in the "SUPREME COURT OF INDIA - P. Vijayan vs State Of Kerala" case.^[58]

The magazine claims a circulation of 25,000 copies each week.^[20]

See also

• Jamaat-e-Islami Hind

• Islamic Publishing House

• Prabodhanam Weekly

External links

• Madhyamam online edition
• Madhyamam - Media revolution in the South - Milli Gazette

References