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Dr Usha Manchanda Rodrigues

Dr Usha Manchanda Rodrigues

Lecturer in Journalism

Usha has worked as a Journalist and Journalism educator since 1985. She joinedMonash University as a Lecturer since1998. She has a Masters degree in Journalism from Michigan State University, USA , and a Masters degree in Applied Economics from University of Bombay , India . Her Ph.D. titled “Impact of Private and Foreign Television on News and Audiences in India” was completed from The University of Queensland.

Usha has worked as a Journalist and a Correspondent across multi media platforms. She began her career with the two Indian news agencies (one of them being the Press Trust of India - one of the sixth largest news agencies at the time). She has worked as a Correspondent for newspaper The Observer of Business & Politics, India. Later, she switched to television as a Correspondent for Eyewitness - a ground breaking well-respected television current affairs program produced by Hindustan Times group in India at the time. She also did a short stint as Reporter for Capital News Service, Michigan State University, Michigan, USA.

Some of the issues she has covered included conflict in Kashmir and North-East India, economic reforms in India, foreign investment, housing crisis in Bombay and power shortages in India, infant mortality and crowded prisons in the USA .

She has taught Journalism subjects such as Television Journalism, Documentary Making, Press Photography, News Writing, Investigative Journalism, Broadcast Journalism and International Media Systems at Curtin University of Technology and The University of Queensland before joining Monash University.

At Monash, she has taught subjects included:

Usha has written from scratch or re-written units in

In 2004, Usha was successful in receiving a Unit Innovation Grant to re-innovate the introductory unit in Journalism (Newsroom Practice and Theory) at Monash 2004.

In 2005, the Online Journalism unit was selected to be part of The Vice-Chancellor's Showcase 2005 at Monash.

In 2006, Usha co-convened an international symposium on Youth, Media and Culture in the Asia Pacific Region at Monash University .

Research Interests / Publications

Current Research Project in Progress:

Journalism Values: A Generational Evaluation

A study of 21st century journalists, their roles, values and ethics. The study will ascertain and compare the values and ethics of entry level journalists with those of veteran journalists, to measure the generational changes in attitudes, which are presumably influenced by the advances in technology; globalisation and concentration of media ownership; and their impact on journalism. The pilot study will be carried out in the State of Victoria (Australia), and then extrapolated to a wider study of journalism values across various countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Ph.D. research project (completed):
Impact of Private and Foreign Television on Indian News and Audiences

The project involved a study of the impact of foreign television on news and news audiences in a developing country such as India . The empirical study examined if there is a change in both quantity and quality of local news programming following the introduction of foreign television channels. The research looked at the causal effect on viewers' choice of news programs vis-à-vis international versus local. This is a first study of its kind in India and is significant, as it would shed light on the issue of how global competition can affect the local content; as well on the role of public service broadcasting.

Publication and Conference presentations

Books:

Rodrigues, Usha M. and Smaill, Belinda (Eds) (February 2008) Youth, Media and Culture in the Asia Pacific Region, Cambridge Scholars Press, U.K.

Contract signed, Ranganathan, M. and Rodrigues, U.M. (2009) Indian Media in the Era of Globalisation, Sage publications, India .

Book Chapter

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Youth Media Directory’, Youth, Media and Culture in the Asia Pacific Region, Editors U.M. Rodrigues and B. Smaill, Cambridge Scholars Press, U.K.: 87-133.

Refereed Journal Articles

Under review: Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Television Policy in India: An Unfulfilled Agenda’, Continuum, Monash University, Australia.

Under review: Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Evaluation of Journalism Values, Its Influence and Its Impact’, Australian Journalism Review, vol 30(1).

Under review: Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Globalization of Indian Television and Development’, International Communication Gazette, University of Amsterdam.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2005) 'Competition and Television News in India ', Australian Journalism Review , Journalism Education Association, vol 27(2): 171-186.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2005) 'Commercial Influence on Indian Public-Service Broadcasting', Australian Studies in Journalism, The University of Queensland , no 15: 219-247.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2005) ‘Multinational Media, Globalisation and Multiculturalism', Australian Mosaic, Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, issue 12, no 4: 29-31.

Rodrigues (Manchanda), Usha (1998) ‘Invasion From the Skies', Australian Studies in Journalism, The University of Queensland , no 7: 136-163.

Book Reviews

Rodrigues, Usha M (2008) Nalini Rajan (ed) ‘21st Century Journalism in India’, in Media International Australia, issue 128 (accepted for publication).

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2004) Book Review, Gerard Goggin (ed) ‘Virtual Nation: The Internet in Australia', published in Australian Mosaic, Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia, issue 8, number 4: 49-50.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2004) Book Review, Tony Rogers ‘Newswriting on Deadline', published in Australian Studies in Journalism, The University of Queensland, no 13: 200-201.

Conference Papers

Braham, E. and Rodrigues, U. M. (2008) ‘Citizen Journalism in Australia’, Convergence, Citizen Journalism and Social Change: Building Capacity, AMIC Conference, Brisbane, Australia, March 26-28. (Refereed conference paper)

Rodrigues, Usha M., (2007) 'Need for a Cohesive Television Policy in India’, ANZCA 2007 Conference, Melbourne, Australia, July 5-7. (Refereed conference paper).

Rodrigues, Usha M., (2007) 'An evaluation of journalism values, its influence and its impact’, Public Right to Know, Sydney, Australia, November 23-25.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2007) ‘Journalism Values: A Generational Evaluation’, Global Fusion Conference, St Louis, USA, September 7-9.

Rodrigues, Usha M., (2005) 'Globalisation and Development Communication',4th International Convention of Asian Scholars, Shanghai , China , August 20-24, 2005.

Rodrigues, Usha M., (2004) 'Convergence Journalism for College Educator' seminar at the Poynter Institute in Florida, USA, February 8-11.

Rodrigues Usha M. (2003) 'Public Service Broadcasting and Competition', Annual Journalism Education Association conference, Sydney , November 26-29.

Rodrigues (Manchanda), Usha (1997) ‘Invasion From the Skies', Cultural Crossroads Conference, Sydney , 1997.

Journalism Publications

Submitted for publication: Rodrigues, Usha M. (June or August 2008) ‘Journalism Besieged?’The Walkley Magazine, Media, Entertainment, Arts Alliance , Sydney.  

Submitted for peer review: Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Evaluation of Journalism Values, Its Influence and Its Impact’, Australian Journalism Review, vol 30(1).

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2008) ‘Blogging Comes Alive’, The HinduMagazine, January 13.

Rodrigues, Usha M. (2005) ‘Multinational Media, Globalisation and Multiculturalism’, Australian Mosaic, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia, issue 12, no 4: 29-31.

Conference and Panel Convener

Co-convener ‘Youth, Media and Culture in the Asia Pacific Region' Conference, Melbourne , Nov 30-Dec 1, 2006.

Convened ‘ School of Humanities , Communications and Social Sciences Research Forums’ Monash, Gippsland campus, 2004.

Conference Panel Chair

Chaired a panel on ‘Media and Violence’ at the Global Fusion Conference, St Louis, USA, Sept 7-9, 2007.

Chaired a panel on ‘Online Journalism’ at the ANZCA 2007 conference, Melbourne, July.  

Chaired a panel on ‘Talking Machines to Satellite Television’ at the 4th International Convention of Asian Scholars, Shanghai, China, August 20-24, 2005.

Other Activities at Monash:

Convened HUMCASS Research Forums, Gippsland, 2004.

Member of Curriculum International Project group at Monash, 2003-2004.

Faculty of Arts Research Supervisor Training Program at Monash, 2003-4, 2006.

Management and Leadership program at Monash, 2000.

Editor – The Independent Journal, an online multi-media student news portal, 2004-5.

Coordinator – MONJO, Monash Journalism section's informative web site, 2003-7.

Contributor and Adviser – Threshold news, a Monash student newspaper, 2003-5.

Competitive Grants and Awards

Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, 2007 (External grant)

Rodrigues, Usha M., Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, $2,000 in external Grant for the 'Journalism Values: A Generational Evaluation' project.

Recognition of Curriculum Innovation, Monash, 2005

Re-innovated the Online Journalism unit at Monash in 2004. The process was successful and the unit received good feedback from students. The innovative nature of the unit was recognized at university level, when it was selected to be part of the Vice Chancellor’s Showcase of Teaching Excellence in 2005.

Asia Pacific Future Research Network, 2005 (External grant)

Succeeded in receiving a $7,000 external grant from the ‘Asia Pacific Future Research Network’ to co-convene a symposium – ‘Youth, Media and Culture in the Asia-Pacific Region’ in 2006.

Fellowship, Poynter Institute, USA, 2004 (External grant)

Awarded a fellowship worth $1,500 to attend the ‘Convergence Journalism for College Educators’ seminar at the Poynter Institute in Florida, USA.

Unit Innovation Grant, Monash, 2003

Succeeded in receiving a $10,000 Unit Innovation Grant at Monash University in 2003 to re-design the introductory unit in Journalism. The unit with more than 600+ enrolments receives good feedback from students.

Seeding Grant, Monash, 2000

Awarded $1,000 seeding grant by the Faculty of Arts, Monash, to apply for a Small ARC grant in 2000. Applied for a Small ARC grant, but did not succeed.

SIF Grant for Journalism Library Resources, Monash, 1999

Succeeded in receiving approximately $67,000 in SIF grant at Monash in 1999 for print and electronic Journalism library resources (Gippsland and Berwick campuses). Total SIF grant amount $216,000 for four disciplines.

Early Researcher Grant, Curtin University of Technology, 1997

Succeeded in receiving an early researcher grant at Curtin University of Technology in 1997 towards a research project measuring television viewers’ response to satellite television in India.

Teaching Assistantship, MSU, 1991-92

Michigan State University, USA, 1991-1992

Certificate of Appreciation

Public Service Broadcasting in Mid-Michigan, 1991

Achievement Award in Photographyan>

Celebrate Diversity of People at Michigan State University, 1991

Contact Details

Phone:
Caulfield: 9903 4052
Fax:
Caulfield: 9903 2795 or 9903 4225
Office:
Caulfield: B4.42
Email:
Usha.Manchanda@arts.monash.edu.au
Address:
School of Humanities , Communications & Social Sciences
Faculty of Arts, Monash University
Caulfield Campus
900 Dandenong Rd , Caulfield East VIC - 3145

For general Journalism course enquiries, and leave a message for Usha at (03) 5122 6321 (HUMCASS School reception)

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