IDENTITY Archives

‘On Background’ and ‘Not on Tape’ in Reporting

September 28, 2025September 28, 2025 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan 1 Comment

Reading Time: < 1 minute ON BACKGROUND Information that a source shares on the background is used without revealing the source’s identity. Sources may agree to a description of their position. Whistle-blowers who would like to expose malpractices often share information on background. Reporters verify the information that is shared on background using other sources. On-background sources are quotable…

JOURNALISM, KERALA UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS - UG, WRITING FOR MEDIA/LANGUAGE FOR MEDIA

STYLE BOOK

July 17, 2025October 1, 2025 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan No Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes A style book is a rule book used in a newspaper desk to help writers and editors write news in a clear, correct, and professional way. It provides guidance on how to spell words, use punctuation, write names, numbers, and dates, and maintain a consistent style throughout all the news stories. This makes the…

‘Function of Stories‘ by Sarah Dillon: An Analysis

May 4, 2025February 9, 2026 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan 6 Comments

Reading Time: 5 minutes The article “Function of Stories” is based on ideas Sarah Dillon and Claire Craig collected for their book Story Listening. The Function of Stories explains why stories are important and why they should be taken seriously. Stories are usually seen as entertainment, something that makes us happy, sad, scared, or amused. However, the essay…

FYUGP SYLLABUS, THE ART OF STORYTELLING

‘I LOST MY TALK’: THE IMPACT OF RESIDENTIAL SYSTEM

January 2, 2025October 20, 2026 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan 2 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes Rita Joe’s poem “I Lost My Talk” is evocative and reflects the profound impact of the residential school system on Indigenous language and identity in Canada. The poem opens with the line, “ I lost my talk,” which is also the poem’s title. When the poet says, “I lost my talk,” she means she lost…

CANADIAN LITERATURE, KERALA UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS - PG, POETRY

Basic Tenets of Judith Butler’s Gender Performance Theory

November 30, 2024October 20, 2026 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan 3 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutesJudith Butler (1956 -) is an American academic. Her theories of gender performance have influenced cultural theory and feminism in the late 20th century. Judith deconstructs the traditional notions of gender identity. Her theories have greatly impacted archaeology, leading to studies on the archaeology of gender. Judith Butler’s important works include – Gender Trouble: Feminism and…

AMERICAN LITERATURE, KERALA UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS - PG, PERFORMING GENDER

Adichie: Discussing the Challenges of Balancing Two Opposite Cultures

October 20, 2024July 3, 2026 Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan 4 Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born on September 15, 1977, in Enugu, Nigeria, grew up in a nurturing academic environment with her parents deeply involved in the University of Nigeria. Her father was a professor of statistics, and her mother was the university’s first female registrar. Her family lived on the university campus, in a house…

AFRICAN LITERATURE, KERALA UNIVERSITY SYLLABUS - UG, POST COLONIAL LITERATURE, WOMEN'S WRITING