Pitching pitches//ACJ

By Athira Elssa Johnson -



 




Pitch one: To look into discrimination and exclusion of lgbtqia+ community in India’s blood donation policy

The Central government recently defended the decision to bar LGBTQIA+ (gay and transgender people) from donating blood in India, citing scientific evidence after a member of the transgender community moved the Supreme Court seeking to strike it down.

The central government said the decision is because the community comes under the "high-risk" group for HIV/AIDS.

There is a history of deliberate exclusion of the community to lead normal lives like others, perpetuated by the system. We would like to investigate the operation of blood donation and look into how the decisions, parameters, and eligibility of blood donation work.

The investigation can find more about the mechanism of stigma and discrimination towards the community, in the medical system.

-        We would talk to the donation org, healthcare departments, donation centers,  AIDS control society, DHS, and more health departments for data and leads to more sources.

-        Look into the working of a centralised online blood b-donation management system

Pitch two:

The functioning of the aftercare schemes for gender-affirming surgeries, there are cases every now and then on gender affirming surgeries and how inadequate aftercare makes the recovery difficult, and in some cases, the recovery doesn’t happen,

-        Would talk to the community and their organisations, the health departments to know if there is a community-centric approach followed

The story will focus on detailing gender-affirming surgery.

There is a shortage of data on the development outcomes of sexual and gender minorities. This interrupts with making informed policy decisions and determining what works and what doesn’t for people from the community- so a look into if there is a data system to record these also becomes one part of the story.

 

Pitch three:

An account of the discourse and policies associated with sexually transmitted illnesses.

STD prevention in India -the prevention and awareness policies

-        focusing Chennai’s health departments

and community-lived experiences

-        AIDS control society, TB research centre,look into co-infections so- DHS and other government health departments also.

 

" I believe in the power of lived experiences and documenting stories . I try to survive amidst the stigma, hate and act against any means / system of oppression. Considers intersectionality as to be the most important in politics and elsewhere. Trying to learn, relearn and unlearn as a journalist. My beat is health and I pursue it with understanding of communities "

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PENNING HONOUR......

By Athira Elssa Johnson -
Image
Clipping of The New Indian Express July 4th 2016 The success of any visual presentation; be it film, documentary, docudrama, short film depicting any topic; unveils the strength that the script offers. The flesh and blood of a film is a powerful script. And the burgeoning script writers of the state are bringing novel sprouts in the writing sphere. Simon George, member of the production house; ‘Inspire Films’ mentions, “The prevailing film culture is quite promising with the advent of script writers who make the film a study material with facts and proper research; when it comes to our team we always look for a script that capture minds.” D S SAJITH Been hired to write scripts and write ups that are officially credited to some other person; D.S Sajith  has been into ghost writing since twenty years and is currently planning to make a leap to attain credits for his own works. “I have completed 48 works which I cannot name as it is accredited to someone; but no
Read more

CYCLING; THE NOVEL FAD

By Athira Elssa Johnson -
Image
Kochi :The state is heading its transport modes to a newer pace with welcoming arms to the burgeoning cycling craze. It is setting a new trend especially among the youngsters. This leap would fortunately bring positive changes in air pollution control too.  “Bicycle is the best companion in most of my leisure times, when I feel to take a pedal down the streets I find it fulfilled with my Cycle”, comments Niya Varghese, an engineering student, FISAT College, Angamaly.  Most of the college –going students finds solace in two wheelers for their daily transport needs; the list also includes bikes and scooters. Whilst this trend is meeting a new twist by around the maximum youngsters of the state commenting in unison that, bicycles are their comfortable vehicles.        Anna Binny, a BCom student of Naipunnya College, hailing from Thrissur believes that pedaling on cycle is the healthiest way to stay fit. She says, “Pedaling is indeed a rejuvenating ex
Read more

How Unbelievable got it right

By Athira Elssa Johnson -
Image
The trauma of rape in the Netflix series shows disturbing ways the system works around rape survivors and addresses it as it should be.  Trauma is often exploited in the media, which, in layers, has enabled rape culture by using women characters as the subject of rape-revenge plots even in big-budget movies and TV series like Game of Thrones or as a backstory to build a strong woman character in iconic movies like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. However, these defaults and stereotypes in rape narratives associated with shame and a flashback of “badly behaved women” characters are dismantled in the series Unbelievable created by Susannah Grant.  The series revolves around investigations of rapes that follow a similar pattern. The story starts with Marie Adlter (Kaitlyn Dever), one of the rape survivors. Marie has been in foster care since age three and finally when she starts to live independently a stranger breaks into her home one night and rapes her. There is no evidence of a break-in
Read more