Dean, Mathrubhumi Media School, Kochi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shajankumar/?originalSubdomain=in
Shajan C Kumar, an experienced Design Editor based in Kochi, Kerala is pioneering the exploration of Interactive Digital Communication Techniques within the realm of Social Media Networking. He aims to bridge the gap between metaverse technology and mainstream media, and he’s exploring two distinct approaches to achieve this: one involving head-mounted display (HMD) technology and the other employing wireframe light display technology.
Shajan’s illustrious career has seen him collaborate with major media groups, including The India Today Group, The Indian Express Group, The New Indian Express Group, and HT Media Group. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the launch of ‘Mint,’ the business daily from the HT Media group, in an exclusive partnership with The Wall Street Journal. During this time, he had the privilege of working closely with the renowned Visual Journalist, Dr. Mario Garcia (Sr.), and his team.
His journey in academia led him to serve as an Associate Professor in Fashion Communication at the Institute of Apparel Management, Gurgaon. Later, he joined the faculty at the Times School of Media, Bennett University, as an Assistant Professor. He has also ventured into innovative techniques in Information Graphics and was awarded the first Ejourno & Syntel Fellowship to study the ‘Impact of the Internet on Visual Journalism.’
Shajan’s dedication to imparting knowledge led him to conduct classes on News Design, Fact Checking, and Data Journalism at prestigious institutions such as Madras Christian College in Chennai, Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, MASCOM in Kottayam, Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi and Kottayam, BSE Institute in Mumbai, and NID in Ahmedabad. He also conducted an IFRA workshop on News Design.
Shajan’s contributions extend to being a Board of Studies member at Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication in Bhopal, the oldest Journalism University in India.
His aspiration is to develop innovative tools to enhance ethical journalism practices. Notably, he presented a paper in a web seminar organized by Pennsylvania State University as part of the Best Practices in Journalism Education series, specifically addressing “Protocols for a Design Team.” Currently, Shajan holds the esteemed position of Dean of the Media School at The Mathrubhumi group in Kerala. Before taking up this role, he served as the Head of Fact Checking and Data Visualization within the organization.