Bunked the IIMC final exams but won the heart of the nation. Neelesh Misra journey from Storyteller to the Founder of a rural newspaper Gaon Connection.

“I was the only student in IIMC who didn’t appear in the final examination but got the degree.” “The story which won Ramnath Goenka Award started from just 10 Rs. RTI.” Most loved Storyteller and a journalist who paved his own path and showed the nation a different side of journalism by his newspaper Gaon Connection. (For Hindi Readers)

Neelesh Misra. Image credit- Internet

Neelesh Misra shared his journey from being a field reporter to a founder of the first Indian rural newspaper in an interview.

Question- You’ve been in the field of journalism since 1990. How different do you find being a founder member of a newspaper from being a journalist?

Answer- You don’t have any set boundaries. Being a founder member, it gives you a certain, subtle kind of independence. This way we can work as honest journalists. Problems if any, are financial. To run a newspaper without compromising values is the toughest challenge and has been the roughest part of this journey! You have to incessantly keep thinking about how to go on.

Question- As a journalist, what pressure did you face in other media houses which you don’t feel in Gaon Connection?

Answer- To be honest, I did not face any difficulties in other organizations. (bmanglam.blogspt.com) It was a good experience. I got to work with big organizations, like associated press and Hindustan Times where I got a chance in field reporting. I had the authority to write independently on issues. And Gaon Connection is carrying the same tradition.

Image credit- Facebook

Question- Why did you want to become a journalist?

Answer- I was not much interested in journalism. I used to think about a journalist as magnified stenographers. But some coincidences made me a journalist. My friend had an extra form of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) left with him. I applied for the same and eventually got selected. That is how it began for me. 

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Question- If you were not interested in journalism, then what did you want to become one?

Answer- I wanted to run a magazine. I tried to publish a magazine when I was in 12th standard. At that time, there was a cyclostyle Xerox machine. I tried to run it with the help of my family. That was an innocent try. Besides running a magazine, I wanted to write books and wanted to sing.

Question- In an RTI class, you shared the story of Ram Nath Goenka Award from 10 Rs. RTI. What was that story?

Answer- There was a friend of mine in Forest Dept. from Jharkhand. He told me about an issue that- government funds a huge amount of money for development, but most of it is returned back.(bmanglam.blogspt.com) I sent an RTI to home ministry enquiring how much the government funded in insurgency areas and how much of it gets returned back. I could have written 2-3 articles on the issue and be done with it. But I went for field reporting and I wrote a book with Rahul Pandita on this issue. In Hindustan times, I worked on a series which won Ramnath Goenka Award in 2007. That series also won KC Kulish award in 2009.

Question- In Gaon Connection, there are so many members who are from your family. Don’t you think that other members don’t get equal opportunity to work?

Answer- Whenever the idea of a startup is conceived, then people who join are the ones who believe in you and work for you with less money or at times, no money at all. Most of those people from your family.

Neelesh Misra with his family in Swayam Festival. Image credit- Facebook

If my father is head editor of Gaon Connection it’s because he’s a farmer, a writer and understands the world of English. He also understands politics. It will be hard to find an editor like him. My wife also helps me with the newspaper. We would be happy if more people come and help us but it is not possible for a long time. We ensure that it does not affect our quality.

Question- There are some newspapers which publish news according to sponsors. An editor is less important than a sponsor. Gaon Connection has no sponsors. What kind of difficulty you face as a member?

Answer- We are against paid news. Unfortunately, it has become a norm in every media house. Even the government, at times, supports them. That is why we are facing more difficulties and that is the reason why we are primarily earning money from other resources. Like telling stories on radio, by Swayam festival. Now we are thinking to earn money by surveys.

Office of Gaon Connection. Image credit- Internet

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Question- Goan Connection is coming in three states - Jharkhand, Bihar, and Maharashtra. Why is it not coming in Punjab, given the fact that it mostly revolves around farmers?

Answer- We have financial issues. Our model is based on subscription. The places where we get enough subscriptions so as to run the paper without any advertisements, we like to expand in those states.

In the next part of the interview.

Click for Rest part of the Interview.