Kolkata Media Conference 2020

Loreto College, Kolkata was a partner to the prestigious NHSM Kolkata Media Conference, held between 6th and 10th November 2020. The conference observed enthusiastic participation from the students and provided a great learning experience for them. The conference included presentations by experts from various fields within media studies, panel discussions among professionals sharing their experience and expert opinion, papers illuminating several interesting aspects of the emerging media scene as well as special sessions with spokespersons discussing several intriguing facets of today's mass media. The conference informed the audience of the contemporary scene in the media industry and present and emerging trends in media consumption and dissemination. With a special focus on the Indian subcontinent, the conference spokespersons shed light on the connection between the prevailing socio-political conditions of India and Bangladesh and mass media. Old and new types of media and communication were extensively examined and probed for pros and cons. Recent developments and changes were brought to attention. Social phenomena were scrupulously interpreted through the lens of media science, with fascinating case studies and practical examples throwing light on often neglected areas of the same.

While there were professors, entrepreneurs, and experts of respective fields concerning media science, it also accommodated the endeavors of students with valuable knowledge to share. Students of Loreto College showed active participation in the conference with the presentation of three academic papers. Sadaf Afreen Mondal presented her research in the paper Social Media and Global Youth Cultures: Tik Tok and musical.ly on day 3, followed by Shreyasi Das Roy in her paper called DESIGN: Artistic Visual Communication. Adrija Poddar, Nikita Ladha, and SoumiliBasu presented their joint venture in the paper Power of Advertising in Swaying Consumption Decisions During Covid-19: Comparison Between Swiggy and Zomato.

The media summit was held live on Zoom on all days, with the Closing Ceremony on the 10th being simultaneously streamed on social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Being held online, the summit hailed a liberal, global viewership. The media summit was concluded with a cultural program where the students of Loreto shared the spotlight. Screening of a short fashion film, vocal performances, and poetry recitation were conducted by the respective societies, thus bringing the intellectual endeavor of Kolkata Media Conference, 2020 to a close on an aesthetic note.