Feel good news and hard-hitting stories, an amalgamation that makes TWL tick

P C Vinoj Kumar

31-August-2012

Vol 3 | Issue 35

Two years have rolled by since The Weekend Leader was launched. As Founder Editor of this unique portal that set out defying the basic premise of many media professionals that only negative news sells, I have reasons to feel happy on reaching this milestone.

Looking back on the past year, we at The Weekend Leader were assailed by moments of trial and struggles that came in between moments of triumph and joy, but overriding all of it was a sense of fulfillment that lingered on.

Feel good news, and stories of unsung heroes have got adequate space in The Weekend Leader (Blurb photo: IANS)

The Weekend Leader was founded with a purpose, to fill a void in the media, and in this short period we have reasonably lived up to our self-imposed mandate of positive journalism, which as our readers may now be aware is characterized by an amalgam of feel-good news, and hard stories that carry a punch against the likes of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who presided over the genocide of Tamils, and the Indian nuclear establishment that cares two hoots about flouting norms to establish a power plant at Kudankulam against wishes of the local people.

While The Weekend Leader wishes to be in the forefront of covering positive news, we also wish to fight for the right cause, as much as we believe in proactive journalism of walking the extra mile to promote a good cause.

It was the latter line of thinking that prompted us to gear for an increased offline presence to be more effective in promoting the causes we support.

It was this belief that stirred us to enter the portals of universities and colleges to invite the students of architecture to learn about the emerging trends in green buildings at a workshop we conducted in Chennai. More such activities are in the offing.

Protests at Kudankulam against the nuclear plant

Meanwhile, coinciding with our second anniversary, The Weekend Leader is publishing the stories of four achievers from different fields – Anu Aga, Y P Singh, R R Gopal, and Navin Gulia - who recall the early struggles in their chosen endeavors and narrate how they courted success in spite of their adverse circumstances.

To conclude, let me sign off with two lessons among the many I have learned in this journey with The Weekend Leader so far.

One, nothing can be achieved without the collective effort of a team, and two, be prepared to suffer if you wish to achieve your goals without compromising on your core principles.

Happy Reading!