Meenakshi Shedde, Freelance Journalist, Mumbai, India

What water-themed work have you been working on (reporting, editing research)?
In my experience, dealing with water issues calls for a holistic approach. I have been a journalist for 30 years, a Communications Consultant specializing in Development Issues, including water, gender, health and education for 20 years, and a professor of journalism for over 20 years. I have been Rapporteur, World Water Forum, Marseille, 2012, Rapporteur, UNDP (New York/Senegal, on HIV); Consultant, World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) South Asia, UNICEF (New Delhi, HIV); UNESCO (Paris, education); South Asian Consortium of Interdisciplinary Water Resource Studies (SaciWaters, Hyderabad, water); Ford Foundation; Sangram (Sangli, HIV advocacy); Sightsavers (UK, blindness), IPPF (UK), FPAI. My water-specific related work includes multi-media experience in writing (print, online), editing, rapporteur, photography, advocacy, research, documentation, field interviews. Therefore, my experience gives me a holistic approach to water issues.

What areas of your work in water have generated the most significant public response?
Hard to say, as most of my work was project-related, and the results were internal reports rarely communicated to me, even when I asked. However, from experience, I’d say my work for the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program South Asia, which included best practices worldwide and India guidance notes, as well as small projects like Women Managing Water: Inspiring Stories from South Asia, did a lot to inspire other women working at the grassroots in water issues.

What barriers are there to reporting on environment and sustainable development issues in your region (eg. lack of public interest, censorship, pressure from advertisers etc)?
When I was Assistant Editor at Times of India, Mumbai, 1990s-2003, India’s biggest national English paper, and wanted to do consistent coverage of water issues including a series, the Resident Editor dismissed me with a moan, saying, “Oh dear, you and your sunshine stories.” It was very hard to get my writing on water and development issues published, as it wasn’t considered sexy enough for the reader or advertisers. So I chose to freelance and work with people who take water and development issues seriously, and have considerable experience because of my commitment, detailed above.

What is tough to sell to editors in water/sustainable development/environment? Why do you think this is the case? Please detail with specific examples from your experience.
Newspapers are primarily in a very competitive space, and face a big threat from internet. So they tend to focus on gossip, sex, and goods advertisers want to push to push circulation. Development issues get very low priority. UNDP India has had workshops with editors and journalists in Goa, to encourage thinking on development and water issues, but it worked briefly as it was a beach junket, it is challenging to achieve long term impact.

What do you feel has been successful and unsuccessful in your work in this area? Please detail with specific examples from your experience. I’ve already explained this with specific examples above—about my unsuccessful work in Answer 3 and successful work in Answer 1.

Please present your proposals for communications and media projects. This is your chance to pitch the UN.
I have two proposals:

• 1. I am very keen to be rapporteur to the Zaragoza Annual International Water Conference 2015. I do a great job reporting and taking photographs, and alongside, I get a comprehensive, 360 degree understanding of the issues involved.
• 2. The Women Managing Water South Asia book (CD book) was a tremendously inspiring, life-changing experience. I am very keen to take the project further by directing an inspiring documentary film about it, because that can be understood by women and men who are illiterate and cannot read books.

You are expected to produce some work at the conference. What do you plan to do?
As mentioned, I am very keen to be rapporteur for the full conference. In addition, I am very keen to present a paper at the Media and Communications sessions on the positive and tremendously inspiring aspects of water issues that I have seen in 20 years in South Asia on Jan 16^th.