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In this episode of Postcards, host Nikunj sits down with Shalini Singh, investigative journalist, researcher, and co-founder of the People's Archive of Rural India (PARI)—to explore the stark divide between urban newsrooms and rural realities. Despite rural India accounting for roughly 70% of the country's population (~833 million people), front-page coverage in national print media sits at a mere 0.67% (and drops to 0.24% outside election years, per CMS research). Shalini reflects on her journey from corporate ambitions to grassroots journalism at Tehelka (investigating child football stitchers in Meerut) and co-founding PARI to document the everyday lives of ordinary citizens. The conversation covers the ethics of ground reporting: avoiding extractive "parachute journalism," practicing deep empathy, and ensuring community dignity. From reporting on post-disaster recovery (such as setting up a post office in Pithoragarh or securing Aadhaar access for leprosy-affected citizens) to unpacking Delhi's Yamuna pollution and women's invisible labor, Shalini demonstrates how slow, compassionate journalism can drive real-world institutional impact.
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https://youtu.be/ygieTGaZSOw?si=q_bScDfNV27XWn5j
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for everyone who is a part of the ‘books before movies’ club
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because we do not believe in gatekeeping ;)
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for all the cinephiles out there
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Please find below the entire transcript of the episode.
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