One of the latest books and, perhaps, one of the most important for humanity in its search for right values and directions, (in the sense of the communications industry finding inspiration and for this industry to, in turn, inspire and feed the minds of the human family), has just been brought out. This 199-page book is titled “Media Values”, edited by Richard Lance Keeble, professor of journalism at the University of Lincoln, UK. The book, inspired by the late William E. Porter, founder president of the International Communications Forum (ICF), has been published by Troubadour Press in the UK
Below is the quote from the flyer of the book:
“Media Values brings together the writings of 27 experienced international journalists and artists to celebrate Bill Porter’s life and reflect on the values that he promoted through the ICF.
“Shortly before his death in 2009, William Porter suggested the publication of a book in which colleagues could highlight in many ways the fundamental principles of the ICF. The result is Media Values which carries 29 chapters from individual contributors, many of whom knew Porter.
“Commenting on the book, Sir David Bell, non-executive director of The Economist, chair of the Media Standards Trust and recently retired chairman of the Financial Times writes: 'This is an impressive book inspired by a remarkable man who was devoted to the simple idea that the media can have high standards and prepared to campaign tirelessly to make this idea come alive. As this book shows, his impact was considerable and the torch which he lit is burning stronger than ever.'
“Those who have contributed chapters are Berrnard Margueritte, Chair of the ICF, John Bond, Malgorzata Bonikowska, Fabrice Boule, Alan Channer, Charles Chasie, Simon Cohen, John B Fairfax, Carol Goar, Gordan Graham, Grigory Gundarin, Hank Heald, Michael Henderson, Martyn Lewis, Magnus Linklater, Rafael Marques de Morais, John Munro, Hugh Nowell, Olga Noskova, Danko Plevnik, Natalya Skvortsova, Michael Smith, William Stainsby, Faustina Starrett, Tomas Vrba, Bob Webb and Hugh Steadman Williams.
“The book is on sale in the UK at £18.95 plus postage and package from the Initiatives of Change centre in London. It can also be ordered online from: www.icforum.org”
Having got the formal part of the book out of the way, it is time to say a few words about the man and what the organization he founded. The ICF, launched in 1990, now has Chapters and friends on all continents, across 116 countries, including some of the biggest media organizations in the world like the International Federation of Journalists, the World Association of Newspapers, the European Journalists Center, the Association of European Journalists, the Committee of Concerned Journalists, USA, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Independent Union of Professional Journalists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Polish Association of Journalists, the Russian Journalists Union etc All these organizations and more are aware of the ICF and frequently carry out collaborative initiatives.
At the time of the launching of the International Communications Forum Mr Roger Parkinson, the then president of the World Association of Newspapers said that “The ICF had put the issue of the effect of the media on society onto the world world’s agenda”. The present president of the ICF is Mr Barnard Marguerite, formerly of Le Monde (France) and now columnist. Regular media conclaves are held on different continents and in different countries, mostly offering support to initiatives by “members” in their countries. One the well-known such conclaves/conferences took place in Sarajevo in September-October 2000. This was where the media people from around the world adopted what has come to be known as the Sarajevo Commitment. It grew out of the convictions of Mr Senad Kamenica, a Bosnian broadcaster and Jan Pieklo, a Polish journalist, that if Sarajevo had been a city of shame in the 20th century, it could become a beacon of hope for the 21st century. The Sarajevo Commitment has gone all over the world and many, many in the media world have signed the document as a personal commitment. This Commitment has been hailed by many as a spectacular case of people from the media and communications industry taking responsibility not only for their own actions but for the societies, and world, they cater to.
Bill Porter, the man
The ICF was born out of the conviction of Mr Porter that if the communications industry had become the single biggest industry (Print & electronic media including broadcasting, films, theatre, advertising, books & publishing etc) in the world, it ought to also be the most responsible. He tells the story of how the initiative came about in a simple, reader-friendly and humorous way in his autobiography titled, “Do Something about it! : A Media Man’s Story”. (John Faber, UK, in association with Caux Books, Switzerland, 2005).
Mr William Erasmus Porter, better known and called Bill by his friends was a larger than life figure. For him, nothing was impossible! What was more, he exuded such an aura of positivity and ability to accomplish anything! He also liked to be naughty in a child-like way which made him so endearing. He loved to play harmless verbal pranks on people and was always joking with them. The thing that most people remember about him was his ruddy face in full laughter – his face would go all red and sometimes it seemed as if it might burst! But behind all the laughter and good-natured banter, he was always crystal clear on what he was about. He firmly believed that “the media can be a decisive force for justice, freedom and peace in the 21st century”. This was his chosen mission and his commitment never faltered. A heart patient and often with broken bones, in his 80s, he would still go wherever he was invited and where he felt his presence could help. He was unstoppable which often worried his close friends. When news of his death came, a friend in a light vein commented, “Bill must be already telling St Peter that a Chapter of the ICF was needed in Heaven!”
Mr William Porter started out as a journalist in Asia, Europe and America. Later he became the Chief Executive of the UK arm of a renowned multi-national publishing house owned by a Dutch company. He also held senior positions with the British Publishers Association as well as the Periodical Publishers. He was among the pioneers of electronic and data base publishing. But he did not often use them. He would not even use email and the best he would do was to compromise and use a fax machine! This was our mode of communication most times. When I first met him, he took out, from his inside coat pocket, a little cartoon, neatly cut out from a newspaper and showed me two little puppies sitting in front of a computer monitor. The caption below said, “On computer, they don’t know that we are dogs”! He had an amazing ability to attract and make friends with people from anywhere and from whatever walks of life.
Bill Porter came to Nagaland in March 2003 at a time when the State elections were just over and the first DAN Government was being formed. Bill came from the World Congress of media and media persons in Colombo. He officially came as a guest of the then Centre for Democracy and Tribal Studies (CDTS), an informal group of Nagas drawn from different walks of life such as Church leaders, former diplomats and senior government officials, mass-based Naga NGO leaders, media, university teachers and intellectuals etc. A public meeting was held at the Kohima Zonal Council Hall where Bill was publicly received. He spoke with passion and commitment on/for his beliefs. There was also time for informal interaction with participants. Bill had a bad back and he was also walking with a limp but after a difficult road journey to a nearby village (Tuophema) on the outskirts of Kohima, his comment was, “You know, in Nagaland, you get free massage on your roads!” This came with a big, loud, laugh. Bill talked about his visit to Nagaland in his above mentioned autobiography. Of course, his added incentive for coming to Nagaland was to see his Naga godson and to give him his blessings. His gesture was most appreciated.
By a nice coincidence, when Bill Porter was trying to launch the International Communications Forum (ICF), one of the persons he consulted and sought advice from was another great friend of the Naga people, Dr Gordon Graham, founder chairman of the Kohima Educational Trust (KET), and now president emeritus, who also fought in the famous Battle of Kohima during World War II. They were both from the publishing world. Dr Gordon Graham wrote the foreword of Bill’s autobiography, mentioned above. Gordon, as we call him, is also a man of both head and heart. His conviction was that the veterans carried a debt of honour to the Nagas for the help given to British and Allied soldiers during the Battle of Kohima in 1944. His desire to do something for the Nagas in return resulted in the birth of the Kohima Educational Trust, a British charitable trust for the promotion of education of Nagas. The trust has been disbursing scholarships on a yearly basis to students, including and nursing students, a hostel for students in Pangsha has come up, a library, with rare WWII books and educational material, has been operating at the District Library in Kohima, a basket ball court has been built for school children in Phek, a Naga Glossary (dictionary) is in the making, and various exchanges have been taken place between Nagas and British. Late last year, when some media people from Nagaland went to England, the KET also hosted them. The bridge between the British and the Nagas keep getting stronger year by year. Those who want to know more about the KET could go to its website at kohimaeducationaltrust.net or even get in direct touch with its counterpart in Nagaland, the Kohima Educational Society at kesnagaland@yahoo.com.
Both Bill and Gordon typify Boris Pasternak’s saying that “It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to new and better days; but revelations, lavishness and torments of someone’s soul inspired and ablaze”.
Below is the quote from the flyer of the book:
“Media Values brings together the writings of 27 experienced international journalists and artists to celebrate Bill Porter’s life and reflect on the values that he promoted through the ICF.
“Shortly before his death in 2009, William Porter suggested the publication of a book in which colleagues could highlight in many ways the fundamental principles of the ICF. The result is Media Values which carries 29 chapters from individual contributors, many of whom knew Porter.
“Commenting on the book, Sir David Bell, non-executive director of The Economist, chair of the Media Standards Trust and recently retired chairman of the Financial Times writes: 'This is an impressive book inspired by a remarkable man who was devoted to the simple idea that the media can have high standards and prepared to campaign tirelessly to make this idea come alive. As this book shows, his impact was considerable and the torch which he lit is burning stronger than ever.'
“Those who have contributed chapters are Berrnard Margueritte, Chair of the ICF, John Bond, Malgorzata Bonikowska, Fabrice Boule, Alan Channer, Charles Chasie, Simon Cohen, John B Fairfax, Carol Goar, Gordan Graham, Grigory Gundarin, Hank Heald, Michael Henderson, Martyn Lewis, Magnus Linklater, Rafael Marques de Morais, John Munro, Hugh Nowell, Olga Noskova, Danko Plevnik, Natalya Skvortsova, Michael Smith, William Stainsby, Faustina Starrett, Tomas Vrba, Bob Webb and Hugh Steadman Williams.
“The book is on sale in the UK at £18.95 plus postage and package from the Initiatives of Change centre in London. It can also be ordered online from: www.icforum.org”
Having got the formal part of the book out of the way, it is time to say a few words about the man and what the organization he founded. The ICF, launched in 1990, now has Chapters and friends on all continents, across 116 countries, including some of the biggest media organizations in the world like the International Federation of Journalists, the World Association of Newspapers, the European Journalists Center, the Association of European Journalists, the Committee of Concerned Journalists, USA, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Independent Union of Professional Journalists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Polish Association of Journalists, the Russian Journalists Union etc All these organizations and more are aware of the ICF and frequently carry out collaborative initiatives.
At the time of the launching of the International Communications Forum Mr Roger Parkinson, the then president of the World Association of Newspapers said that “The ICF had put the issue of the effect of the media on society onto the world world’s agenda”. The present president of the ICF is Mr Barnard Marguerite, formerly of Le Monde (France) and now columnist. Regular media conclaves are held on different continents and in different countries, mostly offering support to initiatives by “members” in their countries. One the well-known such conclaves/conferences took place in Sarajevo in September-October 2000. This was where the media people from around the world adopted what has come to be known as the Sarajevo Commitment. It grew out of the convictions of Mr Senad Kamenica, a Bosnian broadcaster and Jan Pieklo, a Polish journalist, that if Sarajevo had been a city of shame in the 20th century, it could become a beacon of hope for the 21st century. The Sarajevo Commitment has gone all over the world and many, many in the media world have signed the document as a personal commitment. This Commitment has been hailed by many as a spectacular case of people from the media and communications industry taking responsibility not only for their own actions but for the societies, and world, they cater to.
Bill Porter, the man
The ICF was born out of the conviction of Mr Porter that if the communications industry had become the single biggest industry (Print & electronic media including broadcasting, films, theatre, advertising, books & publishing etc) in the world, it ought to also be the most responsible. He tells the story of how the initiative came about in a simple, reader-friendly and humorous way in his autobiography titled, “Do Something about it! : A Media Man’s Story”. (John Faber, UK, in association with Caux Books, Switzerland, 2005).
Mr William Erasmus Porter, better known and called Bill by his friends was a larger than life figure. For him, nothing was impossible! What was more, he exuded such an aura of positivity and ability to accomplish anything! He also liked to be naughty in a child-like way which made him so endearing. He loved to play harmless verbal pranks on people and was always joking with them. The thing that most people remember about him was his ruddy face in full laughter – his face would go all red and sometimes it seemed as if it might burst! But behind all the laughter and good-natured banter, he was always crystal clear on what he was about. He firmly believed that “the media can be a decisive force for justice, freedom and peace in the 21st century”. This was his chosen mission and his commitment never faltered. A heart patient and often with broken bones, in his 80s, he would still go wherever he was invited and where he felt his presence could help. He was unstoppable which often worried his close friends. When news of his death came, a friend in a light vein commented, “Bill must be already telling St Peter that a Chapter of the ICF was needed in Heaven!”
Mr William Porter started out as a journalist in Asia, Europe and America. Later he became the Chief Executive of the UK arm of a renowned multi-national publishing house owned by a Dutch company. He also held senior positions with the British Publishers Association as well as the Periodical Publishers. He was among the pioneers of electronic and data base publishing. But he did not often use them. He would not even use email and the best he would do was to compromise and use a fax machine! This was our mode of communication most times. When I first met him, he took out, from his inside coat pocket, a little cartoon, neatly cut out from a newspaper and showed me two little puppies sitting in front of a computer monitor. The caption below said, “On computer, they don’t know that we are dogs”! He had an amazing ability to attract and make friends with people from anywhere and from whatever walks of life.
Bill Porter came to Nagaland in March 2003 at a time when the State elections were just over and the first DAN Government was being formed. Bill came from the World Congress of media and media persons in Colombo. He officially came as a guest of the then Centre for Democracy and Tribal Studies (CDTS), an informal group of Nagas drawn from different walks of life such as Church leaders, former diplomats and senior government officials, mass-based Naga NGO leaders, media, university teachers and intellectuals etc. A public meeting was held at the Kohima Zonal Council Hall where Bill was publicly received. He spoke with passion and commitment on/for his beliefs. There was also time for informal interaction with participants. Bill had a bad back and he was also walking with a limp but after a difficult road journey to a nearby village (Tuophema) on the outskirts of Kohima, his comment was, “You know, in Nagaland, you get free massage on your roads!” This came with a big, loud, laugh. Bill talked about his visit to Nagaland in his above mentioned autobiography. Of course, his added incentive for coming to Nagaland was to see his Naga godson and to give him his blessings. His gesture was most appreciated.
By a nice coincidence, when Bill Porter was trying to launch the International Communications Forum (ICF), one of the persons he consulted and sought advice from was another great friend of the Naga people, Dr Gordon Graham, founder chairman of the Kohima Educational Trust (KET), and now president emeritus, who also fought in the famous Battle of Kohima during World War II. They were both from the publishing world. Dr Gordon Graham wrote the foreword of Bill’s autobiography, mentioned above. Gordon, as we call him, is also a man of both head and heart. His conviction was that the veterans carried a debt of honour to the Nagas for the help given to British and Allied soldiers during the Battle of Kohima in 1944. His desire to do something for the Nagas in return resulted in the birth of the Kohima Educational Trust, a British charitable trust for the promotion of education of Nagas. The trust has been disbursing scholarships on a yearly basis to students, including and nursing students, a hostel for students in Pangsha has come up, a library, with rare WWII books and educational material, has been operating at the District Library in Kohima, a basket ball court has been built for school children in Phek, a Naga Glossary (dictionary) is in the making, and various exchanges have been taken place between Nagas and British. Late last year, when some media people from Nagaland went to England, the KET also hosted them. The bridge between the British and the Nagas keep getting stronger year by year. Those who want to know more about the KET could go to its website at kohimaeducationaltrust.net or even get in direct touch with its counterpart in Nagaland, the Kohima Educational Society at kesnagaland@yahoo.com.
Both Bill and Gordon typify Boris Pasternak’s saying that “It is not revolutions and upheavals that clear the road to new and better days; but revelations, lavishness and torments of someone’s soul inspired and ablaze”.
