The Comrade

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Overview

Many reports have showed the impact of Internet on Indian Economy and there is no denying fact that
Internet has become the preferred choice for Indians when it comes to search, read news or get in
contact with friends/relatives. But fewer and fewer people are heading for the newsstands these days
preferring, instead, to get their news from online sources. Industry figures suggest daily average
national paper circulation fell by 1.26 million copies between 2001 and 2011.
In addition, print media advertising is on the decline and dropped by around four per cent in 2012
according to research company Enders Analysis. A recent report by the House of Lords communications
committee (UK) said that declining newspaper readership and the migration of print advertising to
online were exacerbated by the economic impact of the recession. It said this had resulted in local
newspaper closures.
News consumption is undergoing two fundamental shifts across the globe. One is the rise in news
audiences accessing journalism through their phones and mobile devices, the other, related to this
trend, is the increase in people who read or watch news through social platforms, such as Facebook,
YouTube, Snapchat, WhatsApp, or Twitter. These two trends are not merely confined to a particular
nation or just a few markets. They are playing out all over the world.
Social media has changed the operations of business, marketing, and customer service. According to a
demographic study by Jeff Bullas, 72% of all internet users are now active on social networks. The
common saying is if you dont have a social network profile, you may as well not exist. In fact, 82%
of people surveyed by Forbes state that they trust a company more if its involved in social networking.
The reality is that if the older generations are starting to use social media the impact it has already
made on younger generations is completely irreversible. Social media has become a part of everyones
life and it is something that influences their daily life. Social media has played a big role with how
people interact with each other and it is something that is not slowing down anytime soon.

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Why Online News?

The world is going online today, and news cannot be lagging behind. In fact, the importance of news
portals has risen significantly over the past couple of years, as it has made it easier for people to keep
themselves updated even when they are on the move. Newspapers could do that bit, but the comfort
of sitting in an air-conditioned room and reading through the news online is simply awesome.
The primary benefit of the online news portals is that you can get all the information and updates
about latest happenings in your city, state and country within minutes. Every minute, these news
portals are being updated to give you the latest alerts and updates about something that you would
like to know. Also, the breaking news is posted much ahead of any other medium, which makes it
feasible and worth it.
Reading your news online saves a lot of time, while giving you the updates of the day. It also saves
money, which you would otherwise spend on a bundle of newspaper. Also, you need not turn on your
television or radio; you can look through the news portal and gather the information required even
while you are in the office.
The online news portals today offer a lot of tools and other integrative medium that will not cost you a
single penny. You can enjoy the different features and tools like online voting, polls, email alerts and
many more. You can also avail the audio-video options, along with integrated audio, video and text
news.
Online news portals also offer mobile updates and alerts in your home, which is an innovative feature.
You can have the latest headlines, breaking news and front page news right in front of you at any given
point of time.
The best part about online news portals is the personalized or customized news feature. It will enable
you to get all the news that you require in a user-friendly form, tailored to suit your specifications and
requirements. You can get exam news, news related to the entertainment and technology world etc.
This is one feature that no other medium can offer.
The online archives today are more interactive, less hassle and less expensive at the same time. What
a better way to save time and money together than this!
Past studies in this field have shown that there are nine socio-technical advantages that have
determined the adoption and use of online news:

no costs
multitasking
more news choices
in-depth and background information
24x7 updates
customization
ability to discuss the news with peers
the existence of different viewpoints
the opportunity to talk back to the media

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

The Comrade Advantage

Media today is driven by political or corporate interests. Be it social problems or political & economic
issues, the media tends to ignore the larger interests of the society, nation and humanity. It has today
become the spokesperson of political parties or corporate world. Consequently, balanced and objective
viewpoints on serious issues are generally absent from media discourses.
Unfortunately, media has become a cash and entertainment machine today. Journalism for a cause
has become an outdated notion. There is a mad race to amuse the viewers and promote apparently
insignificant issues to increase TRP ratings, and consequently the revenue.
The Comrade will focus on genuine and serious issues. It will become the voice of the common man and
give them platform to voice their concerns in a truly democratic sense.
The Comrade will not promote or safeguard any political or corporate interests. The larger interests of
the humanity will form its core. It will boldly raise every issue that concerns the society without
prejudice. The comrade will be a forum for serious and healthy debates on social, political and
economic issues.
In the age of visionless and negative journalism, The Comrade will highlight stories of hope and
development. It will promote journalism of vision and optimism.

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Our Purpose
The Comrade was created for people who believe in India and its ideals, as expressed in its rich and
diverse culture and most importantly the Constitution. It is a community that believes in the Indian
Dream: living with dignity, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. One that believes being an Indian is
an honor, as well as a great responsibility and a wonderful adventure.
This is a place for people who believe we live in a great country and who want to contribute their
talents and abilities to make our way of life even greater. We believe we should enjoy the company and
support of each other, delighting in the creativity and work ethic of one and all, while observing the
rules of civility and mutual respect and, most importantly, strengthening our diverse society by striving
for unity.
The Comrade is committed to the core principles of tolerance, open debate, civil discourse, and fair
and balanced coverage of the news. It is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government
control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression,
and worship.
We invite all Indians who share these values to join us here at The Comrade.

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Executive Biographies
Dr. Omair Anas
Dr. Omair Anas, Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) is
PhD from Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has
worked on media uses of Arab diaspora in Germany and their response to the
Arab uprisings. He has published and contributed many articles on soft power,
democratization in the Arab world, role of social media in the Arab uprisings,
cyber public sphere and diasporic Arab public sphere in Europe. He was a
visiting fellow at the Institute of Media and Communication Studies, Freie
University Berlin, Germany during 2012-13.
Musab Iqbal

Place photo
here

Musab Iqbal is pursuing his Masters in Diversity &Media from the University of
Westminster, London, UK. He is also a guest faculty at a leading university in
Kolkata, India.

Masihuzzama Ansari

Place photo
here

Masihuzzama Ansari is pursuing his Bachelor of Law (LLB) from University of

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Mr. Ansari is a gifted writer and popularsocial
activist. He has been the convener for North India Education
Movement(initiated by SIO of India) for the period 2013-15. He is also the
founding member of the Youth Awakening Movement.

Abdullah Azzam

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here

Abdullah Azzam is a leading criminal lawyer at Supreme Court of India. He

obtained his Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from the reputed Aligarh Muslim
University, India. He has been the ex-president of Aligarh Muslim University
Student Union 2014-15.

Kashif Ahmad Faraz

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Place photo
here

Kashif Ahmad Faraz is the Assistant National Coordinator at Association of

Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), New Delhi, India. He is presently pursuing his
Masters in Mass Communication from Guru Jambeshwer University. He has been
the ex-editor of Shatra Vimarsh (a leading student hindi magazine). He is also
the founding member of the Youth Awakening Movement.

Syed Furqan Ahmad

Place photo
here

Syed Furqan Ahmad is a popular social activist from New Delhi, India. He
obtained his B.Tech (Computer Science) degree from Maharishi Dayanand
University (MDU), Rohtak, Haryana. He is the area coordinator at the DI
Educational & Research Foundation, Lucknow.He happens to be an active
member of the Fatehpur Cricket Association. He has been the ex-member of
Uddeshya Social Community of Delhi NCR. He is also the founding member of
the Youth Awakening Movement.

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Board of Patrons
Board of Patrons (BoP) for The Comrade is an exclusive invitation only group of supporters of The
Comrade. If you ready to support the work that The Comrade is doing in projecting marginalized
voices into the mainstream then please contact any of the members of the Board of Directors to being
the process.

The Comrade Patrons are:

- those who support the mission of The Comrade. [Moral] (Need to explain
emotionally)
- our ambassadors to the larger community. [Social] (Need to explain emotionally)
- provide strategic guidance and support to The Comrade. [Intellectual] (Need to
explain emotionally)
Mr ABC

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has
been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took
a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five
centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It
was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum
passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including
versions of Lorem Ipsum

Reporters
@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Editorial Department NewsDesk @ XXX.COM

Executive Editor: XXXX
Associate Editor: XXXX
Assistant Editor: XXXX
Reporters
XXXX ( city )
XXXX ( city )
XXXX ( city )
XXXX ( city )

Guiding Statements

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

I am a Muslim and profoundly conscious of the fact that I have inherited Islam's glorious tradition of the
last fourteen hundred years. I am not prepared to lose even a small part of that legacy. The history and
teachings of Islam, its arts and letters, its culture and civilization are part of my wealth and it is my
duty to cherish and guard them. But, with all these feelings, I have another equally deep realization,
born out of my life's experience which is strengthened and not hindered by the Islamic spirit. I am
equally proud of the fact that I am an Indian, an essential part of the indivisible unity of the Indian
nationhood, a vital factor in its total makeup, without which this noble edifice will remain incomplete.
--- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Peace is not only an absolute necessity for us in India in order to progress and develop but also of
paramount importance to the world
We must constantly remind ourselves that whatever our religion or creed, we are all one people.
{ Radio address to the Defence Services (1 December 1947) }
India is supposed to be a religious country above everything else, and Hindu and Muslim and Sikh and
others take pride in their faiths and testify to their truth by breaking heads.
Note: - Select only one statement
--- Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru

Hindu-Muslim unity means not unity only between Hindus and Mussalmans, but between all those who
believe India to be their home, no matter to what faith they belong
The golden way is to be friends with the world and to regard the whole human family like members of
one family. He who distinguishes between one's family and another's mis-educates the members of his
own and opens the way for discord and irreligion
Note: - Select only one statement
---Mahatma Gandhi

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade
A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of the society.

Life should be great rather than long.

Note: - Select only one statement
---Dr B. R. Ambedkar

Disclaimer
Content
The materials contained in The Comrade site are provided by The Comrade and may be used only
for informational purposes, and not for trading. The Comrade makes no representations or
warranties with respect to the contents or use of this website. By downloading any of the materials
contained in our "The Comrade" site, you agree to the terms and provisions as outlined in this
disclaimer. If you do not agree to them, please do not use this site or download materials. The
Comrade reserves the right to change any content on this website without obligation to notify any
person or entity of such revisions or changes.
Trademark
The Comrade logo and tagline "Building the Nation" are trademarks of The Comrade. The absence
of a product or service name or logo from this list does not constitute a waiver of The Comrades
trademark or other intellectual property rights concerning that name or logo.
Ownership of Materials
Except where it otherwise indicates, information in this site is copyrighted and may not be
distributed, modified, reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of The
Comrade.
Feedback
The Comrade welcomes your feedback. However, any feedback you provide at this site is deemed
to be voluntary and non-confidential. The Comrade shall be free to use this information on an
unrestricted basis. Visitors to our Web site may also be asked to voluntarily supply certain
personally identifying information. If you choose to give us your name, e-mail address, postal
address, phone number, organization, or any other identifying information, the data will be used
either to provide you with services you have requested, or internally within The Comrade.
Copyright reserved.

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

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The Comrade

Roadmap
S.No.
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14.

Action Item
Circulate executive snapshot document to all
stakeholders.
Read executive snapshot document and provide
feedback.
Brainstorm and finalize members of the executive
committee. Append new members to the Executive
Biographies page.
Finalize logo and tagline for The Comrade.
Prepare a contact list worksheet of all local journalist(s)
who will contribute news on regular basis for The
Comrade.
Kick-off meeting for the executive committee members.
Document meeting minutes and action items from the
call.
Create a page for The Comrade on Facebook and Twitter
to market the upcoming news portal. Regularly update
the page to reflect breaking news, articles,
breakthroughs and future plans.
Prepare a contact list worksheet of prospective social
activist(s) who may be interested to join hands with The
Comrade.
Prepare a contact list worksheet of prospective
journalist(s) who may be interested to contribute to The
Comrade. Search people using LinkedIn and Recruitment
portals. The intent to gather this data is to search
budding talent and provide them a platform to voice
their opinion on social, political and economic issues.
Brainstorm with the executive committee and raise funds
to launch the news portal.
Purchase domain name & hosting for The Comrade.
Identify a Web developer and UI designer who can draft
the template of the website.
Meeting with executive committee members to
proofread and finalize the website design & content.
The Comrade goes live!

@Author: Furqan Ahmad

Owner
Syed Furqan Ahmad

Planned
End Date
TBD

Executive team

TBD

Syed Furqan Ahmad

TBD

Executive team
Syed Furqan Ahmad

TBD
TBD

Syed Furqan Ahmad

TBD

Syed Furqan Ahmad

Masihuzzama Ansari
Kashif Ahmad Faraz

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

Executive team

TBD

TBD
Syed Furqan Ahmad

TBD
TBD

Executive team

TBD

Developer/Designer

TBD

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