Editors' Note  

The story of Vantage 2023 started when eight students with a shared passion for storytelling and journalistic writing chose the ‘Feature and Analytical Writing’ course offered to the final semester M.A. Communication (Media Practice) students at the University of Hyderabad.

Vantage 2022, by our senior batch, was the first digital edition of the magazine. Vantage 2023, the 13th edition, continues to forge the way for consistent innovation in digital reporting. 

With advanced multimedia technologies, the writing experience is fast becoming more interactive and collaborative. These technologies have advantages, so our stories have harnessed their potential for a ‘mixed-media journalism’ approach. In this edition, besides text, our vibrant stories feature photo essays, videos, and animated graphs that expertly balance hard facts with emotional storytelling.

Even as these new technologies emerge, our training encourages us to lean on some of the rock-solid principles of journalism - curiosity, investigation, and verification. It gave us the roadmap to spot and tell stories from those nooks and corners of the city that often go unnoticed and underreported.

The human condition takes centre stage in both our cover stories. While one investigates ration portability from the standpoint of food-insecure migrants in Telangana, the other sheds light on the inadequate public healthcare system in the Old City of Hyderabad. 

Vantage 2023 looks outward and digs deep, its stories uncovering Hyderabad’s diverse and intricate nature and its people. From long-enduring issues such as the mismanagement of Telangana’s public road transport system, women’s inclusivity in Hyderabad’s corporate workforce, and corruption within the state’s stone-crushing industry, to more nuanced and contemporary problems such as the taboo of public display of affection, the germinal renewal of the city’s once-popular sport of football and the sense of belongingness of migrant workers in Hyderabad - our feature stories have attempted to address some pressing gaps in mainstream reporting. 

From within a small classroom in the University’s campus in Gachibowli, Vantage 2023 took our spirited journalists on a journey of self-expression, ideological exploration, and enlightening conversations through our perspective stories and podcasts. To the credit of our talented team, do not miss out on the beautiful illustrations and drawings accompanying these stories.

Vantage 2023 was a monumental vision brought to life by the consistent and collaborative efforts of a small team of passionate writers. Countless exciting hours were spent in research, reporting, content making, designing and editing, for which Prof. Anjali Lal Gupta ably guided us. 

Vantage 2023 seeks to evoke curiosity and compassion to engage with people and stories outside the prevailing discourse. We hope that you, the reader, are inspired to comb your surroundings for stories that warrant more attention and space in the public eye. 

We are sure that the upcoming editions will take up this exciting endeavour with responsibility and passion in equal measure.

Editors: Ashwita P. and Deepak P.N.

Chief Copy Editors: Faris Kallayi and Meenakshi B.

Design and Layout: Sachin Prasad and T. Riya

Photography In-charge: Aditya Kaushik

Production Manager: Fazal Rahim

Faculty Advisor: Prof. Anjali Lal Gupta