News & Politics
The accounts in this category are primarily news publications that investigate and discuss topics ranging from politics and technology to culture and op-ed pieces from a South Asian lens i.e. from a perspective that takes into account both, the 'outside' world and how their work might relate to a diverse South Asian audience*. Mindful consideration of how factors like identity, culture, and experience might affect their audience's understanding and relation to different topics creates a space for an audience whose perspectives and experiences are often neglected within mainstream narratives. This ties into matters of South Asian representation because these accounts help equip its audience with the tools needed to intentionally expand their understanding of their own role and relation to contemporary topics through their identity.
*most of the accounts aim to cater to both, individuals living in the Indian sub-continent and the diasporic audiences

Made to bring “smart journalism for the South Asian diaspora" and unencumbered by the larger financial and political motivations at stake within traditional news media, @thejuggernaut has taken advantage of the autonomy that comes with being an e-entity. In addition to exploring nuances within the diasporic experience and unpacking the implications of inhabiting both, Western and South Asian cultures, @thejuggernaut has been able to investigate and create discourse on topics that have (literally) been banned on Indian mass media. As an international internet entity that is housed in NYC, @thejuggernaut has been able to avoid the harm caused by media censorship in India and therefore, plays a crucial role in providing information and commentary on topics like How the Indian Media Became a Funhouse Mirror. Considering that India's present sociopolitical climate has shut down most forms of investigative journalism that question the state and its practices, e-news publications like @thejuggernaut play a significant role in alleviating the cognitive dissonance between what they understand to be object and reality itself.

@theswaddle on Instagram is a news publication that aims to cover "the latest in health, gender, and culture in India" and effectively uses its platform to introduce data and information on stigmatized topics within the mainstream conversation. It utilizes traditional journalistic methods of investigation and provides both, fact and theory, in a manner that adequately acknowledges and addresses issues that tend to be ignored within the mainstream narrative, thereby normalizing these conversations and issues. A vital aspect of the identity reclamation process is to engage in a critical unlearning of the toxic aspects of one's own culture, through its work @theswaddle equips social media users with statistics and information that can assist them in this journey.

@akademimag is a"print and web publication dedicated to politics, art, culture and society" that resides on Instagram. In addition to providing information on matters that are (mis)represented and/or neglected within mainstream news channels, this site also adopts social media's platform in a manner that allows for users to not only contribute to the kind of topics that are addressed but also gives them the autonomy to help produce and create said content.
As a crowdsourced platform, the @akademimag essentially re-distributes power and autonomy in this space which minimizes the impact of imbalanced power dynamics between content producers and consumers, thereby allowing for a more diverse and informed perspective on the matters at hand. This set-up further cultivates a culture of discourse and critical engagement that encourages social media users to critically engage with their own beliefs while finding new ways to relate to and unpack that of others.













