Drum and Percussion instructor, Kyle Jones, is an active contributor to Jan Darpan, a publication for Indian and Asian Communities in Nashville.  The Tennessean spotlighted Jan Darpan on January 14, 2009.

January 14, 2009

Ethnic magazine mirrors a growing community

Brentwood-based 'Jan Darpan' covers Indian affairs across Southeast

By Suzanne Normand Blackwood
THE TENNESSEAN

BRENTWOOD — As it enters its second year, Jan Darpan will continue its tradition of keeping the Indian community informed, while also expanding its focus to include other Asian communities.

The Brentwood-based publication, which celebrated its first anniversary in November, serves the Indian community throughout several states in the Midwest and Southeast with news, business, entertainment and other stories.

The free publication, which is supported by advertising, is offered at grocery stores, doctor's offices and area temples. Readers also may subscribe and have the magazine delivered for free.

"Basically, we serve the community with valuable information," said Ravi Shetkar, who handles advertising for the magazine and whose wife, Nayana, is co-editor.

The magazine's name reflects its mission. "Jan" means "people/community," and "Darpan" means "mirror" in Hindi.

"We publish local and regional news," Shetkar said.

The publication also covers all of the major festivals and holidays in the Indian community and has several guest columnists, including physicians who write about healthcare, chaplain and life safety expert Oscar Smith, world percussion expert Kyle Jones and immigration attorney Neera Bahl.

The "Bollywood News and Reviews" section offers entertainment news and reviews relevant to the Indian community.

In addition, the magazine has themed issues for holidays such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, and even had a special election issue, with president-elect Barack Obama on the cover.

A family tradition

Jan Darpan is a family operation.

Nayana Shetkar's family has been in the newspaper publishing business in India for years.

"That's how we got started," Ravi said.

Nayana's brother, Sanjay Supehia, helps with the publication, and her sister-in-law, Indu, is co-editor. The Shetkars' 15-year-old daughter, Rashmi, a sophomore at Ravenwood High School, also contributes articles.

Although Sanjay and Indu live in Atlanta, Shetkar said he and Nayana chose Brentwood because Williamson County schools have such a good reputation.

Shetkar said it is estimated that there are just more than 10,000 Indian families living in the Nashville area. With 60,000 to 70,000 families, Atlanta has the largest Indian population of any Southeastern U.S. city.

Because of its large Indian population, several Atlanta-area magazines serve the Indian community, Shetkar said.

But Jan Darpan is the only one serving the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama and Mississippi, he said.

Outlet joins growing sector

While a few of the nation's largest ethnic media outlets are losing readers to mainstream media, publications such as Jan Darpan are experiencing unprecedented growth, according to nonprofit Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism report, "The State of the News Media 2008."

The number of ethnic media outlets has been growing for several years, so that's not really anything new, said Tom Huang, Ethics and Diversity Fellow with the Poynter Institute and Assistant Managing Editor for Enterprise at The Dallas Morning News.

"I think what's new is the presence online," he said. Not only do many publications have their own Web sites, a Web site called New America Media has become a major voice for the ethnic media, Huang said.

New America Media is a news organization that includes a wire service with original and aggregated news from the ethnic media; news briefings; multilingual polling; multicultural marketing; national and regional ethnic media awards and expos; and professional development seminars for journalists from the ethnic media.

"I think the ethnic media is a great source for mainstream media," Huang said. "They find stories the mainstream media either overlook or don't understand. They have an understanding of the culture the mainstream media might not have."

Also, said Sandy Close, executive director for New America Media, "as mainstream news organizations cut back drastically, the ethnic media's role is taking a quantum leap of importance."

She said it's not just the isolated newcomer trying to find out where to enroll her child for school or find the cheapest cut of beef. People turn to the ethnic media for information such as where to get flu shots or warnings about E. coli breakouts.

Magazine to expand focus

Shetkar said Jan Darpan targets all age groups.

A change planned for 2009, though, involves expanding the magazine's focus to include other Asian communities. The magazine already features ads for eye surgeon Dr. Ming Wang, who came to the U.S. from China, and it reprinted an article about Wang from The Tennessean in its November edition.

Shetkar said they plan to add a new section to the magazine called "Jan Darpan Plus," which will offer more business and education coverage and serve more communities at the same time.