Sangeetha (rosemarie) Rajeesh

To introduce myself - I am Sangeetha Rosemarie Rajeesh - an independent journalist based in Chennai (Madras), India, specialising in development and environment journalism.

I've been with the print media since 1996 in an advertising capacity and took up journalism in 2004. Have worked with leading newspapers in the country - The Hindu and The Economic Times; am the former Editor of the three English magazines: Vidura - quarterly on journalism academics; Grassroots - monthly on development journalism; and RIND Survey - technical monthly on the production-side of the print industry - all of these publications from National Institutes - Press Institute of India and Research Institute for Newspaper Development (PII-RIND) based at Chennai.

Was also Head - Programmes / Projects for Press Institute of India and have conceptualised, initiated and successfully organised several national / regional capacity building media workshops for working journalists, annual media competitions and seminars.

As Editor of both Institutes, I have been the organisation head on the editorial front and have managed both an in-house team and more than 100 freelancers from across the country and abroad.

Over the last one year, was Media Researcher with Panos South Asia. I've travelled, and provided content & photography for a coffee table book as Consultant with IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) for UN World Food Programme (WFP) on the theme 'rural women empowerment'. The book was published in Nov 2011 and is available online via IFAD website.

I've just returned after successfully completing a two-month fellowship course on environment and biodiversity reporting offered by the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ) of GIZ (a German Govt Agency).

I am also a recipient of a media fellowship from Indo-Global Social Service Society, India to travel, research and write on the social security schemes and food security in India.