AThe Afternoon Voice – a Breath of Fresh Air in Journalism
Today, an individual can watch and read the daily news from multiple sources. Your mobile phone has several apps that tell you all that is happening around you. Apart from these, you have your regular TV news. Then there are newspapers too. Do you notice any commonalities in these channels? Apart from the new items themselves, you might ha
ve seen a kind of sensationalism in reporting important events, or you might have come across certain newspapers who undertake biased reporting or follow and advocate a particular ideology. Approximately 13 years ago, all this made Vaidehi Taman sit up and start thinking about the then state of journalism and what was lacking in it. This multifaceted lady, who is also an ethical hacker, author, and philanthropist, apart from being an investigative journalist and editor, saw the need for unbiased reporting and honest journalism. She wanted to present just facts and information to the masses. Thus, the newspaper Afternoon Voice was born. This is an entirely self-funded newspaper with no sponsorships and no associations with any political ideology or affinity to any political party. Vaidehi Taman founded the Afternoon Voice to offer unfiltered, unbiased, and honest journalism to people. She has succeeded in doing this, and her work speaks for itself. But the Afternoon Voice does not merely undertake honest reporting. Another brainchild of this lady with a vision is the Afternoon Newsmakers Achievers’ Award, presented to eminent citizens each year. These awards have been announced annually since 2009 when the Afternoon Voice was conceived. It is awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to various fields like education, politics, sports, and entertainment, among other things. This year, the Newsmakers Achievers Award 2022 is eagerly awaited, and the process of nominations for the same has begun. This award function will be held on May 1, 2022, at the Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium in Mumbai. Vaidehi Taman usually addresses the delegates and participants during this function. In the past, this prestigious award function has seen celebrities like Lata Mangeshkar, Shivshahir Padma Bhushan Babasaheb Purandare, and Mandatai Amte. Lata Mangeshkar and Shivshahir Padma Bhushan Babasaheb Purandare were amongst those who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Newsmakers Achievers’ Award 2021. There are a few interesting stories and anecdotes behind some nominated people and how they reacted to this function. The Afternoon Voice and its founder Vaidehi Taman came across a few individuals whose attitude towards this awards function and perspective was commercially motivated. They were more interested in financial gains, demanding donations and monetary support. They were still those whose political ideologies clashed with others. As a result, prominent personalities like Shri Anna Hazare could not attend. These experiences were eye-openers to the organizers. However, the Afternoon Voice also had more than its fair share of pleasantly surprising encounters with prominent personalities. As an example, the founder Vaidehi Taman can’t stop praising the humility of Lata Mangeshkar and her niece Rachana. She also mentions the energy and youthful enthusiasm of Babasaheb Purandare, who participated with much verve and excitement. This year too, the Newsmakers Achievers’ Award 2022 is expected to win hearts and smiles. With this program, the Afternoon Voice, a newspaper that believes in the honesty and transparency of journalism, will add another feather in its cap.
