M. J. Akbar

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M J Akbar delivering a talk at the Brookings Institute

Mubashar Jawed Akbar (b. 11 January 1951) is a leading Indian journalist and author. He's the founder and editor-in-chief and managing director of The Asian Age, a daily multi-edition Indian newspaper with a global perspective. He has written several books, including Byline (New Delhi: Chronicle Books, 2003), a biography of Jawaharlal Nehru titled 'Nehru: The Making of India', a book on Kashmir titled 'Kashmir: Behind the Vale', 'Riot After Riot' and 'India: The Siege Within'. He also authored 'The Shade of Swords', a cohesive history of Jihad.

M J Akbar is also the editor-in-chief of The Deccan Chronicle, a Hyderabad-based news daily.

[edit] Career

Joined the Times of India in 1971 as a trainee. Within a few months moved to the Illustrated Weekly of India, then India’s largest selling magazine, as sub-editor and feature writer, and contributed a prolific number of stories. In the Weekly till 1973, when he was named editor of the news fortnightly, ONLOOKER, owned by the Free Press Journal Group in Mumbai.

In 1976 moved to Calcutta to join the Ananda Bazar Patrika Group as editor of SUNDAY, India's first genuine political weekly. Within just three years of its launch, the investigative reporting pioneered by the magazine established its national circulation and number one position. The magazine took an uncompromising stand against the Emergency, and fought press censorship and dictatorship. SUNDAY not only established major trends in journalism but also spawned a new generation of journalists in the country

1982: After the success of Sunday, launched what would be called India’s first modern newspaper. Conceived, designed and edited the daily newspaper, The Telegraph, which had a major impact on newspaper journalism in India.

1989: He took a brief detour into politics with his election to the Indian Parliament in November 1989 from Kishanganj in Bihar on a Congress(I) ticket. He lost the seat to gangster parliamentarian Syed Shahabuddin in the 1991 Lok Sabha elections. [1][2] He served as late prime minister's Rajiv Gandhi's official spokesman.[3]

1991: Joined Government as advisor in the Ministry of Human Resources, and helped policy planning in the key areas of education, the National Literacy Mission and protection of heritage.

1992: Resigned from government, and left politics in December 1992. Returned to journalism and full time writing. In 1993 started a new media company with the aim of creating India’s first newspaper that would not only include an international focus within its editorial range, but also be the first Indian daily with an international edition.

1994: This newspaper appeared in February. THE ASIAN AGE, India’s first global newspaper, was launched with initial editions in Delhi, Bombay, and London, and has now grown, in collaboration with the Deccan Chronicle, to eight editions, into a major media presence nationally and internationally. In 2004, the group began publishing The International Herald Tribune in India, and became a publishing partner of The New York Times.[4]

March 2006: Joined The Brookings Institution, Washington, as a Visiting Fellow in the Brookings Project on U.S. Policy Towards the Islamic World. Will be in Brookings intermittently through the year.

[edit] Biography

MJ Akbar is of Kashmiri ancestry. He attended the Calcutta Boys' School when its principal was the legendary Clifford Hicks, and later Presidency College, Calcutta where he attained a BA(Hons) in English. He is married to Mallika Joseph, his contemporay in the Times of India. They have two children, Prayaag and Mukulika.[5][6]