How ISKCON News Started

ISKCON News is the furtherance of a print publication that once circulated around ISKCON called “ISKCON World Review,” the title later being changed to “Hare Krishna World.” This newspaper was the vision of Mukunda Goswami and the HKW staff on what was happening in the movement. It tried to keep a global perspective.

After the HKW failed as a newspaper, Mukunda Goswami, Anuttama prabhu, Tirtharaja prabhu and others began discussions about a general ISKCON News site that could fill the gap left by the absence of HKW. Thus, the present ISKCON News site finally came into being.

Audience, Style and Tone

ISKCON News is intended for a broad audience. This means that articles need to be written as per current journalistic standards and with the greater public in mind. Most devotees will still appreciate the articles and won’t mind that the presentation is outward-facing.

To write like this isn’t too difficult a learning curve for someone who already knows how to express himself or herself coherently – but it does take some explanation and a little practice. The result is that articles published by news.iskcon.com will read like news, always including the who, what, when, where, why and how. They use adjectives that tend to be neutral but expressive, avoid jargon, are concise, aren’t overtly opinionated and state the facts. This doesn’t need to be as boring or restrictive as it may seem. A good journalist can leverage these parameters to result in a very persuasive piece.

Two examples follow:

A.) There isn't enough book distribution going on these days. I'm convinced that devotees who've married and moved out of the temple should free up at least a few hours every week to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books to others. If the idea of street solicitation seems too daunting, married devotees could put books in libraries and doctors' offices. At least they could sponsor some books for distribution.

Another way of saying the same thing:

B.) According to the August edition of the World Sankirtana Newsletter (WSN), distribution of both hard and soft cover books has decreased by nearly sixty percent over the last five years.

"We've seen a gradual decrease in book distribution as ISKCON shifts from an asram centered organization to a community-based movement. This means we need to think about adjusting our distribution methods to suit. With the increase in financial stability that householders are afforded, they could, instead of hitting the streets with their old brahmacari book bags, support programs that donate books to libraries and other public places" says Mayapur-sasi Dasa who's headed up the WSN for over twenty years.

Which article reads with more credibility? Which is the most persuasive? (I know, I know - its subjective but just play along, OK?)

Example ‘A’ reads like an opinion piece. There is a time and place for an opinion piece for sure, but it is an entirely different medium from a news article. Example ‘B’ is the newsy way of making the same point. The journalist here (this is a hypothetical example) got away with expressing more influence by finding someone to quote from who shares his or her view. This way the reporter retains credibility by not directly coming across as having an opinion. He or she is just stating the ever-so-selective facts. A lot of documentary work operates on this same principle. You can see Michael Moore’s work for further elaboration. He usually tries to maintain some veneer of objectivity, but makes his point by selecting examples and people that substantiate his mostly unspoken, predetermined thesis.

Points on composition

Another aspect of a news article is that it tries to state the main points up front, in the first paragraph, and then adds the supporting details in subsequent paragraphs in order of importance (this is sometimes refered to as the upside down pyramid). Some expert journalists put the who, what, when, where and why in the first sentence. Some can even manage most of that in the headline.

It’s an art form but not at all an unachievable one. What helps is to get constructive feedback until you get the knack. It’s a worthwhile skill that enhances many areas of communication, both written and spoken.

So I hope you are more inspired than pestered by the particularity here. ISKCON News aims to set some pretty high standards for our articles. It’s an official news site for ISKCON and not a blog, online bulletin board or debate forum.

Some examples

Have a look at this entertaining article:

Chanters Trade Sleep for Inspiration at New Vrindavan 24 Hour Kirtan Festival

Vyenkata Bhatta Prabhu’s Inside ISKCON article reads fluidly and expresses some pretty strong opinions. He’s even managed to slip in a playful jab at the North American ISKCON management, but since he captured this expression as a quote from another person he gets away with it. The main information (who, what, when, where, why) is stated up front; then he elaborates on the details as the article progresses.

Here's another example of a good Inside ISKCON News article. Deva Gaura Hari Prabhu is a published author. His first submission for this same article was returned to him for a minor rewrite. He took some feedback, rewrote it and now it reads like something that could be syndicated by a secular news site. That’s the point really.

We’re not being pedantic without purpose. The ISKCON News site is a preaching effort with (we hope) far-reaching influence.

The Finer Details

Most news stories, including “Inside ISKCON,” will be standardized in terms of spelling, punctuation, currencies, distances, weights, etc favoring North American usages.

“World News,” and “Opinion” articles that emanate from non-North American sources or non-ISKCON sources may adhere to metric and other standards, or they may use their own informal and colloquial journalistic expressions. A few “Inside ISKCON” stories will be in this category.

We cannot standardize all articles one way or the other, and we hope that readers will tolerate these minor differences in presentation.

Most financial amounts will have a US dollar equivalent written in parentheses.

Unless its specifically desired otherwise, devotional names are presented according to BBT standards as Krishna Dasa (capital 'D') and Radha Devi Dasi in the first instance. Later on in the article the devotee can be referred to by their devotional name without the 'Dasa' so long as its readable.

We also recommend that ISKCON Founder Acarya His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada be generally referred to as Srila Prabhupada throughout your piece unless his full title is specifically needed.

Initial Recommended Reading

- The Practical Stylist by Sherdian Baker

- The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White

These are general guidelines and are not intended to lay out the terms of a binding agreement. These guidelines are also subject to change and development.

Last updated February 17, 2008