MELJO THOMAS KARAKUNNEL

Meljo Thomas Karakunnel, a PhD in Journalism, is a media professional and an academic interested in environmental communication, media ecology, media freedom, and communication for SDGs and and the intersection of media with human rights. He serves as the Head of the Department of Media Studies at CHRIST University, Bangalore. He is also the Project Director of the Climate Change Reporting Workshop, supported by the Fulbright-Hays U.S. Grant, which focuses on training journalists in climate communication. He has organized major national and international conferences, including the National Mass Communication Research Conference and Media Meet, along with seminars, workshops, and cultural festivals on music and millets, supported by government and NGO bodies.

• International Association for Mass Communication Research (IAMCR) - Member
• National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) - Member

Research Projects

• Principal Investigator (2024- Current): Climate Change Reporting Workshop worth $139650 funded by US Consulate, Kolkata under the Fulbright-Hays Federal Award
• Co-investigator (2020-23): Inclusiveness and Media Coverage Project India (€10000) funded by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Singapore

Research Fellowship (2012-17)

• PhD was Funded by University Grants Commission, India

Journal Articles (Scopus Indexed)

• Karakunnel, M. T., & Nelliyullathil, M. (2025). Internally restricted and externally free: Professional freedom of journalists in Kerala. Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies. Intellect Discover.
• Boora, S., & Karakunnel, M. T. (2024). The SDG conundrum in India: Navigating economic development and environmental preservation. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 81(2), 961-976.
• Puthur, L., Karakunnel, M., Miranda, D., & Arora, T. (2023). Building a Data Ethical Future: Data Policies and Frameworks. Journal of Dharma, 48(2), 231-248.
• Boora, S., & Karakunnel, M. T. (2023). Media Framing of Indian Green Fiscal Policy: A Survey of Environmental Policies Across Online News Portals. Environment and Ecology Research, 11(5), 712-726.
• Boora, S., & Karakunnel, M. T. (2023). India’s environmental policy paradox: Dissecting India’s budgetary allocations for environment. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 80(5), 1216-1234.
• Koickakudy, M. J., & Karakunnel, M. T. (2023). Memes as multimodal ensemble. Multimodal Communication, 12(3), 223-243.
• Boora, S., Karakunnel, M. T., & Savarimuthu, X. (2022). Environmental communication research: Need for an action centric paradigm. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S5), 11453-11468.

Journal Articles (Peer Reviewed)

• Karakunnel, M. T. (2017). Professional Freedom and Satisfaction of Young Journalists in Kerala, India. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR) 6 (2). P.49-62. Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2017). Privately Employed, Print Oriented, Professionally Educated, Less Experienced, and Badly Paid: A Professional Profile of Kerala Journalists. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR), 6 (1), P.115-130. Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2016). Personal and Professional Traits of Media Persons in Kerala: A Gender Perspective. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) 21(10). P. 27-34. Ghaziabad, India.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2014). Media Exposure of Journalism Students from Kerala and Karnataka: A Comparative Study. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR) 3(1&2). P.139-147. Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2013). Perceived Literacy on News Media: A Study on Educated Youth. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR) 2 (2). P. 55-69. Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2013). Radio and Community Development: A Case Study of Radio Benziger. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR) 2(2). P.11-21.Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2013). Kerala Journalists: Satisfied and Passion-led Professionals. Communication and Journalism Research (CJR) 2(1). P.66-79. Thenhipalam: Dept. of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Calicut.

Book Chapter (Scopus Indexed)

• Puthur, L. A., Karakunnel, M. T., & Menon, V. A. (2025). Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems: Impact of AI on Post-COVID-19 Student Enrolment in Kerala's Higher Education Institutions. In AI Deployment and Adoption in Public Administration and Organizations (pp. 197-212). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
• Karakunnel, M. T. (2024). Digital Media and Digital Public Sphere. In Chennattuserry, J. C., Deshpande, M., & Hong, P. Encyclopedia of New Populism and Responses in the 21st Century. Springer.

Chapters in Edited Books (Project-Based)

• Karakunnel, M. T., (2024). How Vijaya Karnataka, Vijaya Vani and Prajavani covered the protest of the Pourakarmikas. In Jose, V. K. (Ed.), Inclusiveness in Indian Media Coverage (pp. 269-288). Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. https://media.websifu.site/file/kas/Inclusiveness-In-Indian-Media-Coverage-Edited-By-Vinod-K-Jose.html?player=kaia
• Karakunnel, M. T., (2024). How Vijaya Vani and Andolana reported a protest against the eviction of Adivasis from the Nagarahole national park. In Jose, V. K. (Ed.), Inclusiveness in Indian Media Coverage (pp. 314-328). Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. https://media.websifu.site/file/kas/Inclusiveness-In-Indian-Media-Coverage-Edited-By-Vinod-K-Jose.html?player=kaia
• Karakunnel, M. T., (2017). Digital Athmasamprekshanam: Oru Selfie Veekshanam (Digital Self-Broadcasting: A Selfie Perspective), in Gaveshanam Malayalathil, ISBN: 978-81-928620-1-9.

Ad-hoc Reviewer (2022-)

• Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly

Newspaper Article (Disaster Reporting)

• Shantharaju, S. & Karakunnel M. T. (September 03, 2024). A month since Wayanad disaster, survivors’ accounts speak of scars that may never heal. The Scroll.

Documentary

• Shantharaju, S. & Karakunnel M. T. (2024). Aavesham: Fury of Rain – The 2024 Wayanad Landslide Story

PhD Thesis (Completed)

• B J Shailendra Phani Kumar (Reg. No.: 1930074), 2025, Environmental Communication Strategies in Civil Society Formations: A Phenomenological Study of Marupakkam and PMANE.
• Mitul Joseph Koickakudy (Reg. No.: 1980401), 2025, Understanding Political Memes: Themes, Modes, and Composition in the Context of 2021 Kerala Assembly Election.

PhD Thesis (Ongoing)

• Limson P A (Reg. No.: 1930081), Technology Mediated Recruitment and Student Acculturation: A Study of Postgraduate Students in Kerala (Ongoing)
• Elseena Joseph (Reg. No.: 2070405), Newspaper Coverage of Sustainable Development Goals (SIDGs) in Kerala: A Study of Poverty, Gender Equality and Climate Emergency (Ongoing)

MPhil Thesis (Completed)

• Yash Kariwal (Reg. No.: 1930018), 2021, News Media Exposure, Literacy, and Objectivity: A Survey of Media Students in India.

PG Dissertation (Completed)

• Abhinav S (Reg. No.: 2337103), 2025, Cultural Identity and Sociopolitical Representation of Theyyam in Selected Films.
• Musunuri Sreelekha (Reg. No.: 2337241), 2025, Job stress and Satisfaction among Media Interns: Mediating Effect of Organizational Culture.
• Sheril A (Reg. No.: 2337264), 2025, Exploring Misinformation and Disinformation in
• the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: A Qualitative Study Surrounding BJP and INC.
• Nagaresh V (Reg. No.: 2237111), 2024, Digital Campaigning in Karnataka: Decoding Assembly Elections 2023.
• Siddharth Saldanha (Reg. No.: 2237123), 2024, Machine and Method: A Conceptual Exploration on Research in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.
• V. Nichita (Reg. No.: 2237159), 2024, Depiction of Indian Cricket & Cricketers during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 through Instagram.
• Monica Tudu (Reg. No.: ), 2024, Affective Visuality and Photojournalism: An Analysis of the Works of Raghu Rai and Danish Siddiqui.
• Patil Shweta Bharat (Reg. No.: 2237144), 2023, Challenges And Opportunities For Women In Maharashtra's Media Landscape: A Survey.
• Soumya (Reg. No.: 2237154), 2023, AI News Anchors in Indian Newsrooms: A Viewers' Perspective.
• Thejas A S (Reg. No.: 2137226), 2022, Religious Representation in The Kashmir Files: A Semiotic Analysis.
• Sanjana Hiremath (Reg. No.: 2137248), 2022, The Ads Must Go On: A Case Study On Maggi’s Ad Campaigns During 2015 Crisis.
• Jessica Pinto (Reg. No.: 2137239), 2022, Exploring Narratives of Plus-Size Female Protagonists on Screen through the Series Shrill: A Critical Discourse Analysis.
• Vedanshi Mishra (Reg. No.: 2037183), 2021, Media Coverage of Sushant Singh Rajput's Suicide: A Press Council Guidelines Perspective.
• Mala E (Reg. No.: 1937121), 2020, Racist Imagery and Advertising: A case study of Fair & Lovely.
• Sushmitha S S L (Reg. No.: 1937127), 2020, Representation of Muslim Community in Indian Web Series.
• K Anjali Sharma (Reg. No.: 1937120), 2020, Twitter Use Pattern by Selected Members of Parliament: An Exploratory Research.

PG Dissertation (Ongoing)

• Varnikha Shekhar (Reg. No.: 2437222), Platformised News: Social Media Editors, Remediation and the Changing Landscape of Journalism.
• Anwesha Banerjee (Reg. No.: 2437113), Gender Bias in AI: A Comparative Analysis of Gemini, ChatGPT, and Clipbot.

Invited Talks/ Presentations

• International - 6
• National - 20

Consultancy

• Conducted five communication workshops for officials from various government and non-government organizations.

Dr Toney K Thomas

Associate Professor & Head

School of Tourism Studies

Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, India - 686560

Email: toneykthomas@mgu.ac.in

Mob: +91 9946253616

Dr Muhammadali Nelliyullathil
Associate Professor & Head
Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of Calicut, Kerala, India - 673635

Email: nmuhammadali@uoc.in

Mob: 9961566725

Prof. A F Mathew

Professor, Humanities & Liberal Arts in Management

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Kerala, India - 673 570

Email: mathew@iimk.ac.in

Mob: 9947603108