BIS: THE NEWS AGENCIES ARE
GROWING!
MUMBAI: 22nd October -- BIS: In parts of
Europe it simply means 'encore!', 'Let's have some more!'. In Mumbai it
stands for Bosco Information Service, but could well take its cue from the other
meaning also. Yesterday, 21st October, Fr. Francis Alencherry (General
Councillor for Salesian Missions but presently in Mumbai for the Extraordinary
Visitation) formerly inaugurated Bosco Information Service, the first news
network in Salesian India devoted exclusively to the apostolate of gathering,
disseminating and documenting news and information related to youth and the
Salesian apostolate. Fr. Darryl D'Souza, Director of the Tej-Prasarini
Communications Centre, is also the BIS Director. BIS, located at the
Province Centre in Mumbai, serves not only Mumbai Province but all of Salesian
India, and acts as a source for the worldwide ANS agency based in
Rome.
The BIS agency becomes the fifth such unit of
this thoroughly modern approach to rapid communications in the Salesian digital
news network worldwide. 'austraLasia', based in the East Asia-Oceania
Region is proud to have been a contemporary 'first' regional agency in
this sector along with Bosco Link in the Americas. This was quickly
followed by Rua Link in the UK.
It is interesting to see how the English-speaking
world has developed this particular aspect of de-centralized news gathering and
dissemination. It forms an essential element in what is increasingly being
referred to as the 'Salesian System of Communication', which privileges
networking that builds up and helps unify the Salesian Family.
'austraLasia', for one, wishes to say 'BIS' to this
latest enterprise! May there be more!
