About
Dr. Aniruddha Jena is an academic in the field of communication and media studies, currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi. His work sits at the intersection of communication for development, critical media studies, and grassroots media practices. He earned his PhD in Communication from the University of Hyderabad, where his doctoral research examined the cultural and identity-building dimensions of community radio in Odisha through an ethnographic lens. His scholarship foregrounds the role of alternative and community media in amplifying marginalized voices, fostering participatory communication, and enabling social change. Prior to joining IIT Mandi, Dr. Jena taught at premier institutions including the Indian Institute of Management Kashipur and KIIT University, contributing to courses spanning communication, media studies, and critical thinking. Beyond academia, he actively engages in public discourse through opinion pieces and policy-relevant writings on media, communication ethics, and broader questions of society, culture, and social change.