Media Academic, Author & Trainer
Educator & Researcher with 30+ years experience
Ex-Indian Information Service Officer
Veteran Media Expert
A Closer Look
I have been straddling the worlds of academia, public service, and creativity, leveraging my background as a communications scholar and Indian Information Service (IIS) officer. Since taking early retirement from the service, I have been actively engaged in academic and literary writing, training, teaching, and learning. Recently, I anchored The Analog Generation (2026), a podcast that seeks to recreate India as she was in the 1940s through interviews with those who lived through and witnessed that decade. As part of my academic journey, I have co-edited and co-authored works such as Health Communication in India: Strategies and Digital Innovations (Routledge, 2027), The WhatsApp India Story: Inside the Digital Maya Sphere (Routledge, 2024), and India Connected: Mapping the Impact of New Media (Sage Publications, 2016). I also have numerous academic papers and a collection of over 700 micro-stories to my name.
Writes worlds, spins tales, captures hearts with words.
Educates minds, researches, shapes knowledge, inspires learning.
Guides, instructs, empowers, motivates, facilitates growth.
Seen. Lived. Now Told.
The Analog Generation is a podcast that brings history to life through the people who lived it. I interview people nearing 90 years of age to understand how India used to be in the 1940s – their homes, memories, traditions and struggles, and the stories that never made it into textbooks. Honest conversations, lived experiences and wonderfully human stories, recorded before they disappear.
Kahaniyan Jo Dil Ko Chhoo Lein
Itti si Kahani are simple stories that explore big truths about life. They capture small moments and evoke various emotions like fear, thrill, romance, compassion, anger, and curiosity. The stories also touch on some deep questions, leaving you with more to ponder.
It was my honour and privilege to organise The Health Factor – a seminar on Health Misinformation and Media Representation, along with Prof. (Dr.) Sunetra Sen Narayan in November 2023. The seminar was graced by eminent personalities from the field of academics, medicine and media. The experts at the seminar were of the view that “pre-bunking” of misinformation or fake news might be a better way to combat misinformation in today’s world going through an “infodemic” rather than trying to spread media literacy as that effort is slow-moving. They also felt that misinformation on health issues could not only lead to delay in getting treatment, with sometimes fatal consequences, but could also create a lack of trust in scientific approaches to tackle disease. The need for fact-checking myths being perpetuated via social media about psychological disorders was also strongly felt. When it comes to media representations, the panellists stressed upon the need to sensitise media teams before working on any health-related issues- whether on OTT, films or news. the BBC and others. The seminar was supported by DataLEADS.
A Glimpse into My Work
What Folks Are Saying!
Dr. Shalini Narayanan is a communication maestro! Her in-depth knowledge combined with her professional experience and engaging teaching style made complex concepts accessible and truly captivating for our students. My students emerged from her class not only with sharpened communication skills, but also with a newfound confidence and a deeper appreciation for the power of effective communication.
- Professor (Dr.) Anand Pradhan, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
Your stories are so vivid yet subtle in their message that one finds them simply unputdownable. Who won't relate to the incidents, playfulness, banters with the generous use of dialects that lend the stories credibility and authenticity? You are in fact a master storyteller with an above average command of the craft.
- Shashi Kumar Sinha, Former Indian Information Service officer
I was delighted to host Dr. Shalini Narayan and her co-author Dr. Sunerta Narayan at Penn State University in 2017 on an invitation from the Bellisario College of Communications and the Penn State Center for Global Studies. Dr. Narayanan's interactions with students and faculty, and her visits to classes were highly informative and enlightening. She is not only an insightful observer and theorist of Indian media and telecommunications but also a versatile practitioner and inspiring communicator.
- Professor (Dr.) Krishna Jayakar, Pennsylvannia State University, USA
A well crafted compilation of essays that not only describe the journey of the author in search of herself, but also are an honest look at Indian society. The author has avoided the tendency of social commentators to be judgmental and to sermonise Her writing empathises not only with the subjects but also the readers. The humour is sharp but not nasty. A book worth reading.
- Vivek Thaokar's review of 'Looking for Myself'
श्रीमति शालिनी नारायणन जी ने पाठ्यक्रम निदेशक, भारतीय सूचना सेवा, भारतीय जनसंचार संस्थान के तौर पर सन् 2010 में मेरे भारतीय सूचना सेवा(समूह-ब) के पूरे पाठ्यक्रम को बेहद नियोजित और प्रभावी तरीके से संचालित किया। उन्होंने अपने कार्यकाल में 150 से अधिक परिवीक्षाधीन अधिकारियों को प्रशिक्षित किया। वे संचार जगत की एक प्रखर अध्येता हैं और संभवतः इसी ज्ञान पिपासा के कारण एक प्रशंसनीय उम्दा अधिकारी होते हुए भी उन्होंने संचार शिक्षा, अनुसंधान और अन्वेषण के क्षेत्र का वरण किया। शालिनी मैडम मेरी गुरु भी हैं और मैं अकिंचन भाव के साथ उन्हें हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं प्रेषित करता हूं।
- दुर्गानाथ स्वर्णकार, भारतीय सूचना सेवा (ग्रुप बी) अधिकारी
Dr Shalini Narayanan was my Course Director when I joined the Indian Information Service, Group 'A'. An incredible person, she aced as a teacher and guide to the probationers in the service. While guiding us in understanding the Government functioning at different levels, she continued to have an extremely humane touch for all of us. Even beyond her service tenure, her command over the communication arena was excellent and I am glad that many people even beyond civil services have benefited from her knowledge. I wish her very best in life and continue to be an inspiration for many others like me.
- Keerti Tiwari, Indian Information Service (Group 'A') officer
