Rajiv Golla, far left
Rajiv Golla is effortlessly cool, typing casually on his laptop in GA Down Under as I walk over for his interview. In jeans, vans, and hipster glasses, he already gives off an edgy vibe. We chat for a few minutes before I begin to record the interview. Immediately, his tone switches from cool college student to bold and passionate journalist as he tells me about readcontra.com, the news journal he founded this past summer.
Tired of writing within the constrains of an individual newspaper’s agenda, Rajiv set out to create a platform where students could write completely freely on any issues they were passionate about. Thus began readcontra.com, which started out as Rajiv and a few friends publishing articles that wouldn’t be allowed through Duke’s official organizations. He began advertising to students at other schools, enticing them with the prospect of writing about whatever they want. Within weeks, CONTRA had upwards of 40 writers from 15 different universities.
Until the end of this summer, CONTRA was functioning as a blog, but has now transitioned into a news platform. After discussing the current events in Ferguson, Missouri with a friend, Rajiv spontaneously decided to drive there and cover the news. He interviewed community members and policemen alike, trying to obtain a full picture of the events. They are now spearheading citizen journalism—not attempting to present the ever-elusive unbiased story, but to contextualize history through multiple perspectives.
As explained in their mission statement, “CONTRA finds the voices that are overlooked by traditional media and the opinions too divisive for mainstream outlets and gives them a place to be heard.” They aim to “hand the mic to the people who live the news, not the people who report it.”
Now operating with a network of about 40 Duke students and 40 students internationally, CONTRA is rapidly expanding. Rajiv urges those interested in humanitarianism and journalism to hop on board, no experience necessary. “I’ve found that there are really no barriers to entry,” he says. To get involved, contact readcontra@gmail.com.
CONTRA’s Ferguson Front Line Coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slb1tjyfOBI&feature=youtu.be