55 media regulation and public policy in india

7/29/2019 55 Media Regulation and Public Policy in India

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B Y

V I R A L J A N I 1 0 M B A 0 3 1

R O N A K P A T E L 1 0 M B A 0 6 9

MEDIA REGULATION AND

PUBLIC POLICY IN INDIA


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Various Steps in Media Planning

Studying the Target Audience and its Media preferences

Review of our previous years performance

Competitive Analysis

Identifying Media Tasks/Setting Objectives

Framing a Media Strategy

Channel Selection

Progs/Dlys/Mags Selection

Developing the Final Plan Plan Evaluation

Post Campaign Review


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Concept of Good Governance

Good governance provides a platform that enablesthe Government to operate efficiently, effectively andtransparently and to be accountable to the public.

Primary Principles of good governance include: Public participation in Government

Respect for the Rule of Law

Freedom of expression and association

Transparency and accountability

Legitimacy of Government


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Media & Good Governance

The media occupies a critical place in the governanceprocess. A vital part is its role of a gatekeeper;disseminating critical messages to the public andhighlighting issues/concerns/ initiatives.

It promotes Good Governance by facilitating peoplescollective action for attaining sustainable socio-

economic outcomes for the common good of thesociety.


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Media & Good Governance

Media promotes Good Governance through:

Citizenship Development: For citizens to be active inpublic affairs and participate in efforts that promote

good governance.

Policy Formulation and Advocacy: Influencing thedecisions of legislators, elected representatives andpublic administrators

Watchdog role: Playing a crucial role in evaluatingthe policies and actions of the Government


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Contd

Welfare Service Delivery: Providing necessaryinstitutional basis for service delivery.

Impacting Electoral Politics: Impacting the outcomes

of the electoral process Reform and Social Change: Serve as an instrument

for reform and social change

Collective Action: Facilitating peoples collective

action in attaining sustainable socio-economicoutcomes


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What can the Media Do?

Catalyzing effective implementation of the Act

Providing information to the citizens and building awareness about theAct

Giving voice to the citizens

Narrowing the democratic deficit

Encourage debate and discourse among all stakeholders

Supplementing development activities that have much relevance in thecontext of RTI (Anti-Corruption agendas, NREGS, Food for Work)


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Significant Media Initiatives

1) NDTV in partnership with leading civil society organisationshad launched a nationwide campaign on RTI that seeks to

build public awareness on RTI and wherein people werebeing encouraged not to pay bribes, but to ask forinformation under the RTI Act to solve their problems.

The Drive Against Bribes campaign covered the period July1-15. Nearly 1500 trained volunteers were available atcentres in 48 cities around the country. Eight mediapartners and more than 700 civil society groups were a partof this initiative.

Visit http://www.ndtv.com/rti


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Contd

2) The Indian Express, a national newspaper, along with Parivartan, hasbeen guiding people in exercising their right to information through aRTI forum. It has been doing this through a regular column Express Initiatives - in which recent developments in this area arementioned along with peoples experiences.

It has not only reported cases of success and failure in use of theRight to Information Act but also published sample questions toassist citizens in framing well drafted questions. In addition to thiscolumn, the Indian Express has organized awareness camps andtraining workshops in association with other institutions to guide

people in accessing information. They also have an interactivewebsite to address queries and to provide suggestions.

Visit: http://expressindia.com/initiatives/rti


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Role of media in Anna Hazare's movement:

Anna Hazare's movement seems to have struck a chord with the urban Indian middle-class though there is support form rural areas also.

Definitely there is anger among citizens. The Congress-led UPA is now shaky as it hasn'tencountered such a popular surge of people's movement.

But it is also true that the news media, particularly, the TV channels have played a keyrole in keeping up the tempo. By ensuring round the clock coverage and maintaining thepitch, they have ensured that the protests occur across the country and there is a massfrenzy.

Even though the channels haven't stated much about merits and demerits of theproposed institution of Lokpal or educated citizens about the implications of theombudsman, TV and newspapers are visibly the driving force behind the anti-corruption

movement.
http://editindia.blogspot.in/2011/08/anna-hazare-tv-channels-media-driving.htmlhttp://editindia.blogspot.in/2011/08/anna-hazare-tv-channels-media-driving.html


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Contd

It is rare to see issues taken up with such seriousness. Even the India-England cricketseries was ignored. The frenzy has been such that TRPs are also rising. Either it is kidgetting named Anna by his parents or an elderly walking barefoot to express support forHazare, everything is being telecast enthusiastically.

The movement has also shown how media can effectively be used. Though the proprietyregarding active participation of news media in a movement is debatable, it is true to anextent that Indian media has voluntarily become a party, a sort of participant, in thisdrive for Jan Lokpal Bill.

There are charges that elitist media groups that are mostly anti-reservation and want toestablish hegemony over institutions, are behind this movement. No wonder that theruling party feels that this monster (mass movement) is a media creation.

There is also a fear from sections of Dalits, OBCs and tribal intellectuals, that the AnnaTeam is more upper caste dominated and has no member from the under privilegedsections including SCs/ STs and other religious minorities.


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Anna Hazare's movement may not have grabbed as much attention if the TV channelshad ignored it after a day or two. It may not wipe out corruption. It may be urban-centric.It may not be something like a Tahrir Square revolution.

But it has propelled Anna Hazare to the centre stage of Indian politics. Arvind Kejriwal,Kiran Bedi and others are also in the focus. Perhaps such a movement may not havesucceeded in an era when we had just a single channel--Doordarshan (DD), which todayshies from reporting happenings at Ramlila Ground.

It is true that channels have given excessive coverage to Anna Hazare. But that's whathappens in case of all major movements. It has given Anna Team a bargaining power, ithas brought people on the streets and it has forced government to become flexible andagree to talks.


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Conclusion

As there are two sides of Coin, media can also playboth positive and negative role for making of thePublic System.

Public System can uplift and affect the economy ofthe nation.

55 media regulation and public policy in india

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