Post Summit Introspection
Post Summit Introspection
The Indian Women’s Press Corp in Delhi had a discussion on what the relationship between the government and the media should be. What emerged was a series of observations on the drawbacks of both the government’s media handling, and the drawbacks of the media’s functioning, and its ethical lapses.
The Government’s Handling of Media
Arun
Jaitley, Union Law Minister
The
situation has changed in the last five or six years. Until then the traditional
information set ups of the government used to be most important. If there was
press conference or handout that was the news the next day. The sources were
traditional.
Now
the definition of news is changing. News is what the camera can capture, and
what the camera cannot capture is not news. But the camera has its own
limitations. It can capture what is controversial. Between destruction and
relief the camera finds it easier to capture destruction. The print media will
not repeat the news TV has already covered so it does not do traditional
reporting. It tells you what happens behind the news. Therefore it has become
extremely important for governments to communicate. Factual information is
better than allowing media to carry their own stories. Now media has to be
treated as an opportunity, particularly since one third of all households have
access to the media.
Swapan
Dasgupta, India Today
Agra
was a curious summit. You got just three sentences from the official media.
What you had was basically journalists talking to journalists. It was like a
one day cricket match in which not one ball is rolled but you keep talking to
former test players. You had the Pakis using journalists to disseminate their
point of view. The Indians said nothing.
When
in the Opposition the BJP was the most media savvy organization. Why is it
tongue-tied when it is in government? Because the prime minister does not like
answering questions. Unlike foreign visits where publicity done by the External
Publicity Division, when there is a foreign policy event in this country there
is confusion on whether it should it be handled by Ex P or by the Prime
Minister’s Office. The PMO rather good at disseminating information privately,
not good at doing it publicly. The ExP did not for aesthetic reasons rub
shoulders with journalists.
Rajdeep
Sardesai, Star News
The
fact is that those in political authority failed in Agra. The government built
up this summit, not the media. Indians missions abroad flew journalists here to
attend this summit. People like M L Sondhi took out advertisements. The RSS
mouthpiece Panchjanya tie up with Jang. If you did not want media attention you
should have flown the general to Goa and talked to him there, not made him a
state guest and invited him to the Naharwali Haveli. You cannot provide the
Mughal Sheraton for the media and then give three lines. . The 24 hr channel is
a ravenous beast looking for any meat it can find. There are all too few people
in this government who know how to use the media.
Arun Jaitley