Agenda setting forms a very nascent part of Public Policy formulation. The very word "Agenda Setting" itself inclines/depicts the sheer top-down model.
Now, as our media, per say has evolved from its traditional form ( Doordarshan times, AIR) to the present form of live-instantaneous reporting kind ( ANI, PTI, twitter, media, etc). The entire contour of agenda setting by the government has changed in multifaceted terms -
1.Feedback is now instantaneous ( negative eg.- Lateral entry- within hours , the agenda felt down/modified the agenda itself // positive eg.- WAQF bill sent to JPC got applaud immediately,EWS reservations & LPG subsidy give away program got a go-ahead from all circles. )
2.Accountability is circular now - ( as soon as the gov brought in the agenda of UCC - all the stakeholders - started giving their take on it ).
3.Demand of the New Agendas itself started across the sectors - thus bottom up centricity - eg. NIRBHAYA amendment in the laws case// PLI scheme push forwarded from industrial group like SIAM etc// MSP demand along with a committee established to look into it came into the picture after the extensive all round coverage from media ( through twitter, broadcasting media, newspapers, live debates, etc ) and thus the agenda of bringing "New farm laws" was taken back.
This high entropic environment created by the bombardment of medias ( in various facets as well as in various linguistic groups - like u have not just AAJ TAK now, but UP TAK, Bihar TAK, etc. ) is a double edged sword.
On one end it has all the benefits - like Stakeholder decision making // faster redressal of grievances ( twitter - railway grievances) reducing the overall time of collecting of feedback etc.
At the other end - this very nature of emerging unregulated media can derail the governance process itself. It has the power to create anarchy through falsified informations, more prominently in the age of AI. Examples of incidents like- Tuticorin plant issue reported in a falsified manner, Cambridge Analytica, Pegasus). This can be a potent tool to set the agenda of other deep states as in the name of GOI.
Remember MEDIA has got the power of amplification of the discourse at large which has eventually made the government in a reactive mode instead of the responsive mode earlier.
Therefore, require a healthy democratic climate for all kinds of media to breed and raise issues with full fervour but at the same time need to bring a Law enacted ( with proper legislative scrutiny) to curb its wrong usage ( Like PIB FACT CHECK / BROADCAST BILL ). There is a dire need to re-strategize the entire cadre of IIS OFFICERS. They can do a great service in this regard.
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Good interpretation
ReplyDeleteThanks.
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