29 April,2010

Role of the media
 Like a doctor treating a patient who’s unwell, the media also has a job to do that can at times be quite unpleasant. The patient doesn’t enjoy the resultant pain, even if temporary and necessary, and neither do most of those who come in the media’s net in its attempt to highlight the ills of society.
 Herald (Wednesday, Apr 28) has focussed on some contentious issues that need attention. A whole lot of media-space has been devoted to the claims and counter-claims of politicians over the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on Goa’s hosting of the International Film Festival of India, 2004. This has become the basis for action against top politicians in the State, including the then chief minister, Manohar Parrikar. But behind the political-speak, what are the issues actually involved? What can the citizen of Goa expect by way of action taken in such cases? Will the fact that the current chief minister was a prominent member of the past Cabinet somehow affect the investigations in this case?
Likewise, there have been so many headlines over the nexus between drug dealers and the police in Anjuna, something which is no secret to anyone remotely familiar with the workings of the coastal belt. But have the police been following the case to its logical conclusion? Will the focus of such cases be political games, rather than a much-deserved cleanup that parts of the Goa coast —and its law-enforcing machinery — badly requires?
 The media has a lot of responsibilities when it comes to playing out its role in society, and this can be a tough job. To work efficiently, it needs the support and critical feedback of its readers.
At times, the media has been criticised for just going along with the tide, taking the easy way out, and playing the game of more active players in society. These players could be politicians, the State, business lobbies or, to a lesser extent, campaign groups with a strong agenda at any point of time.
 It is tempting to play the game of one faction against the others. It is easy to fall back to ‘statement journalism’ that just reflects what different interest groups are saying on a particular issue or agenda.But while this keeps all interest groups content, it might just not take us any closer to finding out what lies at the root of a problem. We cannot presume that the truth simply emerges by observing some mid-point in a tug-of-war between diverse positions of interested parties.
In a few days time, newspaper readers and the media are expected to publicly debate their expectations of each other. The reader does have a right to expect much more from the Fourth Estate, which only deserves its influence by taking ahead the legitimate interests of society. But at the same time, the reader also needs to help shape the media by taking the agenda forward and pointing out whenever he or she sees something amiss in the Press. In a small State like Goa, the media is hardly as remote as it might be in other larger States.
 
More than PR
It is a PR exercise which isn’t very convincing. In recent times, we’ve been hearing repeatedly about US soldiers stopping by at Goa to undertaken “community bonding” and paint local schools.
While painting a Margao school, the soldiers also handed over
footballs and fans. But as the world’s sole superpower today, the United States has global responsibilities that go far beyond litres of paint, footballs and fans.
 It is transparently clear that the increased US presence in the area is linked to its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While every empire of the past has justified its role in claiming a larger share of global resources, one would have thought that things would be different in the 21st century.
 If it wants to go beyond just meaningless PR exercises, the US needs to work towards solutions that offer justice and peace in West Asia. Merely defending its economic self-interests and access to oil in the guise of extending “democracy” is hardly convincing.