JAY JOSHI
Atmosphere in the country has been pretty charged lately owing to recent developments between India and Pakistan. The current times are sensitive, socially, economically, politically as well as strategically. The media, including social media is constantly updating the populace on various developments as they unfold, and shaping the public opinion.
However, given the way various media are reporting the scenario, there have been various reactions from the public. At some junctures, conventional as well as social media took different stands, and thus, public also formed opinion on how the media is going about reporting on important events of the day.
“I feel that various TV channels have their own political leanings, and no one is unbiased so to speak,” says Ramanand Gaonkar from Valpoi. “Also, I feel that they keep giving lots of coverage to unimportant things and the news on TV lacks substance,” he avers.
Chinmay Hegde, an engineer from Goa, who is currently in Rajasthan for work also feels the same. “Sometimes the TV channels in their haste to deliver exclusive and breaking news, many TV channels end up giving information that may not be of any use to you and me, but can be of use to the enemy. This must be avoided,” says Chinmay.
Professor Dr Rahul Tripathi from the Department of Political Science, Goa University states that the media should exercise some discretion when reporting on sensitive matters regarding national security and policy making. “On matters which are of strategic importance, the media should leave it to the government or the military to issue statements rather than jumping the gun and shaping or forming the public opinion themselves,” says Dr Tripathi, “Because not doing so might at times constrain the government’s ability to take an appropriate policy decision.” He adds that even social media should be discreet in such matters, else it might affect the government’s ability to act.
While some people accuse TV channels of political leanings, others are shifting to social media and apps for their quota of news. “I normally do not watch any of the TV channels, and read just the headlines from newspapers,” is the curt reply from Subhas Sajane from Panaji. A number of people, including some journalists that we spoke to confessed that they rely on Twitter and certain mobile news apps to learn of news as they unfold. That said, there is agreement among the followers of social media that not all information coming from this source is credible. It is important to curate and verify the information.
Social media was abuzz with different trends in the wake of recent developments. ‘Say No To War’ began to trend on Wednesday as Twitteratti was divided whether punitive action on Pakistan should continue or not, but in the days that followed, netizens displayed unprecedented unity in backing the demand for safe release of captured Indian pilot Abhinandan.
However, later, social media pointed fingers at a number of journalists working in various mainstream media with the trend Pak Premi Patrakar. How much truth there was to this trend is a matter of speculation. However, Twitter also highlighted some issues such as the Enforcement Directorate raiding home of former ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochar, PM Modi’s rally in Kanya Kumari, and OIC summit in Dubai, which were put on backburner by mainstream media while giving prime coverage to return of Abhinandan.
