Witoubou Newmai
There is enough and more to despair about things trending in Nagaland. In today’s internet powered era, where speedy information dissemination has become the culture, the Nagaland State Government, ‘Naga political groups’ and the civil society organizations being indifferent towards the potential danger fueled by the absence of ‘easy-to-reach’ official spokespersons of their respective offices has created room to suggest they are irresponsible offices.
Until the time when press conferences are called or press releases issued to clear the air of confusion, unauthenticated information will continue to create havoc in the wild imagination of vested interests with media houses investing every effort and resource to arrest the raging atmosphere. Often press statements reach the media houses only after maximum damages are done. We are not going to ask what stops these offices from being more responsible because the answer is obvious.
When a society faces challenges such as ignorance, lack of a sense of responsibility and attitude problem, and these come from the top too, then disorder comes to define our situation.
To cite a case, when problems cropped up between groups in Tuensang and adjoining districts last year, media houses had a hard time to get official comments of the State Government or to confirm news emanating from the troubled area on time. We often had to wait for ministers mentioning about it during their usual speeches at functions.
In a time such as this, when social media is making things complicated, the availability of ‘easy-to-reach’ spokesperson in every organization by the media houses becomes a matter of urgency. The usual issuing of press releases do help in certain areas but in times of volatile situation media knows best as to which area needs to be made clear to help ease the charged atmosphere and so, accordingly relevant queries can be put forward to the spokesperson of the party involved on time. Press releases often do not come when they matter the most and hence, every organisation needs to be more responsible towards the society by appointing a spokesperson.
The ‘Naga political groups’ have their respective ‘ministry of publicity’ or media cell but the absence of spokespersons has room to create misunderstandings between the outfits and the media houses. Except on some rare occasions, very often local media houses find it difficult to get the other side of the story when news related to them emanates from elsewhere.
Media in Assam and Manipur find it more convenient in their workings as the governments of these states have made it a ‘must case’ for the government spokesperson to meet the media after every important development so that journalists can also give their feedbacks or clear doubts from the spokesperson. So, it becomes a two-way traffic from which both parties, as well as the public, benefit.
This does not mean to suggest that the usual issuing of press releases should stop.
