The recently launched Guwahati based daily newspaper Seven Sister Post has joined the bandwagon of media houses that have indulged in spreading ‘breaking news’ about the possible solutions to Indo-Naga political imbroglio, purportedly divulging all the crucial issues that have been deliberated at the highest level in the on-going political negotiation between Naga leaders and Government of India. Claiming that they have got the source from reliable agencies from someone in the Home Ministry, the news report have highlighted various details about the terms of negotiation between NSCN (I-M) and Indian Government. If public memory in North East India serves right, this is not the first instance that news about possible model of solution that has been agreed in Indo-Naga political negotiation has been made public. Coincidentally, most of this breaking news has been published by Assam based newspapers. And, generally, the issues being raised by this news gradually relapsed from being a burning issue after the round rhetorical reactions from political leaders from North Eastern states, followed by refutations from NSCN leaders and Indian authorities about such news. One crucial question that one can raise here is: Are such news becoming slugfest for mass media, a fodder to feed the mass reader? Such observation may seem like belittling the practice of news reporting and integrity of media houses in Northeast. However, the recurrence of this media-drama has point out to the fact that news reporting about Indo-Naga political solution is also harming the standard in which news are being reported by media agencies. Whether such news does contain an iota of truth has not seemed to matter much, as it has become regular feature. Thus, such news-reporting is also having certain implications on people’s perceptions towards Indo-Naga political negotiations.
Cursory observation about the situation in which news-breaks of Indo-Naga political negotiation may point out that such ‘hoax’ news have risen due to code of secrecy that has been adopted by both the parties in negotiating table. Queries by media persons concerning the Indo-Naga talks have often been replied by the Indian interlocutors with the stern reply that the issues are too ‘sensitive’ to be commented. Considering the fact that there have been hostile response by neighboring communities of the Nagas about the terms of negotiation, the code of silenced being maintained by concerning authorities may be considered as politically right. Curiosity about the happening in Indo-Naga political negotiation has been heightened by nature in which it is being carried out. Not only the neighboring states and communities, but Naga public also remains un-aware about the details of Indo-Naga talks. As the outcome of this political negotiation (in whatever forms it maybe) is likely to have massive impact in North East India, it is becoming ‘sensitive to the core’. However, the terms of discourse and ‘medium of message’ that are encoded in these news can have negative implications, which media houses may be blamed for practicing irresponsible journalism.
Manufacturing Discontent?
By publishing news about the possible outcome of Indo-Naga political negotiation repeatedly and building up psycho-frenzy notion about an issue, the media houses are playing the role of manufacturing certain coherent ‘public opinion’. Opinions and comments by certain individuals do count on matters of political sensitive issues; however, the practice of taking opinions and comments from few sections of people in certain community can be questioned at various levels. In the captions of Seven Sisters Post, which they published along with the news of ‘Supra State for Nagas’, the comments highlighted were individuals from a particular community and state. It becomes quite obvious that it’s a one sided story about an issue which effects diverse people belonging to various states and community in North East India. Such partisan practices by media houses and manner in which news reporting has been made can be construed not only as an attempt to whip-up emotional frenzy, but also to manufacture an apparent public opinion which may be far from reality.
Political Solution: Gifts for the Nagas?
The language and modes of reporting, and also comments being made by responsible Indian state leaders in media, have projected ‘political solutions’ as a form ‘gift’ to the Nagas. Given the fact that most Nagas practice Christianity, this time in Seven Sisters Post, ‘Supra-State’ for Nagas have been camouflaged as ‘Christmas Gift’. One actually wonders whether Naga political struggle, in which many Nagas have lost their life as well as Indian soldiers, have been turned into a ‘political package’ in the forms of ‘gifts’ being given or exchanged during festivities. Sensitivity about the people’s emotion seems to have been conveniently kept aside and relegated while commenting by responsible leaders and also in news reporting being printed by media editors. One can also construe that the adoption of trivial idioms of language in reporting/commenting about politically significant issues is a deliberate attempt to make the crucial issue banal from certain vintage point.
The terms of dictating what mass media decide to publish and highlight issues calls for a deeper retrospection. Whatever that has been written and printed by mass media are generally considered as real by most of the readers. Thus, in presenting unreliable/false stories, the effect are not only the reading public, it can bring more damaged to the mass media’s nobility of serving the general populace. Reporting false news and stories does not only denigrate the principle of presenting real story in media, but also makes the mass readers complacent to actual stories which may need their actual attention and focus.
Cursory observation about the situation in which news-breaks of Indo-Naga political negotiation may point out that such ‘hoax’ news have risen due to code of secrecy that has been adopted by both the parties in negotiating table. Queries by media persons concerning the Indo-Naga talks have often been replied by the Indian interlocutors with the stern reply that the issues are too ‘sensitive’ to be commented. Considering the fact that there have been hostile response by neighboring communities of the Nagas about the terms of negotiation, the code of silenced being maintained by concerning authorities may be considered as politically right. Curiosity about the happening in Indo-Naga political negotiation has been heightened by nature in which it is being carried out. Not only the neighboring states and communities, but Naga public also remains un-aware about the details of Indo-Naga talks. As the outcome of this political negotiation (in whatever forms it maybe) is likely to have massive impact in North East India, it is becoming ‘sensitive to the core’. However, the terms of discourse and ‘medium of message’ that are encoded in these news can have negative implications, which media houses may be blamed for practicing irresponsible journalism.
Manufacturing Discontent?
By publishing news about the possible outcome of Indo-Naga political negotiation repeatedly and building up psycho-frenzy notion about an issue, the media houses are playing the role of manufacturing certain coherent ‘public opinion’. Opinions and comments by certain individuals do count on matters of political sensitive issues; however, the practice of taking opinions and comments from few sections of people in certain community can be questioned at various levels. In the captions of Seven Sisters Post, which they published along with the news of ‘Supra State for Nagas’, the comments highlighted were individuals from a particular community and state. It becomes quite obvious that it’s a one sided story about an issue which effects diverse people belonging to various states and community in North East India. Such partisan practices by media houses and manner in which news reporting has been made can be construed not only as an attempt to whip-up emotional frenzy, but also to manufacture an apparent public opinion which may be far from reality.
Political Solution: Gifts for the Nagas?
The language and modes of reporting, and also comments being made by responsible Indian state leaders in media, have projected ‘political solutions’ as a form ‘gift’ to the Nagas. Given the fact that most Nagas practice Christianity, this time in Seven Sisters Post, ‘Supra-State’ for Nagas have been camouflaged as ‘Christmas Gift’. One actually wonders whether Naga political struggle, in which many Nagas have lost their life as well as Indian soldiers, have been turned into a ‘political package’ in the forms of ‘gifts’ being given or exchanged during festivities. Sensitivity about the people’s emotion seems to have been conveniently kept aside and relegated while commenting by responsible leaders and also in news reporting being printed by media editors. One can also construe that the adoption of trivial idioms of language in reporting/commenting about politically significant issues is a deliberate attempt to make the crucial issue banal from certain vintage point.
The terms of dictating what mass media decide to publish and highlight issues calls for a deeper retrospection. Whatever that has been written and printed by mass media are generally considered as real by most of the readers. Thus, in presenting unreliable/false stories, the effect are not only the reading public, it can bring more damaged to the mass media’s nobility of serving the general populace. Reporting false news and stories does not only denigrate the principle of presenting real story in media, but also makes the mass readers complacent to actual stories which may need their actual attention and focus.
