Development Journalism: What Next? An Agenda For the Press. D.V.R.Murthy, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi pp 140, Rs.395.Communication experts have defined development journalism in different ways as it helps in transforming the lives of the people. Development journalism emphasizes peoples` participation in development process. Development journalism should go beyond regular reporting. Journalists should identify problems and offer probable solutions that lead to development. Inspite of the growing popularity for development journalism in India, there is still confusion between development journalism and developmental journalism. Even environment reporting, which is an offshoot of development journalism, has gained wider currency as they have succeeded in empowering people. Development journalism focuses on informing the people, rather than offering solutions that lead to development. The role of development journalism assumes greater importance in Third World countries faced with the plethora of social problems. Will mere reporting on poverty and illiteracy be part of development journalism?
In this context, the present book seeks to fill the gap of the dearth of a good book on the subject. DVR Murthy, in his earlier stint as a journalist in a leading English daily in Andhra Pradesh had an opportunity to closely observe and analyze development reporting in all major dailies. With impeccable credentials as teacher, researcher and journalist, Dr. Murthy, is the right man to offer rare insights into development journalism, which unfortunately gets scant attention from the media and academics in India.
The writer envisages a new role for development journalism with the changing times to bring about attitudinal changes among the people. He advocates four news values viz., culture, social capital, social accountability and social development to be given priority in news reports to foster better community relations and social values. Believing indolence, indifference and lack of integrity as the stumbling blocks for progress, he argues that newspapers should not be content in highlighting a problem but make the administration wake up from its deep slumber.
Communication plays a key role in development. The first chapter ‘media and development’, traces the growth of media, how information dissemination through mass communication and interpersonal channels can bring about social transformation among people and the different approaches of development communication practised by the Third World countries. Mass media is an important agent of social change, bringing new ideas and values. The Western models of development communication failed to address problems inherent in Third World countries, which were an inhinderance to development. The lopsided development led to wide chasm between urban and rural area. The different theories of development and communication models and their drawbacks have been dwelt at length. The chapter discusses how the concept of development underwent a change in the 70’s leading to the emergence of alternative models of development.
After attainment of Independence many Third World countries instead of giving priority to local model of development have adopted Western concepts of development, which failed to meet the social objectives. Dominant paradigm became the role model of development in the Third World countries. This model saw mass communication as powerful and direct force to diffuse information and innovation about development issues to the masses. The indicators of development are per capita income, literacy and industrialization. These models have not succeeded, as they failed to take into consideration the socio-cultural aspects of development. Dr. Murthy drives home the point with two case studies and suggests an alternative mode of development for the Third World.
Discussing the different theories of press, the writer is of the view the press has lost it freedom on account of monopolistic tendencies. But how to rein in the erring press has been an unending debate. Opinion is divided on the issue with some media experts urge for separate body on the lines of press council of India. Some opine it should be self-regulatory free from any controls, as any intervention from outside is bound to have deleterious effect on the freedom of press. The book also highlights successful campaigns launched by India’s frontline newspapers and how development reporting has transformed lives of people.
The author traces the commercialization of Indian press, which resulted in change of priorities. Political news, gossips, sensationalism dominate Indian newspapers. It is personality oriented than issue based. Event reporting took precedence over process reporting. The old definition of news has been transformed from public interest to public personality in focus. The rapid proliferation of satellite channels came as a big jolt to newspapers, which forced them to adopt new marketing strategies to bolster their sagging circulation. Newspapers focus on issues that attract the attention of the readers. Flimsy and non-relevant issues get more space in the newspapers With the creeping of commercial interests, the author aptly says the dividing line between serious and tabloid papers is fast disappearing. The press traditionally has been people oriented, privately owned, public spirited, politically involved enterprise concerned primarily with the preservation of democracy. The survival of press is in peril, if it loses its identity. The author forcefully argues that the Indian press should take up development campaign as part of social responsibility. The press should set an agenda for the government and make people participate in national building.
The positive role of media in national development has been recognized in the Third World countries because information dissemination plays a key role in brining social change among receivers. Issues like health, agrculture; literacy require continuous support from media to accelerate development. Therefore media coverage on these issues is important. The writer carried out content analysis to examine the extent of coverage given to development news. The total coverage of development news in all leading dailies did not exceed 6 percent, which is abysmally low. This shows the skewed priorities of our urban centric newspapers.
The strength of the book lies in explaining difference between undevelopment and underdevelopment, development journalism and developmental journalism in simple language. An excellent book, written in a simple, lucid language it comes in handy to researchers, students and journalists. Books on communication tend to be verbose, the present book with its racy style, one can flip through with ease from cover to cover without an iota of boredom.
Reporting in India newspapers is ephemeral. Lack of specialization is the bane of Indian journalism Reporters lack knowledge to write in-depth articles on important national issues. Dr.Murthy lays emphasis on imparting training to journalists and students on the concepts of development, but unfortunately the journalism departments in India are ill equipped to train students to meet the future challenges.
Dr Murthy argues that newspapers have a two-step function: First, newspapers select certain events related to development to attract the attention of the policy-makers and set an agenda for public action, second, newspapers must also frame these issues, telling the readers what is important to know. In light of these functions, the emphasis must shift from market-driven journalism to people-centric journalism. The future of journalism lies in its in closeness with the readers and hence, emerges a model of journalism where the news gatherer is the compiler and the gatekeeper of the news. In this people-centric journalism, multiple sources of a story compel the news gatherer to device suitable methods of reporting instead of summary lead. Instead of a news report, it can be an interpretative story. Therefore, the doctrine of objectivity has no place in this journalism. The journalist records his observations keeping in view the relevance of the stories to society. Hence, he is a judge in this journalism and has a prime place to shoulder a responsible task with a mission. This shift in journalism in future will make the newspapers relevant to society to stand as a public institution, which strives, for the welfare of the society.
In the age of information explosion, it is time for the media to redefine its role with regards to people’s problem. Inspite of the growing information revolution there is yawning gap between the media and people with media becoming insensitive. The media has an onerous responsibility to give fresh direction to the society in the larger interests of the society, and for its own survival. If it fails to live up to people’s expectation it is bound to lose its credibility. If the press is to fulfill its social objectives, as noted journalist P.Sainath tersely put it, journalism should be for people and not for shareholders.
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