The role of media in the path of integrity and communal harmony

By Brozendra Ningomba *

"The bee is more honored than other animals, not because she labours, but because she labours for others."
- St John Chrysostom (c.347-407)

A Greek Church Father, Archbishop of Constantinople. He earned the name Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) by preaching in Antioch, an ancient city in southeastern Turkey. Followers of Christ first adopted the name "Christian" in this city. The quote has not been mentioned here to compare the media with the bee. But let's just try to understand the beauty of the sentence. And let's think of the role the media, as an institution, not as the individual professionals who work in different mediums, play in their own place of operation in particular and in the world in general.

Why media: Now when we talk of the media, we are talking about different mediums, such as print (newspapers and periodicals), television, radio and the Internet. Each of these mediums has its own ways of practicing the profession. Yet the widely accepted comprehensive and common objective of the media is to bring about a general state of happiness and well-being of the mankind throughout the world.

G Marconi did not invent radio, nor John L. Baird invented television to destroy the human world. There's no record to show that Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press to do disservice to the world. Similarly, the idea of newspapers and the Internet had not been created to build chasm between man and man, nation and nation and erase humanity.

All these mediums are the products of human minds and creativity with the common objective of serving the mankind in order to make peace and justice prevail, and to make good prevail over evil and make the world a better place to live in.

Same codes: From these broad descriptions, arise the codes of ethics for journalism which, though composed in different phrases and languages in different countries where liberty of the press is highly regarded, are primarily one and the same in the basics. Thus the codes of ethics formulated by the Press Council of India and the codes of ethics being followed in different democratic countries including US, etc. are more or less similar in objectives, if not in contents.

It's our moral, physical and professional obligations to follow the codes of ethics that we have in the country, and for that matter even the "Codes of Conduct (Local Adjustment)" adopted by the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU) a few years back.

The topic: And within these codes of ethics and codes of conduct lies the topic given to me for discussion today i.e. "The role of media in the path of integrity and communal harmony." Taking into account the present politico-socio-economic situation prevailing in India, this is a very important topic that needs wide spread discussions especially among the media persons and the elites of the Indian society, including the political leaders and policy-makers.

However, as for us the journalists of Manipur, it will be an apt discussion if we focus the topic on our state only, as encompassing the whole of the country will be too vast. After all, this is not a national based seminar.

As mentioned earlier, when we say media, we mean print–newspapers and journals, but now let's take only newspapers since the periodicals, if there's any, seem to have lost effectiveness in Manipur, then radio and television. The Internet is still a luxury to many in the state.

Place of newspapers: The Oregon Code of Ethics for Journalism says, "Of all these agencies (and instrumentalities employed by men) the printed word is most widely diffused and most powerful."

Today newspapers in Manipur have grown big and powerful from small beginnings three decades ago. Prominent newspapers are the ones, numbering about 16/17, published in the state capital-Imphal. Out of these newspapers, only a few are widely circulated throughout the state and can reach the headquarters of the hill districts of Manipur.

Many have said, the words of newspapers may not be taken as the gospel truth, but certain news reports or comments do certainly make powerful impact on the minds and activities of the people concerned. Howsoever much one may detest going to a newspaper's office to deliver a press release or submit a complaint, no one can do without newspapers. Indeed, the influence of newspapers grows bigger and more powerfully over the minds of the people, irrespective of hills or plains, just as they become bigger industry as more modern technologies are acquired.

Radio: There is no denying the fact that radio–in this context, the All India Radio, Imphal is the single largest mass medium in Manipur. Thousands of people all over the state and beyond the boundaries listen to the AIR, Imphal, be it news, news analysis or other popular programmes. Radio can reach even the remotest part of Manipur where newspapers can't reach because of poor road communication and lack of education. Radio plays a major role in disseminating information and awareness on various aspects of man and matters.

Television: Television in Manipur enjoys a significant place of its own. Though there are opportunities to watch a hundred or so pay channels though satellite TV, only two TV networks cater to the local needs and demands of the people in Manipur. They are DDK Imphal, which is a government media and the ISTV network, which is private-owned.

No doubt, the ISTV network which telecasts news and other local programmes is a hugely popular TV network in most parts of the four districts in the valley. It has no challenger as of now. The DDK Imphal's programmes are at present available only within the valley areas. It's heard that the Kendra will be uplinked to satellite this coming November 18. Now it's set to go international, which is a good news for the people of Manipur.

Fostering integrity and communal harmony: These are the positions of the different agencies of media in Manipur, and each one plays the part in its own capacity to strengthen the bond of friendship and rotherhood among the people of Manipur and thus foster integrity and communal harmony.

Specially, the newspapers and the private TV network based in Imphal had in the recent times reached even the remotest parts in the hill districts unimaginably forgotten by both the state government and God. It's these media which brought the godforsaken people and places, and the indescribably terrible problems the people of the places in question are compelled to face, to the notice of the authority concerned and the general people.

For instance, encroachment by Nagaland police and villagers on Manipur's territory at Jessami in Ukhrul district and near Laii village in Senapati district were first exposed by the Imphal-based media. The recent exposure of Nagaland Armed Police personnel occupying a security post on the Manipur side of the border in Ukhrul district by the media jolted the state government wide awake to rise to the occasion and save a lot of embarrassments and heartburns for the government and the people residing in that area.

Role of CSOs: However, the credit for that timely coverage must be given to the Information Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur (ICHAM), which is a non-profit and a political body of representatives of different tribes and communities of the state.

It must be understood that territorial integrity, emotional integrity and communal harmony, etc. can not be simply achieved by organizing some meetings, discussions and feasts in the valley areas. CSOs, political leaders, people of different professions, such as teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, transporters, government employees, media, etc. must go to the remote parts of the hills and reach out to the people of those places, and understand their wants, and try to give them what they need.

Development: Development in all spheres is what is needed most to the people in the hills. Cause a situation where development is ushered in or begins to arrive.

It is not possible for any or all CSOs to bring development in the hills on their own. It's the duty and obligation of the government to do that. Therefore, the CSOs must make moves to goad the authority to do the needful. That's what the ICHAM has been doing, and thus has earned trust and respect of the hills people like no other organization/CSO has ever done in the past.

Don't forget, it's not the sweet-talks that the people of the hills want, it's the action–the work for development that they want to see. It's not the promise they want to hear anybody–whether so-called social workers or CSO leaders or Ministers–makes, it's the whirring of machines that arise out of the developmental works that they want to listen to.

VIPs' trips to hills: Till not very long ago, our Chief Minister, O Ibobi used to go to places in the hill districts to inaugurate or lay the foundation stone for some development projects. How happy the villagers in the remote parts of the hill districts were to see the Chief Minister of "their own state" standing amidst them. The pain for them now is the assurances that he gave the villagers then are yet to be translated into action (or may be some of the assurances).

How the young ministers are lifted in the makeshift palanquins and carried by villagers as part of grand welcoming ceremony when they visit the far-flung areas in the hill districts! Those are all examples of how close and fond the relationship between the people of the hills and the plains is. Such events are important to make emotional integrity of the people even stronger.

On the other hand, it's the media which must tell the story of how an enthusiastic minister was welcomed and what he said, did and all that. Not merely telling the story of an event, it's the reflection-the comment that the media make on that event which is also very important.

Being positive: When the media are truly positive in their coverage, reflection and comments, there can be no one who would find faults with the media. Positivism is the need of the hour. Being positive automatically includes being cautious in thinking and writing.

Positive and cautious media will always be sensitive to sentiments and ethos of communities, which in turn will naturally make the foundation of integrity and communal harmony stronger. Let's see if there are ways that we can learn from the bees.