Newspaper and Social Change: Recent Trends in Indian Journalism

Presented at THK Jain College

Abir Chattopadhyay

·        What is a social change and how newspapers do usher that changes?

Social change is such an interface that leads to a transformation of a time and space. Social Change is such an outcome that overrules the previous. Social Change itself is therefore a transit that invites a new phenomenon. Social Change involves people's action whereas people's action requires an ideological guideline. Ideological guideline requires critique or critical analysis and critical analysis finally requires a mainstream description of event. Description of event needs an event to occur. Does then social change depend upon mainstream description of event? it is not dependence but critical analysis needs something to oppose.

Media also do social change. Does it mean media houses observe everything critically? No. Media houses oppose establishment and traditionally ruling mechanisms. They follow their own mechanism to create a new condition what we call social change. It is not really people but media that can disturb existing social conditions whatever the condition is.

Slide #2: What is social change?

·         About social change, the common idea tells us about two prototypes of transformations:

o   Totalist transformation/change; when social change leads to a complete upside down of a social structure; e.g. governmental-ideological change

o   Micro transformation/change; that leads to certain change in a certain time and space;

Slide #3: Journalism causes Social Change

o   There are many such examples around the world where journalism rather investigative reportage open up many conspiracies/scandals; Watergate scandal by two Washington Post Journalists; Bofors scandal Story; 2G Spectrum story; Coal Block scandal story etc.

o   The above reports caused a massive outbreak doubtlessly but how many of them caused a real social change, are of something to reestablish.

Slide #4: Your Arguments

·         Your letter of invitation has however mentioned very interestingly that “newspapers today influence us in our cultural practices, political decision making, economy, consumer habit, social aspects so on so forth…Journalistic practice and format of newspapers have been going through colossal alterations…observed in printing method and over all presentation. All these aspects together thrive a significant effect on society both in short and long term conditions and stand as a key factor behind any massive social change”.

·         Now as you said about “massive social change”, which sounds a bit totalist change too, is a massive political affair whereas micro changes are no less political and revolutionary in nature.

Slide #5: Micro and Macro social conditions

·         The points you have already noticed like political decision making, consumer habit are those areas of micro social change whereas economy is a mother principle on which a nation or a system runs and to change that the strength of newspapers is not enough; a strong political-ideological backup is necessary.

·         It's therefore better to concentrate on micro social changes. Now if it does really, as you think, my job here is to establish 'how it does or whether it does at all'.

Slide #6: What is a Newspaper or Mass Media?

·         So what is a newspaper? Let us now not react as common people would usually prefer to, like newspaper is a mass medium, mirror of society etc. etc. The today's topic again helps me to conceive that newspaper is a changing agent and not just a medium as commonly being taught.

·         A Newspaper or a medium can perpetrate social change not just by its penetrative or repititive power but its creative or narrative power.

Slide #7: Newspaper as Interface

·         So it is always better to define newspaper critically. Newspaper is a manifestation or say interface of an establishment;

·         What does it manifest? It manifests views, opinions, information, order/action, even no less than a format or presentation; rather it produces all of them.

Slide #8: Newspaper functions

·         The manifestation finally legitimizes the process of representation; i.e. newspapers represent many things in its appearance.      

                It represents events through news;

                It endorses other views also, through features and articles/columns.

                It creates opinion i.e. its own views in editorial;

                It now reinforces its own opinion;

                It creates an ideology or line of action through the above representation praxis;

                It stimulates audience' action in the short run; and finally

                It finally moulds/changes people's behaviour in the long run;

Slide #9: REORIAC Axis...Political Economy

·         Newspapers' action can then be chronically summarized as 'Representation-Endorsement-Opinion-Reinforce-Ideology-Action-Change';

·         This is basically a political-ideological axis in which a newspaper functions. From the colonial period newspapers particularly in India follow the REORIAC axis;

·         Now the political economy of newspaper promotes both corporate or establishment aspects and manifestation/interface aspects of newspaper;

·         Now the dual faces of the political economy of newspapers/media ensure the process of media production.

Slide #10: Does media production lead to social change?

·         Now, the question appears whether newspapers/media production can lead to any social change. Whatever it does, is not the matter of concern now. The problem is to explore how does it perpetrate social change? Normally we see that newspapers or other media print/publish or broadcast whatever they produce. We also see some very interesting effects too in terms of subsequent reflexive opinions and actions among the audience. But unless established, there is no reason to term it as newspapers' effect.

Slide #11: Toward Social Change

·         Now our job is to establish that newspapers do organize social change. But before doing anything let us agree with the reality that "newspapers cannot lead to any social change cumulatively" because they don't work together. So they can only usher micro changes individually as they are in competitive relationship with each other.

·         Secondly, not just newspapers, no mass medium alone can lead to any social change except any very unusual exclusive is done that may create huge uproar in any social format. Nowadays no mass medium operates on its own without having any collaboration with other media of different genres particularly electronic and online. At least in India the situation shows a massive conglomeration of media houses where in every case there is international finance capital invested in terms of media-capital.

·         So in any situation the impact of newspapers is difficult to note in India without its collaboration and so the impact of newspapers cumulatively even if tried hard.

Slide #12: Gerbner's Model and Social Change

·         Let us start with George Gerbner's famous Cultivation model where he had mistakenly established media's specially cumulative or general effect on audience. Yet Gerbner's model is useful here in a sense that at least he concluded in the last horizontal segment where mediation is done between media's production SE [structure of the produced] and audience's reception SE₁ [structure of the received]. So it at least concluded that media lead to a change in audience behaviour toward finally the social change i.e. social action.

·        

·         But he did not mention how it was done. But as said that we get one assurance of media's influence over the audience both in short and long run, as your summary mentions.

·         Now our job left is to explore how media do it.

Slide #13 and #14: Encoding Decoding Model

·         Noted British Cultural Theorist Stuart Hall in his Encoding-Decoding formulation explained that whatever produced in media is decoded by the audience differently.

·         He established an ideological gap between what is encoded by the media and decoded by the audience. In this model Hall's argument went on establishing that audience is strong enough to formulate their own views and so your point appears to be wrong. But another connotation of his argument may also be like 'media cannot influence the whole of audience'.

·         So media has a 'limited effect' capability as many US theorists are of opinion. Does then your introductory piece stand at all? A big question indeed.

Slide #15: Understanding Media Power

·         But it was our promise to establish that whatever limited or massive effect media have in audience psyche, it is for sure that they must have the power to influence the audience.

·         What kind of power it is that influences the audience and where does it stay in media? Along with capital power, coercive (social) power, mass media exert a new power i.e. symbolic power. Mass media can make anything symbolic. So what newspapers or other media do is making their perceptions of events more and more symbolic.

·         As mentioned earlier, through all REORIAC stages of action media create such symbolic power which people are supposed to "use or re-use" in every social action. And people do it every time for every media content.

·         This is how media as you have said help or dominate or mould political decision making, consumer habits etc.

·         [Now I would take up one book for reference that covers all possible aspects of 21st century Journalism to exemplify how media do it.]

Slide #16: More Reality Narrative

·         Now the symbolic power of every media creation or production not only represents the particular media house but also reinforces the events with 'more reality' narrative. This more reality narrative is most likely to initiate a line of action i.e. an ideology and immediately turns into social action.

·         The social action as reinforced by the media with more reality often causes social change in terms of public action.

·         What kind of media practice or journalism are we talking about? It is as conceived the latest form of journalistic practice Narrative Journalism that completes the story with full incorporation of journalist's perception about the event.

Slide #17: Social Action requires Audience to perform

·         Now, to get the social change of any dimension done the mediation process, above mentioned, requires audience to accomplish the action and change.

·         So, to talk about the audience, let's bring back the age old debate whether audience/readers is active or not in the 21st century.

·         Let's not get into the details of the debate now except conclude that we still do not know us.

·         We still go by the age old identities like class, caste, ethnicity, reservation, urbanity and many other situational considerations.

·         So newspaper's or media's REORIAC action only make them audience from people earlier.

·         Audience has also become a new abstraction like earlier class/ethnicity blah...blah...blah.

Slide #18: Audience and the question of subordination

·         As the social authorities endorse or better say promote all its social identities usually subordinated, so media authorities too want its audience enough in its ideological control, dumb and heavy viewing creature and finally consented.

Slide #19: Is Social Change Fantasy?

·         So then, is social change a mere media compulsion? Is so called people's upsurge a mere fantasy now?

·         Basically social change, as you have mentioned, occurs — people give mandate too — but somehow at the cost of their "independence".

·         "People" identity in the 21st century is now in crisis; we all have become audience not by choice but by compulsion.

Slide #20: Media-Authority Narrative

·         Media-Civil Society-Political Authority combination is quite evident both in national and regional situations in India.

·         This combination is the ideological source of Narrative Journalism both Print and Electronic media.

·         Narrative Journalism is therefore media's that extension of audience orientation alongside all other forms of media action.

·         No specific newspaper related phenomenon is now available — Narrative Journalism covers both objective journalism and the semiotic extension of entertainment.

Reading B.G. Verghese would clarify or you may say certify the situation

·         If the concluding remark sounds too much negative, I am helpless. I can't really stand by saying that how newspapers or media keep us aware of the global information. We all know that. Let's get it critically now.

Mere Baap Pehle AAP!!!

So ‘Mere Baap Pehle AAP’ has finally become the slogan of today’s Indian politics, at least the politics of adjustment, if the word compromise stinks much to make our holy nationalist politicians feel awkward before public. But the problem really lies somewhere behind the scenes appearing after Delhi election result specially after the confirmation of AAP emergence toward power. It is beyond any doubt about the logic of the emergence of ‘AAP’ or signification of the syntax ‘Aam Admi Party’. The syntax has broken the modernity of traditional political representation toward creating a condition, using the election transit amid the ‘power politics’ and ‘politics of power’ on either side. The election transit has given ‘AAP’ enough space to place their manifesto of promises. Nothing more than saying that this ‘AAP’ has used this ‘election transit’ most effectively for two reasons: first, they did not have any formational tradition; second, they used this ‘no-tradition’ condition to transcend the traditional political representational parameters and popular political forms. The popular nomenclature or appearance or logo of this no-tradition condition is, as they used significantly, the ‘anti corruption’ party. In this way ‘AAP’ has grafted its root in Indian political system leaving even Anna’s anti-corruption logo far behind.

Genealogy of a condition faces challenge

Now if this is the genealogy of Arvind Kejriwal and his ‘Aam Admi Party’ or ‘Aap’ we are witnessing a different ball game after the election where this genealogy has become a new condition where the politics of power is playing a new trick. In every hung-house condition in Parliamentary politics, apart from very few instances of real political-ideological combinations, there somehow a horse-trading situation generates where either horse trading or any nearing post-poll adjustment rules the order. But this time the situation is made up by new colour combinations. The anti-corruption logo or the ‘AAP’ has gained enough political support but an ‘iconic’ short of new power destination. The public support for ‘AAP’ has replaced two political conditions: one, it is placed on the debris of political corruptions and this time in the regime of Congress; secondly, it has gone against all traditional political representations, as said earlier, that include parties like BJP too. The new condition has therefore replaced all mythic political forms. But this not the real end in the Indian constitutionality and this time it is not evident in the outcome where Congress has constitutionally rendered their support to ‘AAP’ to for the government. The real trick lies in the principle behind where real power politics still works even after the election. Now Congress is taking stance to let ‘AAP’ sit in power and BJP is in traditional opposition by criticizing ‘AAP’ for taking Congress support.

The ball game therefore lies in the bourgeois ideology where Congress suddenly has come forward to render support to its destroyer who has already promised to enquire all corruption incidents with a clear intimidation of putting the guilty behind the bar. BJP might have enjoyed the situation for reasons like, first, they are the newly emerged political force in four states; and secondly, they defeated Congress in four state assemblies. But it remains as disturbing as it is for Congress to define the long underestimated ‘AAP’ and their emergence in Indian politics. Both Congress and BJP do not have any new or de novo approach to deal with ‘AAP’ politics. So they went on attacking ‘AAP’ quite traditionally which did not work in the election. Basically these political parties with their old mythic traditions had a tough fight with a newer and very unknown ‘condition’. So the real fight took place between ‘corruption’ or ‘establishments’ and anti-incumbent promises (conditions) that not only kept both political establishments away from power but gave them a lesson of new political identity beyond their attainability.

But bourgeoisie comprising of two such major parties and their political allies won’t let it go likewise. They, as said, have started a new ball game to transform this new condition into another mythic ‘form’, as they are, with all flaws and of course new corruptions to restore the political equilibratory system. Commercial media houses have already started excavating flaws and corruption of AAP. Congress for this reason has rendered its support to keep ‘AAP’ away from the newly emerged condition that actually gained the public support.

Pressure mounting on 'AAP'

With that announcement of support even before ‘AAP’ could come out with any decision the Indian bourgeoisie has come out with a different trick. Both Congress and BJP have tactfully started clamouring that 'AAP' should form the government and fulfill what it has promised in the manifesto. Congress has already rendered its support, albeit not obviously unconditional but performance based as said the former Chief Minister Sheila Dixit. BJP has decided to sit in opposition bench. Now the question arises why 'AAP' could not stick to its earlier position of not accepting the power putting therefore counter pressure on Congress and BJP? Bourgeoisie, precisely Bourgeois parties in this way had made its first triumph to settle its position by transferring the onus on the third or newly emerged force and the so called third force has consequently placed its submission. 'AAP' however kept on justifying its position and the renewal of its owned condition by playing a 'counter' but a very old fashioned prank as taking 'mass consent' using new communication technology. Quite naturally with 74%, as they announced, of people's ‘social network based’ consent the 'AAP' has decided to form the government not by committing Congress’ support overtly.

In this way, a new political power condition is ready to emerge where for the first time bourgeois parties will play on and common people and media will focus on fulfillment of promises with an unprecedented importance thus overruling the precedence of having almost nothing from the manifestoes fulfilled earlier in the history Indian democracy. BJP on the other hand is not expected to fulfill its promises given in three other states, Madhyapradesh, Rajasthan, and Chattisgarh with such a heed. So is Congress in Mizoram. But here the bourgeois parties or the bourgeoisie is paying its full attention to corner ‘AAP’ to a large extent before fulfillment. It is like two contestants are expecting the third contestant doing good result in the same examination.

AAP-promises-government axis

Now if anyone moves into the promises made by ‘AAP’ it would come out that it caters only on the unfulfilled or fake promises of Congress or categorically the ruling party. So they have made their agenda quite realistic and plausible to accomplish. So the AAP on the one hand provided plausible or realistic promises which convinced a large section of urban population and made a successful alternative to all traditional manifestoes on the other having propagated a clear message that — okay, we have come out with a newer pledge to execute the manifesto which others did never before. Such anti-establishment message or manifesto is very common to those parties and platforms which people usually do not pay much attention to, and categorized ‘others’ in media poll analyses. But this time with the streams of Lokpal-Lokayukta debate people of Delhi have done it which was quite naturally unexpected to all established parties. AAP has therefore emphasized particularly on civic issues like, water and electricity issues, which are long unfulfilled in many Indian states. These two aspects on the other hand are prime essentials of industrialization for which citizens have long been deprived of getting minimum civic amenities. Some state governments are providing extra-requisite water and electricity to those industries at the cost of civic development. So it is not the question of BJP or Congress to accomplish the job but it is the ‘AAP’ which has made it an issue of accomplishment by breaking all earlier manifesto-narratives. That basically and suddenly unites BJP and Congress to say that — we should give AAP a chance to fulfill what they promised, as if they have a long tradition of fulfilling their promises!! This invitation therefore is neither natural at all nor is it the real support being rendered by the Congress already. It has become an acid test for ‘AAP’ to accomplish the promises.

But it is for sure that the ‘AAP’ syntax is now made up not just to fulfill the promises but to shatter all earlier development narratives which Arvind Kejriwal and his associates know it very well and the difficulty to attain it too along with. But the AAP leadership despite all impossibilities has accepted the prods of all opposition parties and come forward to form the government without majority. It has also accepted the onus, as given by two major parties, to form the holy government taking it for granted that Congress and BJP will never support each other. So it is the only party to form a minority government. Bourgeois political forces have again won the game. The only hope remains that AAP is not the proletariat force. So it would any day be ready maintain the equilibrium of the Indian political system. The revolutionary destination of Aam Admi Party would therefore be to form a minority government to avoid another election and also to pay respect to the wish of the traditional political rulers.

Pageviews by Countries

Pageviews by Countries

Entry	Pageviews
Latvia	104
India	11
United States	7
France	2
Norway	2
Australia	1
Switzerland	1
Germany	1
United Kingdom	1
Japan	1

Friends, thanks to you all. It would be great to have interactions. So please send me message, if possible, so that we can exchange views and share our opinions.

Technology and Human Rights

Lecture and PP  Presentation for Human Rights Students... 

Slide #1

What is Technology?

In social communication and media studies…

           

Technology is considered as the Signified or Concept of any activity (or Act) that resides with its referents or real life objects; i.e. machines, software, or anything made or invented.

Slide #2

Technology…contd.

u Technology is also a phenomenon that human beings experience in their lives. So user groups realize technology.

u Technology also considered as unit means what human beings execute. Oral techniques; literate techniques etc.

Slide #3

Technology & Technological:

Technology therefore appears

u Concept;

u Phenomenon;

u Experience;

Technological however indicates

u Referent or Outcome;

u Individual Judgement;

u Convention; like ‘Computerized’;

u Finally, human ‘arbitrary’ rights to define any category;

Slide #4

What is Technology?...contd.

The modular presentation looks like

Signifier  =                    Signified + Referents

(Intellectual Act)        (Technology) + (Objects)

So every Act can give birth of a specific concept of a new technology.

Slide #5

University of Toronto proposes

Canadian Communication School derives Social Transformation in view of the development of technology.

Theorists like Tim O’Sullivan, Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan et. al. formulated social transformation in three distinctive social features;

Slide #6

University of Toronto proposes contd.

u Oral Society: Oral Communication Technology drives the society.

u Literate Society: Literate Technology drives the society.

u Electronic Society: Electronic communication technology drives the society.

u Global Village: Convergence of all communication & media Technologies.

Slide #7

Technology as Signifier:

u Problem now pops up when Technology is considered as a driving force or an ‘Act’ itself;

uIf technology now is the signifier, what would then be the signified and referent?

uIt then affects human ‘arbitrary’ rights.

uTechnology then drives your knowledge, satisfaction, need, and all other cognitive outcomes; like, computer softwares today drive your needs, knowledge and social positioning;

Slide #8

When Technology itself is the Signifier…

Slide #9

The Signified is just a Package that soaks up all other concepts…

Slide #10

The truth…abuse…

Source: Academics for Justice

Slide #11

The newer Ghettos…

Source: Academics for Justice

Slide #12

The new fireworks…

Source: Academics for Justice

Slide #13

New questions…

Source: Academics for Justice

Slide #14

Leaving out…Bare Frames

Slide #15

So Human Rights…

In a post ‘Mass-ification’ era of packaged mediation; 

Does ‘Human Rights’ exist at all as signified for mass?

Slide #16

Universal Declaration of Human Rights…nevertheless

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Slide #17

Technological Determinism

u So Technology provides space to know new things;

u Technology also rules the space;

u Digitalization of TV gives you freedom of choice; but within what is provided;

u Technological space is therefore not a natural space;

uTechnological space or media space squeezes public space to individuated space;

u But this is only for consumption not to exert human rights

Slide #18

Technology and message

Noted French Poststructuralist Jean Baudrillard proposed:

Øglobal explosion of technology is being mirrored into implosion of understanding; a typical consumerist mode of introspection;

ØImplosion mirrors explosion of information; promotes consumption of information;

ØConsuming information creates a greater illusion of technological explosion;

ØThe more we consume information the less we consume meaning;

Slide #19

Human Rights Elements

u All underlined traditional Signifiers are largely owned by technocapitalist media houses; except some remote ethnic identities

u All red Signifieds are now defined as media products; it is highly evident in Social Networking Sites.

Slide #20

Slide #21

Human Rights Signifiers…

u If now ‘Human Rights’ matters at all, does it exist as ‘Right’ or a note of all round ‘Consumption’?

u All newer spaces like social networking sites, shopping malls, amusements parks, water resorts, even publications belong to the same political economy of signification that only promotes outright consumption.

Slide #22

Human Rights Signifiers…

u It is thus very hard to rally with the belief that a specific post in a social networking site can organize a revolution; toward the end of a thirty year tyranny; If so…

u Consumption of mediated contents then can lead to a revolution any moment!! Leftists and Radicals should learn something out of it.

Slide #23

New Declaration of Human Rights

u Consumption rules the social order that includes Individual Human Rights also.

u Philosophy of the hour:

I shop therefore I am;

Slide #24

Final ‘Human Rights’ Signifier…

Thank You