The battle for 'hearts and minds' is now a necessity for BJP and the Govt of Prime Minister Narendra Modi particularly among young people.
Both the intensity and quality of this warfare has changed so much that someone may recommend .....
strategies under which the media planners will have to spend money to keep people in the dark. This is unlike the past when the focus was supposedly on
-- spending 'more' to inform people.
Some of the challenges are new; especially the intensity. But the propaganda style is quite old.
The British colonial rulers had it in them by way of anti-Hindu and anti-India mindset. They had a process of learning these tricks and had a process of evolution. The Congress - though fought for freedom; their methodology was pro-western and even glorifying western civilisation, English language and Christianity. It was cleverly given out that offer the other cheek to adversary - a signature style of Mahatma Gandhi came from Christian values. What was the sinister campaign - the Hindu and Indian civilisation did not have such values.
How falsehood that could be.
Even under Congress; the vocabulary was not neutral; and the Congress leaders and Nehru's well publicised books and other writings gave a new spin .. a narrative the Colonial rulers needed to numb the human conscience and perpetuate most inhuman decisions like the Partition.
The west and the Congress party and also the Muslim League threw up arguments those would 'normalise' genocide.
This was like application of clinical jargon.
Traditionally, the editorial rooms had gatekeepers. Over the years, the Congress party and their eco system promoted the interests of the grand old party, the dynastic family and when it came to aberration; say in Mumbai - the so-called 'Maratha strongman' was promoted.
Sharad Pawar's sheer double standards and self-seeking politics were given out as genuine and genius master strokes. But the myths exploded when the great wall of Team Modi-Shah stood like a rock.
The BJP now has certain new challenges. The Jantar Mantar flip flop has exposed the faultline. But things can be handled well. It has to tap the potentials and use the powers of spin-masters. Except perhaps PM Narendra Modi himself; not many BJP leaders are able to do that.
Some of its IT cell managers and spokespersons have been immensely arrogant and self-styled 'know all guys' and this is why things have backfired.
The social media broke the 'monopoly' of gatekeepers in newsrooms. Prior to that editors became busy courting favours and winning membership to Rajya Sabha. The journalism was a quick casualty.
These gatekeepers are no longer the only lens through which the world sees, and this new media reality terrifies.
With Modi Govt; these media and IT teams of BJP had failed Modi in 2021 during Covid crises. Hence; the new IT cell and media managers will have to think about measures such as investing in jets, bombs, and missile interceptors.
Therefore, Team Nabin and guided by PM Modi also has to work on 'budgeting propaganda' -- the way it budgets for defence and foreign policy moves.
Certain key aspects ought to be understood. One such feature is 'waterlogging' in urban places is not only linked to good rains; it is more linked to misgovernance.
To put this complexity in simple term; one can say --
There is a need to engage with people through social media in a constructive manner and to ensure that responses to rumours, misinformation, fake content, and misleading posts are issued in a timely manner.
The central government's departments such as Power, Agriculture and Commerce have already constituted their Quick Response Teams to false reporting and claims in social media.
Moreover, cases involving high virality, significant public interest, sensitive policy matters, potential public harm, legal implications, coordinated misinformation campaigns, or inter-ministerial issues would be escalated to the appropriate senior authorities.
The IT Ministry held multiple rounds of discussions with Meta over the continued circulation of AI-generated harmful content and unlabelled synthetic videos on its platforms. The government also sought greater human oversight in content moderation and better handling of Indian languages and local nuances.
To wrap up, take urban planning as an illustration or even as a classic structure. Here; what is needed is the competence and will to coordinate, rather than allowing each agency to hide behind the question of who owns which drain or canal.
Pointers
Speed matters
Secondly, Politics is always about finding 'solution' to the issues. It's not about looking for excuses or being defensive. A fan-following of political stalwarts - called Bhakts or even Godi media don’t want to hear why something went wrong.
Acknowledge the political challenges or Zen Z's new lines possibly as quickly as possible before it snowballs.
ends
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