A report card on The Social Prime Minister and his handling of the media
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed a year in office on May 25, we set out to take an in-depth look at his USP- his usage of the social media platform besides traditional media to reach out to citizens, particularly the youth. A large part of the credit for his success goes to his sharp and astute handling of the media and his huge online following. But, during the course of the year, has the sheen of Brand Modi taken a beating? Though very active on Twitter and Radio, he largely kept Print and Television at arm’s length. Social media may have granted him success in reaching out to young India but no concrete message seems to have gone out. His tweets have been restricted to congratulatory messages, getting celebrities on board for his pet projects to the current government’s propaganda. But he has been absolutely silent on important issues that have citizens up in arms such as marital rape and homosexual rights. As suddenly as he clamped up, Modi suddenly invited prominent editors to an informal meeting recently, perhaps signalling that it is time again for him to listen to the media and take their help in keeping Brand Modi alive. The centralisation of communication and the strict diktat to ministers not to talk to the media is at odds with a generation which is used to getting information at the click of a button, and youngsters who are looking for two-way communication to address their concerns on social media platforms. This is a challenge that the Modi government needs to address before the sentiment for Brand Modi changes.
We invited three experts to give us their analysis of Modia vis-a-vis the media –what could be Modi’s strategy and that of his government in terms of handling the media. Read on to know their views.
