Strengthening Institutional Capacity for MDGs Acceleration Through Media Activism in India

Abstract

When good governance is the condition for socio-economic development and success of MDGs in developing countries, media activism assumes a lot of significance in a country like India, which has a large population (41.6 percent) suffering on account of multi dimensional poverty index (UNDP Human Development Report 2011: 144). Print and electronic media both, through proliferation of multi-city editions of newspapers and 24 hours national and regional television news channels, have been making important influence on legislation and policy formulation in India. In recent past, India has witnessed a lot of media activism on variety of issues: Ombudsman (Lokpal); anti-corruption movement; sexual harassment of women; environmental degradation; female foeticide; caste related social deprivations; campaigns for food security; and right to information. Sustained media activism would go a long way in strengthening institutional capacity by increasing its coverage of people's participation, transparency, accountability and non-discrimination, especially in public expenditures and procurement in the name of pro-poor programmes for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) acceleration. The paper looks at how MDGs in terms of their coverage content are reported by the media in India. It analyses media activism that resulted in essential interventions, setting up of a functional regulatory framework, mechanisms to address corruption, and efforts to assess performance. Finally paper explores whether media's activism can be sustained when states weakened by the requirements of policy frameworks of neo-liberalism and more corporate houses are assuming control over Indian media. Two case studies are discussed for substantiating the impact of media activism for strengthening of institutional capacities for MDGs acceleration in India. First: Telecast of weekly television programme of ‘Satyamev Jayatey (Triumph of truth)'; and Second: Media's coverage of people's movement against corruption and their demand for the setting up of ‘Lokpal' (Ombudsman) for the trial of public servants involved in corruption charges. The role of New Media (Social Media) activism through internet sources for MDGs acceleration cannot be underestimated, but they remain beyond the purview of this paper.