A serious research work on the approach of the Indian print media towards terrorism was brought out by India Policy Foundation (IPF) in March 2009. The book, "Terrorism and the Indian Media" (English) & AAtankwad aur Bhartiya Media(Hindi) was released on March 9, 2009 in Delhi. It evoked a constructive discussion on its content in teh media.
http://www.bhadas4media.com/ , http://sabyaweb.blogspot.com, http://www.haindavakeralam.com, http://requestingtruth.blogspot.com, Pratham Pravakta (edited by Shri Rambahdur Rai), Dainik Bhaskar, Rozanama Rashtriya sahara, Urdu Times, Zadid Khabar, Outlook (Hindi) and others published commentary on the book and its content and review. Its first edition(Hindi version) was sold within three weeks of its publication and the second edition is expected to hit the market soon.
The work critically analyses the role of Indian print media in dealing with the issues of terrorism on the one hand and makes a comparative study of the approach of English, Hindi and Urdu newspapers towards terrorism on the other. It includes the study of almost all national Hindi and English dailies and 25 Urdu newspapers published across the country . It traces the evolution of media's perspective towards terrorism. It finds that 26/11 had proved to be a turning point for the Indian media. It changed the conventional approach of the media which perceives the events of terrorism in domestic(law and order ) context. Earlier media analysed terrorist attacks from law and order and communal perspectives. The issues like the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya(1992), the Gujarat riots(2002), Muslim backwardness etc were discussed in reports and analyses while examining terrorism in India . Thus terrorism was largely, in the worldview of the Indian media , a product of domestic factors which could be deterred by good governance, alertness of police forces and removal of the backwardness of minority communities. 26/11 shattered such perception of the media.
The Indian media created a strong public opinion in favour of the stricter laws (like POTA) to combat terrorism and it realised that the terrorism in India was intrinsically linked with the global terrorism/Jihad. The Indian media by and large became the votary of Hard State instead of its earlier advocacy of Soft State.
The book also discusses the link between terrorism and media. The terrorists and their ideologues use media to communicate the message of terror and ideology behind it, not only to their potential victims, but also to their potential supporters and recruits. That's why the former British Prime Minister Mrs Margret Thatcher characterised media as an"oxygen of terrorism". The book evaluates western debate on media and terrorism and traces its relevance in the Indian context.
The most significant aspect of the book is inclusion of Urdu newspapers in the study. Till now there has not been any comprehensive study on the Urdu papers' perspective on terrorism. Their inclusion is not only acknowledgement of their importance in generating public opinion but also it enlightens non -Urdu readers towards the Urdu media. This is the beginning of the debate and it brings out the Urdu papers from the self imposed seclusion. The reaction and rebuttal of the Urdu papers proves the success of the work.
some excerpts from the book:
There has been a change in the perspective of Media on terrorism. Before 26/11, the Indian media refused to link the terrorist attempts and incidents in India with the Global Jihad....In their report and analysis of terror in India, domestic factors were counted as more important in the growth of terrorism; some of the factors that they believed important included the backwardness of Muslims, the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya, the riots in Gujarat, etc...
...26/11 made a radical transformation in the attitude of the Indian media. They realised that terrorism in India was not an isolated event or as a result of some domestic factors which led to communal feuds, but that terrorism was an ideology and the terrorist attacks in India were part of the mission of Global Jihad. ...
The Hindi and English press published investigative reports on the intelligence failure and the inefficiency of police forces but it did not question the legitimacy of these agencies and the Indian State.
The study gives a different picture as far as the Urdu press is concerned...The study gives a different picture as far as the Urdu press is concerned...The Urdu media, however, presented a different picture and interpretation of the 26/11 incident. They desisted from linking it with the Global Jihad. Contrary to that, many of them considered it as a conspiracy of the USA, Israel and their intelligence agencies, CIA and Mossad for conspiring the terror attack on Mumbai to defame Islam... The majority of the Urdu press tried to establish a link between the Mumbai terror attack and the Malegaon investigation without providing any logic for letting their imagination run riot...Union Minister Antulay’s statement on the 26/11 which was a vindication of the conspiracy theory of Urdu papers was blown out of proportion and this was utilised by them as an opportunity to link the 26/11 with domestic politics of the country.
Terrorism and the indian Media /Aatankwad aur Bhartiya Media
Pages 182
Author : Prof Rakesh Sinha
(his earlier work is Rajanitik Patrakarita)
publisher: India Policy Foundation, Hauz Khas , New Delhi-16
Price : Rs80/(Eighty)
(send money order or draft /cheque in the name of India Policy foundation)
For details contact:
India policy Foundation
D-51, First Floor, Hauz KhasNew Delhi:110016
Email:indiapolicy@gmail.com
Phone no.91-11-26524018,
Fax: 91-11-46089365
The book can also be obtained form Prabhat Prakashan, Daryaganj, Delhi.
Price: Rupees 80.00
