PUBLIC FIGURE MEDIA INTERFACE

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PUBLIC FIGURE MEDIA INTERFACE

What public figures speak to the media becomes the narrative of the country. This also includes social media, which provides a better opportunity for the public figures to directly interact with the world. Why is public figure medial interface important? It is because the utterances are likely to impact a large number of people by way of information provided. It also provides a peep into the public figure’s frame of mind. If it were to be an opinion, it provides an inkling into the sides he takes, to some extent the reasoning behind it. It becomes a fuel for the nature of people he attracts as followers and over a period of time a brand, and influence he wields.

The manner the public figure retorts to controversies, how he responds in a well meaning debate, and his takes in provocative situations are all important to the constituents. These make them relevant or otherwise to the people. Does he play for the gallery? He decides what is best suited to his interest; political, social and otherwise and accordingly keeps speaking on the media. Where it takes the politics and society to, is immaterial for him, as long he serves its interest and most of the times of the organisation on whose behalf they do the bidding.

As it stands now, public space has become a space where no worthwhile debate can happen and certainly not something where some conclusion can be reached and acted upon. Public space via the media, which will include social media as well, cannot be treated as a drawing room gossip or a calibrated information leak factory, or to settle scores with opponents of all varieties or to make it a platform for media trail, as we have been seeing in a large number of cases. As much as the public figures are responsible for what they do, utter and project, equally the ones who facilitate, the channels used for the purpose, inclusive of social media, are responsible.

All public figures belong to some party, government, sector, industry, representing some group, community / civil society etc and hence carry the burden of being representative of that group directly and indirectly. If the public figures belong to some organisation, they should have clear guidelines as to who can speak and on what topics and to what level. Today, it is free for all. No conventions or healthy traditions have developed. Unfortunately, its current growth has been diametrical to the sanity of the community, governance and nation. The media from its side have not put any guardrails for its ilk, for the news houses / channels or for that matter, on public figures. Given this scenario, constructive agenda is bound to get stalled.

INDIAN PUBLIC FIGURE MEDIA INTERFACE IS THE MOST UNPRODUCTIVE FOR SOCIETY AND FOR THE RATIONAL DEMOCRATIC POLITY.
Sanjay Sahay

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