Communication for Social Development

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Communication for Social Development Politics of
Development Communication CMS Presentation
At CMS Symbols, University of Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh November 1 - 3, 2007
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Social DevelopmentA Communication Perspective

• Development is more often measured by
  popularity and market indicators - not by
  attitude behaviour
• Development Communication is quite often limited
  to awareness, campaigns, reach, access
• No process view or concern for effects
  Showcasing is the priority, not
  sustaining aspects
• Behaviour change is advocated more with monetary
  incentive or media coverage and VIP lead,
  top-down oriented, and more to influence
• Extension services/ network of field
  functionaries is not specifically skilled or
  oriented and linked
• Development Communication is more mass media
  centric, with hardly any research support pre
  or post
• So much effort, resources, discourse in the name
  of development, with no commensurate outcome

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Media Myths

• As development communication is media centric and
  since media sets the public agenda, we need to
  understand its role, stature
• Growth, is not expansion without equity 1/3
  continues to be outside mass media
• Selling brands, is the priority, not social
  change complicity with powers
• Media no longer social institution, they are
  corporates conglomerates
• What instantly interests what is in the long
  term interest of people is not differentiated
• As rich are becoming richeralready informed are
  the ones informed more
• Has the boom helped social development?. What
  efforts are being made?

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Paradigm shift is power shift

• Not viability but profitability goal not service
  to consumer, but product view
• No longer subscriber driven, but advertising
• No longer journalist or editor driven, but of
  manager to maximize profit
• Concern is not so much citizen and community, but
  consumer market
• Distinction is blurred between news, views and
  ads and news entertainment

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New gatekeepers.Best allies

• Who sets the priorities and preoccupation of
  media key players of complicity
• Advertisers Ad. agencies
• Market Researchers Media Researchers
• Media planners and media audit firms
• Public relation corporations
• They work in tandom, serve each others interests
  and together of market
• Their agenda is common civil society matters so
  little
• No regulator no healthy competition

New Gatekeepers. Shift in the Paradigm is too
Obvious Who sets the priorities?
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Effects, anyone concerned?

• Has Power of media increased in the context of
  social development?
• Impressive on markets, not so much on society
  - are they same?
• Positive effect on markets, more often negative
  on society
• And, less where it involves attitudinal and value
  changes
• Scare scandals have more pull power common
  denominator approach
• Imitation effect, mimicrying, copycat tendency of
  mediaimplications
• Awareness more, behavioural change less

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Emerging trends not pro-social development

• Monopolizing - a threat conflict of interests
  sustaining mass markets
• Cross media interests 30 to 12 to 8 control of
  85
• Conglomerates, big becoming bigger and global
  centralized
• In the name of choice and despite competition,
  more of the same, whither plurality?
• Benchmarks, yardsticks are of brand promotion
  for market
• Individual life style rather than community or
  equity is the concern
• Increase in quid..pro-outlook of media, no
  transparency in the process

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Missing link .critical one, research

• It is more media and advertising research, hardly
  any communication
• Reach, exposure, access, PR are the
  concerns, not change or impact
• Mostly sponsored supportive, not independent or
  neutral research
• Sender dominated research, not process based
  influence is the concern
• Newer technologies, new regulatory environment
  calls for longitudinal and effects studies
• Academic back up lacking with concern for
  basics, research skills and innovation corporate
  PR ad priority no interdisciplinary nature
• Research is limited to instant viewership or
  masthead exposure and that is pushed as
  yardstick

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The Way Forward

• Independent research as a means for correctives
  and advocacy and action time series studies with
  design for effects
• Sesitising social networks with analysis,
  perspectives, implications, alternatives/
  options.
• Linkages between benchmarks, priorities and
  outcomes new technologies
• Education with concerns and strategies to come
  up with effective ways and means of sensitizing,
  academics as a proactive route, linkage with
  formal education
• Activising citizens, communities and civil
  society groups with analysis, implications
• Participative research, empowering and enabling
  people for information equity
• Interactive and decentralized media for a
  supplementary and supportive role
• Significance of symposia and professional meets,
  independent ones like this

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EMERGING SCENE OF CROSS MEDIA INTERESTS 2005 EMERGING SCENE OF CROSS MEDIA INTERESTS 2005
Media House Media already in prominently
Sun TV Newspaper, DTH, Cable, Radio, Magazines, TV
Zee TV Cable TV, Films, Newspaper, TV, DTH
Star TV Radio,, Cable TV, TV, DTH, Newspapers
Eenadu Films, TV, Newspaper, Magazines, Studio
India Today Radio, TV News, Magazines, Music,
Times of India Radio, TV, Net, Newspapers, Music,
Bhaskar Cable TV, TV, Newspaper
A B Patrika TV News, Newspapers, DTH
Dainik Jagran TV, Radio, Newspaper
Dina Thanthi TV, Radio, Cable TV, Newspaper, Magazines
Mid-Day Radio, TV, Newspaper
Source CMS Media Lab Source CMS Media Lab
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STATES WITH ONE OR TWO DOMINANT NEWSPAPERS (2005) STATES WITH ONE OR TWO DOMINANT NEWSPAPERS (2005) STATES WITH ONE OR TWO DOMINANT NEWSPAPERS (2005) STATES WITH ONE OR TWO DOMINANT NEWSPAPERS (2005)
(Percentage) (Percentage)
State Newspaper Share in the total circulation of dailies in the state Share in the total readership of dailies in the state
A.P. Eenadu 55 92
Punjab Punjab Kesari 37 50
Kerala Malayala Manorama 42 63
Mathrubhumi 31 54
Tamil Nadu Dina Thanthi 18 66
West Bengal A B Patrika 24 45
Gujarat Gujarat Samachar 38 58
Sandesh 30 47
Rajasthan Rajasthan Patrika 34 50
Karnataka Prajavani 26 57
Source ABC, IRS with CMS analysis Source ABC, IRS with CMS analysis Source ABC, IRS with CMS analysis Source ABC, IRS with CMS analysis
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Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Allowed into Media Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Allowed into Media
(Dec 2005) (Dec 2005)
Media Percent of FDI
Technical Journals 100
Films 100
Advertising 100
Market Research 100
Public Relations 100
Printing Plants 100
TV-Non News 100
ISP 100
Telecom 74
TV News 26
Cable TV 26 49
Newspapers 26
Radio-FM 20
DTH 20
Up linking- non- News 100
Up linking News 26
Additionally investment allowed from abroad includes from NRIs and Institutional. Additionally investment allowed from abroad includes from NRIs and Institutional.
Source Compiled by CMS Media Lab Source Compiled by CMS Media Lab
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Research is not an end in itself, rather it is
a means for change, the betterment of society
and to promote equity among people. THANK YOU