‘Media must educate, not propagate’

Union information and broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley on Friday called for sustained campaigns by the media on issues like healthcare and said they can play a major role in educating the public. He also sought to caution the media over airing “propaganda of different types which indoctrinates people”. Speaking at the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan here, Mr Jaitley said, “Instead of having propaganda of different types which indoctrinates people, if you have sustained campaigns of this kind, which will drill into the human mind the healthcare, preventive health care system, radio can become a very powerful tool of education,” Mr Jaitley said while referring to a community radio station which won for its health campaign.

He lauded the role of community radio stations in informing and educating people in India as dialects, weather, crop patterns change in every district.

The minister also pointed out that while globally newspaper industry was shrinking, in India regional newspapers are expanding. The same trend could apply to community radio, he said.