Crusade is case study

It’s not just the political class that is analysing Anna Hazare’s anti-graft movement. In journalism schools, Hazare’s crusade against corruption has become a case study. Rajat Arora reports.

It’s not just the political class that is analysing Anna Hazare’s anti-graft movement. In journalism schools, Hazare’s crusade against corruption has become a case study.

Faculty and students at journalism schools in the Capital are studying the role media played to make Hazare’s movement ‘one of the biggest in Independent India’.

“We are discussing the role of media in this movement. The present generation has never seen a protest of this magnitude and certainly, coverage by the media has been a driving factor for Team Anna,” said Professor M Obaid Siddique, AJK, Media Communication Research Centre, Jamia Milia Islamia.

The media management by Team Anna set the tone for the nation and got people from all walks of life out on the streets protesting against the government.

Some are also of the view that the media is magnifying this event beyond its worth.

“It’s not only a case study or a topic of discussion. We are going to propose it as a topic of research for PhD students. The coverage has crushed all media theories as it hasn’t been balanced. An agenda was set before the country without focusing on the other voices of dissent,” added Siddique.

At Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), a premier journalism school in the country, Anna’s movement and the way the media is highlighting Team Anna’s crusade for an effective Jan Lokpal Bill is being analysed thoroughly.

“This is a classic case of media management. Everything is unfolding live on TV and it has become more like a televised circus. News channels have set up temporary studios at Ramlila Maidan. It has overtaken all reality shows,” said Dr Anand Pradhan, Associate Professor at IIMC.

Students are also studying how the government public relations machinery failed to tackle the Hazare issue.

“We are doing a special report on Hazare’s indefinite fast and the way it has been covered by the media,” said Pratham Dwivedi, an English journalism student at IIMC.

“Journalism students must know what goes behind the scenes. It’s a good case study for them... Twitter and Facebook also sparked the campaign,” added Pradhan.