The Campaigns and Surveys
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 5th Dec. 2017
The poll announcements have brought various interests together on media, once again. Primarily, once again ‘views sellers’ and ‘survey tycoons’ have raised their play in this hour of great political needs. This is even as some of those academic survey experts with self-perceived high credential may have already taken a bow out of their business, on account of experience and new learnings over the past few elections. Let’s see what some of the media reports tells us and the ‘social media’ take on the same.
Some surveys have instead of pushing winners seem to be pushing winning planks (or themes or issues), rather. Such a survey has come as ‘development’ being the core issue along with a clutch of other things. Wow! Kudos for the effort. The survey then goes on to push ‘development’ being interpreted as ‘infrastructure development’. Most undoubtedly this has interests of the corporates in mind to keep focus on ‘infrastructure’ where government continues spend on infra with little focus on people development and so Jobs have very low priority. What people may have interpreted development as their ‘development’ meaning growth in jobs on the back of rising industry and commerce? This could also be interpreted as better delivery of government services especially in healthcare, education and ration and others so that people can raise their ‘game’ and become more productive. It may be noted that past governments have made push for infra but lost badly, however commercial news media might still want to sell the agenda to politicians and public. Basically in democracy, interest groups would continue to sell their point of view. The roads and metro may have a rather small role in development of people, industry and commerce. The bigger roles could be played by having improved agri-processing industrial scenario or better IT services at many places, small dams at some others while improved schools/schooling and Primary healthcare or Multi-specialty hospitals at some other places. This is because it help improve living conditions and productivity which blocking these developments and gunning for infra alone doesn’t as they improve supply but without commensurate increase in the purchasing power. It has therefore raised resentment, however the discussions shaped by you know who, which is the commercial news media barons would missed the point as usual.
Next comes surveys, where results of winners are being forecasted already, an old canvassing trick with progressively lower rewards. Now even survey agencies are shy of lending their name to such survey results. Such surveys know their authencity (margin of error) and even public has steadily become quite aware. The idea might be to sideline discussion on issues and push for the rhetoric/winner, as is often the case for most of the commercial news media, only that it doesn’t still want to admit it and continue to make hay in sunshine. I don’t think more is needed to be said about it. Netas of course also have a right to continue to bolster morale of their supporters.
Then again, we have views coming in support of demonetization but possible against or slower roll-out of cash-less. This tries to convince that objectives have been achieved (and benefits have been reaped in forms of capital formation with the banks) and then goes out to argue lack of technology infra and role of foreign capital in wallets & cards. It assumes that people are dumb basically and to them cash-less is digital alone. What Cash-less may imply for people is that there is a banking trail for corporates which is pushed by tax based incentives and dis-incentives. So that all money which keeps coming in and out of the banking system remains with the bank and taxmen can focus where the money is moving into cash and explore the activity area because that might be the generation point for black-money and corruption. Digital wallets and cards might be just having a very small role in the entire play and this is often at the end of the last mile delivery (for the supply chain). However the support groups of the (central) government might want to win the elections basis their own view point and avoid having to go for cash-less. There seems to be all sorts of different arguments coming in and hopefully the issues will also be discussed.
Lastly the majors in commercial news media have decided to cover the northern state on a low key or give its coverage a complete miss. This is because views of all sections may not be represented on crucial issues like cash-less or demonetization. This may not be correct about the regional channels though, where coverage of newbie as well as various other splinter groups are prominently highlighted. Clearly we have media not wanting a split while others wanting split, but would not admit it. In fact it is reverse for the key state and other states are not being discussed at all. So, we know elections are happening, at least for and within the commercial news media. Let’s see the ‘game’ evolve…
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 5th Dec. 2017
The poll announcements have brought various interests together on media, once again. Primarily, once again ‘views sellers’ and ‘survey tycoons’ have raised their play in this hour of great political needs. This is even as some of those academic survey experts with self-perceived high credential may have already taken a bow out of their business, on account of experience and new learnings over the past few elections. Let’s see what some of the media reports tells us and the ‘social media’ take on the same.
Some surveys have instead of pushing winners seem to be pushing winning planks (or themes or issues), rather. Such a survey has come as ‘development’ being the core issue along with a clutch of other things. Wow! Kudos for the effort. The survey then goes on to push ‘development’ being interpreted as ‘infrastructure development’. Most undoubtedly this has interests of the corporates in mind to keep focus on ‘infrastructure’ where government continues spend on infra with little focus on people development and so Jobs have very low priority. What people may have interpreted development as their ‘development’ meaning growth in jobs on the back of rising industry and commerce? This could also be interpreted as better delivery of government services especially in healthcare, education and ration and others so that people can raise their ‘game’ and become more productive. It may be noted that past governments have made push for infra but lost badly, however commercial news media might still want to sell the agenda to politicians and public. Basically in democracy, interest groups would continue to sell their point of view. The roads and metro may have a rather small role in development of people, industry and commerce. The bigger roles could be played by having improved agri-processing industrial scenario or better IT services at many places, small dams at some others while improved schools/schooling and Primary healthcare or Multi-specialty hospitals at some other places. This is because it help improve living conditions and productivity which blocking these developments and gunning for infra alone doesn’t as they improve supply but without commensurate increase in the purchasing power. It has therefore raised resentment, however the discussions shaped by you know who, which is the commercial news media barons would missed the point as usual.
Next comes surveys, where results of winners are being forecasted already, an old canvassing trick with progressively lower rewards. Now even survey agencies are shy of lending their name to such survey results. Such surveys know their authencity (margin of error) and even public has steadily become quite aware. The idea might be to sideline discussion on issues and push for the rhetoric/winner, as is often the case for most of the commercial news media, only that it doesn’t still want to admit it and continue to make hay in sunshine. I don’t think more is needed to be said about it. Netas of course also have a right to continue to bolster morale of their supporters.
Then again, we have views coming in support of demonetization but possible against or slower roll-out of cash-less. This tries to convince that objectives have been achieved (and benefits have been reaped in forms of capital formation with the banks) and then goes out to argue lack of technology infra and role of foreign capital in wallets & cards. It assumes that people are dumb basically and to them cash-less is digital alone. What Cash-less may imply for people is that there is a banking trail for corporates which is pushed by tax based incentives and dis-incentives. So that all money which keeps coming in and out of the banking system remains with the bank and taxmen can focus where the money is moving into cash and explore the activity area because that might be the generation point for black-money and corruption. Digital wallets and cards might be just having a very small role in the entire play and this is often at the end of the last mile delivery (for the supply chain). However the support groups of the (central) government might want to win the elections basis their own view point and avoid having to go for cash-less. There seems to be all sorts of different arguments coming in and hopefully the issues will also be discussed.
Lastly the majors in commercial news media have decided to cover the northern state on a low key or give its coverage a complete miss. This is because views of all sections may not be represented on crucial issues like cash-less or demonetization. This may not be correct about the regional channels though, where coverage of newbie as well as various other splinter groups are prominently highlighted. Clearly we have media not wanting a split while others wanting split, but would not admit it. In fact it is reverse for the key state and other states are not being discussed at all. So, we know elections are happening, at least for and within the commercial news media. Let’s see the ‘game’ evolve…