By H H Mohrmen
In the traditional Khasi Pnar context the two methods of information dissemination were u Kyrwoh and u Sangot. Kyrwoh is a medium used to send information to far off places using a sliced bamboo piece and u Sangot is a traditional publicist in the Raid or the village. At the global level the history of sharing information started in China sometime in 100 BCE when the ruling dispensation shared information with the public in a process called Dibao. Around the same time in 130 BCE the Roman Empire also used a mechanism to share information with it subjects which in Latin is called Acta Diurna. In both cases it was a one way process where information was disseminated from the government to the subjects.
This was the way how information was provided by the ruling dispensation to its subject until 1454 when a German by the name Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. That changed the way information was shared and people in Europe started publishing newspapers. Initially the government was still trying to control these publications by censoring their contents. It is therefore wrong to think that it is only recently that governments want to control the press; it was Milton Areogipatica published in 1644 which laid down the principles of a free press.
Edmund Burke was the first politician who went one step further from just ensuring the freedom of the press, to recognising the Press as being one of the important organs of the government and called them the fourth estate. In 1791 the Bill of Rights was enacted under the Tenth Amendment of the American Constitution which recognises the freedom of expression as one of the basic rights of the citizen. In India as we all know that press freedom was enshrined in the Constitution as one of the basic rights of the citizens of this country.
Print media was the only means of communication till the coming of the Radio in 1920 and in 1950 another broadcasting medium the Televisions came to the fore. This is the history of the traditional media as we know it until the advent of the internet. The platform which helps make possible the invention of many communication apps is the internet which was invented in 1989-90. The internet which initially started as a medium of sending letters electronically by Tim Berners-Lee which was then called email has now become a giant information highway.
The internet paved the way to the starting of new platforms for information sharing like Facebook, Whatsapp and Twitter and what have you. In fact now, Twitter has become a major source of information for journalists as heads of governments at the national and state level use this platform to make announcements. But with regards to the traditional media, newspaper too has no option but to go online and now even TV channels and radio recognise the need to have an online presence. In fact a newspaper, a magazine or a TV channel which does not have presence on the internet is like missing the bus in a journey of a lifetime. The charm of online media is that even print media which goes online starts sharing short video clips of the event reported.
Now with all these media platforms the internet is becoming like a market where hundreds of information in the form of web news, video news or news channels episodes and even memes are available at the click of the button. The coming of different social media platforms also makes sharing of information easier but at the same time makes the cyber space a dangerous alley.
All medium of information be it the Print or the Electronic media functions on a set of principles and it is these principles which guide the members of the press fraternity in their function. Some of the principles on which the media functions are Objectivity, Fairness and Accountability and the members of the media organisation are expected to follow these set principles. But now the cyber world has become like an open space where any kind of information is available in any kind of format. It is like a jungle out there with all the good the bad and the ugly prowling this unchartered space. Very recently fake news which targeted certain community alleging that they purposely spread coronavirus has taken the cyber space by storm. Links or video clips of this propaganda were shared in almost all media platforms.
In the traditional media at least there is some sense of self regulating because the newspaper or the media house has to think of its reputation but that is not the case in the cyber world. In the internet world there is no longer objective reporting because sometime news is purposely made to misinform people. Anybody can generate or become a producer of news and information anytime and one can easily share the same without any consideration or regulation. People freely post and share links without second thoughts because they are not accountable for what they have shared or posted. In some cases the creator of the news purposely generates information which propagates their selfish agenda and then use the different media platforms to spread the hate.
Social media like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Youtube not only allow people to share information but also provide space for discussion and posts by individual which could create communal disharmony and hurt somebody’s feelings too. And because the internet is not governed by any principles, people share information or put up a post without restraint or without considering the impact that it would have on others. The recent incident which happened with the first victim of COVID-19 pandemic in the state is one case that fits this description.
Immediately after the patient was declared as COVID-19 positive, the different social media platforms were abuzz with posts blaming the patient who later succumbed to the disease and later the finger pointing followed without having any proof or evidence to that effect. It is not wrong to question or point fingers but one has to verify or authenticate the information before sharing or putting it on any social media platform. This happens because unlike in the traditional media where due diligence is taken before the news is given space in the paper or the channel – on the internet it is free for all.
Not only misinformation from independent and unreliable sources is shared using the different social media platforms but we also have instances where media houses known for toeing the ruling dispensation’s line, share information which turns out to be untrue. The unholy nexus between the political parties and the media houses also pose an imminent threat not only to free and fair reporting but it is also an unhealthy practice in a democracy which will in turn give way to autocracy. Nexus like this makes people doubt the entire media fraternity and they also blame the fourth estate for not doing their job. The information or news shared by such organisations suffer the credibility test. It will not be truthful, free or fair but biased and not independent because the journalist has turned from a watchdog to a lapdog.
When any Tom, Dick and Harry can produce news then the first casualty is fairness, restraint and accountability because in traditional media even if press is free, there is some restraint especially when the news could spark communal tension in the region.
On the internet the receivers also become the ones that emit news by giving their opinions on the news or by sharing it on the page or group that one is part of. Therefore the onus is on the person who takes the dual role to choose which news one would read or watch and more importantly share with groups or Facebook page. Since the internet is free and it should remain free, it is therefore for the receiver to choose what to read or watch and what not to read or watch. The recipient has the responsibility to select the reliable from the unreliable news domains and the best way is to ignore and not consider any news except from reputed and credible sources. In a way the internet and the social media are a test of the human character. It is where the portrait of humanity in all its hues and colour the good, the bad and the ugly are laid bare.