- In understanding and popular feeling and giving them expression and
- Arousing among people certain desirable sentiments especially in the content of rural India where majority of Indian population lives. In other words, development journalism.
Which is the need to be given its proper place in the overall development and growth of press in India?
Development journalism does not have to be dull and boring as it is the usual perception about it. Development journalism is not just publishing dry statics strung together. It can be very fascinating story telling of our may told achievements which even the worst critics cannot clarify that India has made since its independence. But a perceptive journalist can unfold the exciting drama behind the process of successful implementation of many of the specific programmes/schemes under Jawaharlal Rougher Yojana, in a particular village as ‘TALUKA’ could be a fascinating news of interest and relevance to a large number of readers and even others in rural areas.
If the rural life and cultural becomes the focus of news coverage, features and other stories of a newspapers, ensure there will be many subscribers of such a newspapers there by giving a fill to circulation of newspapers in rural areas which in turn will attract the advertisers for marketing their goods and services in rural areas. Such a reorientation of press would also facilitate the present national campaign on literacy. It has been observed that many a times many of those who are literate under literacy mission tend to relapse into literacy for non-availability of any suitable reading material. Such a movement for rural press will supplement and compliment not only our national campaign for universality literacy by the year 2000 but also many other development programs and campaigns. As a matter of fact, if the press and other masses in adequate measure, it will lead to strengthen of democracy and ushering in social and cultural change, there by facilitating safe transaction into 21st century not as two distinct entities ‘BHARAT’ and ‘INDIA’ but as a write and strong India.
This would require, among other things, a large number of trained journalists who are adequately sensitized and oriented to shift their focus from the accepted news values which are urban and western to rural and indigenous keeping that in view the Indian institute of mass communication last year decided to open its centers in different regions of the country in relatively smaller places located in rural/tribal people.
The ministry prepared a wall calendar for the year 2000 with each sheet depicting its major schemes, for distribution up to the panchayat level all over the country. Besides, guidelines on various schemes such as the swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana, the national social assistance program, the samara awash yojana, Innovative stream of rural housing and habitat development, rural building centers, credit-cum-subsidy scheme for rural housing and DRDA guidelines were brought out.
Desk calendars were also brought out during the year and conscious efforts made to improve the quality of communication through ‘KURUKSHETRA’ a monthly journal devoted to rural development issues, which is brought out by the publications division of the ministry of information and broadcasting. In addition to serving as a forum of free, frank and serious discussion on problems of rural development, the journal projects the programmers and policies of the ministry and also brings out special numbers. The ministry continued to extend financial assistance to the National Institute of Rural Development for ‘PANCHAYAT UNNATI’ a monthly newsletter. About 2.5 lakhs copies of newsletter are printed every month for distribution up to the panchayat level. The newsletter is published with the objective of disseminating information to grassroots functionaries and for promoting and strengthens the panchayat raj bodies. Development must take in its sweep every strata and segment of the society. In India, development can be sustained only when it reaches the grass roots.
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