The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “Media should build social capital”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 07, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“Media should build social capital”

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The role of the media lies in building social capital and, through it, facilitating effective participation of citizens in governance, the former governor of Orissa, M.M. Rajendran, said on Wednesday.

Social capital can be assessed through indicators such as social cohesion, education, local leadership, the role of women, the supportive role of officials, accountability and transparency, trust within the community, collective action in conserving resources and democratic functioning of local institutions, he said, delivering the first Dr. D. Anjaneyulu Endowment Lecture on Media and Governance, organised by the Anna Centre for Public Affairs, University of Madras. Such a social capital would make a big difference in the successful implementation of programmes in the community.

Ethical standards

The media should evolve ethical standards through open debates with the public, he said.

The consciences of individual journalists, based on socially accepted norms and standards of fair conduct, would largely determine the degree of accountability.

Outlining areas in which the media could pay more attention, he said issues of corruption, violation of human rights, the prevalence of poverty and inequitable distribution of the benefits of globalisation, skewed income distribution and the problems of rural population should be highlighted to strengthen governance.

For the media to discharge the responsibilities to achieve the goal of good governance, it should be free from the shackles of political, government or money power, both advertisements and ownership control, Mr. Rajendran said.

In his welcome address, Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandran said governance had to be redefined as the interaction between the formal institutions of government and those in the civil society, with the aim being people’s participation, transparent government processes and social welfare.

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