Access to information is critical in the building of any democratic society. And therefore it is vital to have a vibrant and dynamic media community. While the situation and circumstances in the Naga context is obviously quite different, the media in Nagaland must along with their own realities take into serious account the changing realities of the world. It is within these complex realities that the Naga media must exist and create its own sense of purpose and direction. The Naga media therefore needs to be understood from these contesting realities and the purpose driven standing point of those who are engaged in this profession called mass communication.
If media can be called as an “agent of change,” than its purpose needs to be relevant to the context and the people. In situations of strife the relation between fear and change cannot be ignored. Fear is at the heart of what constitutes the nature of change. Although fear is a natural phenomenon, it has often been used as an instrument by which people are ruled, or prevented from expressing their opinions. For instance, the fear of guns, fear of losing privileges, fear of being branded, fear of responsibilities and fear of change. But, once people can take off and overcome that coat of fear, the powerful are no longer powerful and those in power become powerless because they no longer possess the power of fear over people. It is by overcoming fear that people can realize they are mediums of change.
Aung San Suu Kyi states “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those subject to it.” Mahatma Gandhi recognized that those in power need the powerless to survive, and that once the powerless understand that fact, they will act accordingly. It is the emotions of fear that define the distinction between doubt and certainty. Is it not fear that creates doubts in our minds and hearts? It is in this spectrum of emotions that the media is located.
Media undoubtedly has the potential to be part of the critical yeast that kindles critical consciousness which empowers people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, empirical truth reveals that media too has contributed in creating fear, rather than liberating the human spirit. Therefore it is essential to analyze whether the media in the context of the Naga reality, is an instrument that facilitates constructive change, or caters to the powers that be. It is therefore important that the Naga media must be a critical element in enabling and empowering people to overcome fear, so that positive change is made possible.
In a society that has been crippled by overwhelming circumstances, the Naga media has to critically facilitate the growth of critical consciousness and thinking. The Naga media must reflectively ensure the vibrancy and dynamism of the Nagas and it should develop a deeper understanding of realities. For the Naga media to be a constructive agent of change, it must however first break free from its own chains and demonstrate the will to create a vision for a society that is hungry for change. What is now needed is a new generation of journalism.
