Hegemony & Imperialism

India was imperialized. So were the Unites States of America, Australia and many other countries. One may wonder what the difference between imperialism and hegemony is. One may also mistake these two terms to be the same (they are not). Basically, imperialism is the direct power of one country over another whereas hegemony is the indirect power of a country over another. There’s colonialism too when we talk about our geographical landscape and its succinct resume but let’s save that topic for another day.

Before I go any further, let me make everyone understand the difference between these two terms. Imperialism is when you take control and rule another country through colonization or exertion of military influence. What America did to Iraq according to me is a blatant attempt at imperialism (asserting power to rule) in the modern world although they screamed ‘hegemony’ (guidance & leadership). One true example of imperialism is the British Empire’s rule over India. The British governed India for about 200 years and made rules for everybody to follow. We can now contrast it with India’s hegemony over Nepal where India majorly helps the administration of Nepal in making decisions but lets the ultimate power of decision making go to the Government of Nepal. Another example of Hegemony is the Caribbean where the American countries help many islands function as separate independent countries.

I recently read a book which brilliantly brought out the societal norms surrounding the ideologies of imperialism & hegemony. The society, especially the American one, thinks Hegemony is cool and regards it as ‘desirable’ or ‘admirable’. This has not only spurred people to think about America as a very liberal and benevolent empire but also has changed moral terrain of every citizen in the world. I feel that the idea of ruling another state or territory – the idea of imperialism & hegemony has brought the idea of ‘dominance’ in this society. Dominance can be anything – male dominance, dominance of locals in a classroom, dominance of a particular political party in a state, dominance of a certain race in the society and others similar to these ones.

Dominance as an ideology in itself rose from our mythological stories & tales like the Mahabharata & Ramayana and has paved the way for the imperialistically infused thinking of a common man. I’ll even go as far as saying that imperialism has found its way in popular culture (note, not pop culture). Hegemony is a part of imperialism but it can never be the other way round.

An Interview With Kannada TV’s Most Famous Personality!

 Mr Ranganath Bharadwaj

We want to hear the most important things from the best people when it comes to news & media. I take pride in knowing that I sat down with Ranganath Bharadwaj, Kannada TV’s most beloved anchor and investigative journalist. I wanted to get his opinion about India’s independence and media’s involvement in it and boy was I in for a treat! Here is an excerpt from the interview: 

Naresh: What role did media play in our independence struggle? 

Mr Bharadwaj: There are so many contributions by the media but let me start off by saying that media was not at all strong in those days. If there was electronic media back then, perhaps we could have got our independence much earlier. The major Indian media houses in the 1940s were owned by well-known freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak & Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji said that the media can either give people complete light or complete darkness and in this case it was the light. 

The people had nothing else to rely on except for these newspapers. They wanted to believe they could be free from the shackles of the British and this is what urged them on. The messages that the freedom fighters gave out in their newspapers reached millions of Indians. This caused unity at a crucial time in the 1940s. The fact that certain so-called ‘controversial’ newspapers were written and printed without the knowledge of the British is what made media a dangerous in-tangible weapon. After having read a lot about media’s role in our Independence, it is safe to say that media played one of the biggest parts for our Independence if not the biggest. 

Naresh: Let me be very honest here. I know about Honey Singh & Rakhi Sawant but I don’t know the name of one single freedom fighter that is alive. I’m sure this is the case with most of the youth in this generation. Don’t you think this is media’s fault? 

Mr Bharadwaj: I thought we agreed that you would go easy on me! Actually we do have freedom fighters like Doraiswamy sir on our shows. But I agree with what you are implying. I completely agree that freedom fighters are not ‘hot news’ and they would not improve the TRPs of a news channel. Let’s hope at least during August and January, the people who fought to secure our freedom are showcased by the media and felicitated and by God do they deserve it!

In Conversation With Mr Bharadwaj

Naresh: As a prominent T.V personality, what are the major challenges you face? 

Mr Bharadwaj: To be frank, every day is a challenge for me. In fact, you will find many journalists who say the same thing. When you are in this industry, anything can happen. In the morning you get a promotion and in the evening you find out the chief guest has dropped out of a major show in the last moment. What would you do in that situation? I once had tuberculosis and had applied for a day off and it got approved. Luck was not on my side and a co-worker had to attend to an emergency family issue and I ended up being on T.V from 6 AM to 10 PM since it was the election results day. 

There are always challenges when it comes to different authoritative people. As you might know, the TV channel I work for currently is very public-issue oriented and we try to tackle and help the public with their particular issues. This requires us to be bold and demand justice where it is needed. During this course, we might get into a few tussles and might make a couple of enemies. Handling the people who you don’t have a good relationship with will then be your biggest problem. It is very difficult to handle the pressure but you will definitely learn to deal with these challenges with experience. 

Naresh: Wow. Alright, one final question! Tell us how you celebrate your independence day. 

Mr Bharadwaj: My Independence days have become a yearly routine! Every year, I make it a point to hoist a flag either in my own house or attend a flag hoisting ceremony in the neighborhood with my family. There isn’t a single year I haven’t done this! Without family, my independence day would not be the same. I look at my family as the people who gave my personal freedom and that was all I required. 

Naresh: Sir, thank you so much for your valuable insight. It really enhanced my respect for not only you but also for your TV Channel for all the things they have done to our society. Thank you!

Subramanian Swamy: The Un-trumpeted Hero Of Indian Polity

    Subramanian Swamy

The title of ‘Protagonist’ can hardly be attributed to a person with so-called Hindu extremist ideologies. Subramanian Swamy is one such person who is barely in the limelight but deserves to be. Who can get away with calling Sonia Gandhi ‘a fifth-class pass’ or calling Priyanka Gandhi ‘an alcoholic’ without much media scrutiny, let alone having their head held high?

In 2011, Mr Swamy wrote an article advocating disfranchisement of Muslims who were not ready to embrace the fact that both Hindus and Muslims have the same ancestral line. This article caused him a lot of things in life – Harvard dropped the courses he was teaching, media criticized him for communal hate and his personal life was being monitored closely by his detractors, for whom he couldn't care less about. However, this article garnered huge support from the right wing followers and that, along with the intent of the article was his objective.

While many people call him anti-Muslim, he asks his critics to stop speaking in hyperbole and argues that all religions in India have the same core values. Although he is a staunch Hindu, his secular credentials are amply exhibited in his marriage to a Parsi woman. He also points to the fact that his own daughter is married to a Muslim man. Mr Swamy has studied law and it shows. He has supported the abolition of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution un-disguisedly. He was the one who submitted a petition against A. Raja in the 2G scam case to the Supreme Court of India. This led to the arrest of A. Raja in 2012 and his subsequent imprisonment for 15 months. This act by Mr Swamy unearthed one of the biggest and most infamous scams of India. While Sonia Gandhi filed a fake affidavit citing a foreign degree to the Election Commission, Mr Swamy filed a case in the High court to impose a fine on Ms Gandhi. Ms Gandhi later admitted that it was a ‘mistake’ and apologized to the Election Commission.

Mr Swamy’s experience with the Planning Commission of India and as a Cabinet Minister makes him an extremely reliable person to his party. When one juxtaposes Mr Swamy and Mr Kejriwal, one can undeniably see that Mr Swamy is the better executor of ideas when it comes to fighting corruption and this has won him many an admirer. If Mr Swamy doesn't merit a place in the Indian political folklore then I don’t know who does.

COMMUNICATE WITHOUT ACTUALLY COMMUNICATING! - Implicit Communication Theory

Communication is not only about words, body language, gestures and expression but also about conveying things without using any of the above methods. At first look, one might ask how a person can communicate to another without using words or expressions. There is indeed a form of communication which we rarely delve into – implicit communication. Researchers love to include this form of communication into the Behavioural Implicit Communication (BIC) theory.

Implicit communication refers to the message(s) we ‘give off’ from our deeds/actions which may or may not be intentional. By simply performing an action, we send a message to our partner(s) in the interaction. This message may be intentional or unintentional, i.e. the sender wants that the receiver knows that he/she is performing that action or not. A classic example of this can be seen in restaurants. A customer orders an item in the menu and the chef prepares it. When the customer consumes the item, the chef, intentionally or not, is communicating with the customer and allowing him to make a positive or a negative judgement on his ability to cook.

After a lot of research and contrastive thinking, I have come up with other scenarios which will act as examples for implicit communication. For better understanding, I will divide the scenarios into ‘intentional implicit communication’ and ‘intentional or unintentional implicit communication’. Also, these scenarios are what one might like to call ‘day-to-day activities’.

Intentional Implicit Communication:

1.   When a person wears a shirt he received as a gift from his friend, he is implicitly communicating with his friend that he appreciates the gift and is grateful for it. This act is intentional because the person wants his friend to know that he is grateful for the gift.

2.   When a person leaves a coat or a hat on his seat while he leaves to the restroom, he is communicating with the people around him that he will be back and the seat is occupied.

Intentional or Unintentional Communication:

1.   When students obtain good marks, the teachers are communicating intentionally or unintentionally about their prowess to the parents. Regardless of whether it is intentional or unintentional, the mark that the student obtains is directly proportional to the perceived notion about the teachers by the parents. (Please note, this example holds good mostly in lower grades/standards of school).

2.   When Car ‘A’ moves towards the right (or left) on a highway (without an indicator), it intentionally or unintentionally communicates to Car ‘B’ which is behind Car ‘A’ that the lanes are being changed. (Please note, this kind of indiscipline of not using indicators on a highway can only be found in India!)

Implicit communication theories are often derived from animal communication. This form of communication is also based on ‘signification’ which is ‘the semiotic ability of cognitive agents’.  For example, the ability to take ‘smoke’ as a sign of ‘fire’ or to relate ‘thirst’ with a ‘drinking agent’; these notions are drilled in to us from birth and are signs of communication that goes beyond simple perception. 

TELEVISION MEDIA BEARS BRUNT IN MCC DISCUSSION

“Public outrage justified, T.V Channels not helping” say panellists in ‘Naming and Shaming: Sexual Violence and Media’ - an informative & slightly provocative discussion on media’s role in the recent anomalous events of rape which was hosted by Mt Carmel College. The event was presented by Media Watch Bengaluru and was held in the Mt Carmel Auditorium on August 1, 2014. The discussion panel included Ravi Hegde, Group Editor, Udayavani; Bansy Kalappa, Journalist, News 9; Ashok Murthy, Managing Partner, CorLit Legal; ML Madhuraveena, SP, CID and Shaibya Saldanha, counsellor and Co-founder, Enfold India. The event was moderated by Media Watch’s very own Ammu Joseph who is also an author and a journalist.

Ms Joseph kicked off the discussion by trying to explain the consequences of sensationalizing incidents related to rape. “News channels obviously want higher TRPs and hence they sensationalize everything” she said. She did agree that news channels could not do much about it because their success is directly proportional to their TRPs.  Ms Saldanha, although critical of T.V, heaped praises on all forms of media for creating awareness about the present situation. She was also of the opinion that the victims be called ‘survivors’ and not ‘victims’ as it looks at things in a positive light.

Mr Murthy, a lawyer, spoke about why the identity of the victim and/or the accused is kept secretive at least until the court has provided a judgement. He said it challenges the mere existence of the victim and that the families will not be spared either. Ms Madhuraveena confirmed that there will be no disclosure of the identity while the case was being investigated. She provided us with a little inside information so-to-speak about how every policeman has to undergo a ‘Gender Sensitization workshop’ which aims at training the police to treat genders in a different manner under different circumstances. She also suggested a spokesperson for the police, who can inform the media about the progress of the case. “This would definitely help to settle media unrest while the case is being investigated” she said.

Mr Hegde, a journalist of print media, had some harsh words for T.V channels and spoke about channels fighting for TRPs and thereby diluting the news. He said print media is much more sensitive when it comes to disclosure of information. He agreed that this is because T.V is real-time and print is not. He also pointed out the fact that the courts are now functioning quicker due to the monumental hype surrounding sexual violence.

Ms Saldanha had a very valid point about online news regarding the recent rape of a 6 year-old in Bangalore. She said the news will remain forever on the internet. “One can only imagine how the 6 year-old will feel 20 years from now when her kids read this news” she said. Ms Madhuraveena also brought up the topic of keeping track of convicted sex offenders in every neighbourhood. She said “India has to adopt the model of U.S.A when it comes to the disclosure of sex offenders in every neighbourhood”. Every panellist agreed with Ms Madhuraveena on this and said this should be made a high priority demand from the public.

When the Q&A session started, Gaurav, a Mass Communication student from Jain University questioned the motives of the recent ‘bundh’ in Bangalore citing lack of public participation. Mr. Murthy responded by saying that this was a start and that the awareness will gradually spread. Shweta, another Mass Communication student from Jain University asked if privatization of radio news has come at the right time. Mr Hegde responded by saying that the privatization of radio news did indeed come at a bad time. He said that the word ‘chaos’ wouldn’t be enough to describe the situation in an already chaotic society if the privatization was successful.

Ms Vasanthi Hariprakash, a very famous journalist who was present at the discussion disagreed with Mr Hegde and said that the privatization would definitely be good for the media as a whole. She said radio has always been the ‘forgotten media’ and is much more than just an item song on a warm Sunday afternoon.

Mr Kalappa who had been unusually silent throughout the discussion, offered his opinion on the matter of pornography being one of the major causes for sexual violence. All the panellists agreed and Mr Hegde pointed out that ‘sexuality education’ needs to be taught from school level. “Sexuality Education is not Sex Education. It is a form of education which instils respect for women and men equally. Kids need to know why it is wrong to do such things so that they can use their better judgement in later years of their lives” he said.

It was very clear that the panellists were open about their opinions. There was no diplomacy whatsoever and points were being made with an open mind and a clear conscious. The crowd was very warming to the people who were brave enough to question the panellists. They also reacted well to the opinions of the panellists. A few people in the crowd may disagree with certain points and opinions but I am sure that nobody will disagree when I say that this event was a grand success, not only in educating the masses but also in inducing passion to fight against sexual violence.

MATHIKERE TURNS INTO ‘GARBAGE’KERE

(The road connecting Mathikere to MSR Nagar is a nightmare to commuters. The benches built by BBMP on this road show the very irony of the situation.)          

It would be an understatement if I said that Bangalore faces a garbage disposal problem. Bangalore generates around 4000 tons of garbage every single day. There is a place, preferably a corner, where garbage is dumped in piles in every area of Bangalore; none more so than the one in Mathikere Extension. The surprising fact is that the road where the garbage is dumped in Mathikere Ext. is the focal point or the bridge between Mathikere and MSR Nagar. It is a road of importance and one of the very few with a public toilet. The garbage piles are cleared only once every week. This road is every commuter’s worst nightmare as it stinks of excreta, urine and rotten garbage (Yes, ‘rotten’ garbage).

I have been living in the area (albeit 5 streets away) all my life and this particular road has never seen cleanliness. Keep in mind; we are talking of 2 decades here. I have personally written 2 letters to BBMP requesting them to act immediately but they have taken their own sweet time and have done nothing. Consider yourself living in the adjacent road or the road leading to this one. The unbearable smell not only leads to a loss of appetite but also increases the chance of ‘catching on to a virus’ so to speak. I spoke to a resident Mr. Murali who lives on the adjacent road and he is not happy about this situation at all.

“My son is in 8^th standard now and is sick every other month. He always talks about how dirty our country is and he curses the government officials all the time” he said.

Cursing the government officials is one thing but having such a strong opinion about one’s own country at such a tender age is poisonous. It is quite clear that the kid has been affected by this and it is very unfair to him.

Mrs. Kamalakshi who lives on the same road has a similar opinion. “They (The Government) just don’t understand our problems. We have to live in a surrounding with flies and other insects all the time. It is a big nuisance. We have tried to complain but there is only so much we can do” she said.

The irony in all this lies in the fact that BBMP have built benches for people to sit on next to the garbage pile! When I rang the BBMP office to ask for the Mayor, the person who answered the phone kept saying the Mayor was unable to comment and to write a letter addressed to him (which I had already done twice). I fail to understand if there is a lack of knowledge on BBMP’s part or if it is just pure laziness. Whatever it may be, they have certainly failed on their part.

All of us hope for a better India but this has to start at the grass root level. Helping keep our neighborhood clean is the least that the government can do.

An interview with a P.R professional.

Before I start off with the write up/essay, I would like to state the fact that I have spoken to a lot of people in the Public Relations industry and all their viewpoints are more or less, similar. The most elaborate explanation about the Public Relations industry was provided by Mr Manish Thirumulpad of Adfactors P.R. Here are some excerpts from the discussion:

Naresh (Me): So Manish, What is the practice of Public Relations all about?

Manish: The practice of Public Relations is an important tool to help achieve the business goals of a company. The business goals may depend on whether it is revenue generation, recruitment of talent or the dispelling of a myth. Any PR campaign which is not aligned to the company’s business objective will effectively fail in the practical world.

Naresh: One of the major parts of PR is Image building or in Mr Rahul Gandhi’s case, damage limitation of image. Don’t you think public perception is very important?

Manish: Yes, indeed it is. The public perception of an object or a person is very important to the company (the clients) because this is directly proportional to the amount of sales they make. One has to keep in mind that when I say ‘public’, I mean the end user of the product or the service.

While a poor PR campaign may result in loss and/or stagnation, an effective one will make the reputation and the image of the person or the object perceived positively by the public. A good example of an effective PR campaign is the Pepsi Halloween 2013 stunt. The Halloween costume of a Pepsi can was a Coca-Cola cape which was created by ‘Buzz in a Box’. It cleverly utilizes the rivalry between the two brands to its advantage. Pepsi was applauded for its humour and playfulness and it non-offensively got one over Coca-Cola.

Another example is the Cadbury PR Campaign. This campaign was launched because a consumer had found worms in a Cadbury chocolate bar. This PR campaign was very successful in not only limiting the damage that Cadbury suffered but also to re-invigorate the perception of Cadbury and what the company actually stood for. They roped in Amitabh Bachchan as their brand ambassador and they were back in business.

 Naresh: What role does ‘target market’ have to play in public relations?

Manish: Different products and services have different target markets. For example, the ideal target market for Mercedes-Benz cars from a PR standpoint is people who play golf. It is highly important that PR agencies or Corporate PROs identify the correct target market for the product or the service.

Now, to put it in a nutshell, improving the reputation of a client and generating a positive perception to the public while carefully considering the company’s general objective and the target market is what PR agencies mostly do.

Naresh: What is the practice of Corporate Communication all about?

Manish: Corporate Communication is functionally considered as the father of Public Relations, in the sense, Corporate Communication encompasses a wider role in the market. The academically accepted view is that Corporate Communication is the ocean and Public Relations is just one of the seas that join the ocean. Corporate Communication not only involves Public relations but also horizontal communication with other companies, setting up events, internal communication, branding, etc.

Naresh: So then is Public Relations a part of Corporate Communications?

Manish: It may be so on paper but I actually see it the other way around. I think Public Relations is the larger umbrella here and Corporate Communication and even to some extent, Marketing, comes under Public Relations.

Naresh: What are the typical activities that a trainee does in the 1^st year of work in a Public Relations Firm?

Manish: Typically, a trainee is provided 18-24 months to pick up the nuances of the job. This is because PR feels quite different from what is taught in a theoretical way in Institutions. Ideally, a trainee will be a ‘foot soldier’ in the company as he/she learns documentation, research, different processes of PR, conceptualization, how to pitch in stories and ideas and creative writing. The first 4-6 months will be only about documentation and research and this is the grass-root job role of every trainee initially. The second part of the year will be spent on doing media rounds and participating in press conferences. This will help in meeting people in the media and building one’s own contacts.

During the second year, the trainee will be asked to make market analysis reports and competitor analysis reports for him/her to better understand the vibe of the market. Eventually, the trainee will have to perform all these functions on a day-to-day basis and he/she will be fully equipped for the same.

Naresh: What skills are required to be a successful P.R Executive in a Public Relations company and career?

Manish: The first and foremost skill that is required to be a successful P.R Executive is the art of Speaking and knowing when to listen. This will help an executive succeed in his/her campaign and/or to get out of a bad situation if need be.

A P.R Executive also needs to be a voracious reader with the constant quest of acquiring knowledge. This is because P.R is extremely diverse in nature. A P.R executive will meet a lot of people (clients and potential clients) in his/her lifetime. This essentially means thousands of different personalities to be dealt with. He/she needs to know how to deal with a situation and this can be done only by reading and practising. This is similar to software. Without a software update, after a few years the program will be redundant and will be outclassed by better software.

Another important skill required for a P.R Executive is writing. Writing not only involves columns and editorials but also involves business reports, creative writing, story writing and general writing. Throughout the P.R Executive’s career, writing will play a major role in determining his/her success.

Other important traits to be a successful P.R Executive are Patience, Leadership skills, Non-Verbal Communication, Professionalism and Charm.