INFOCUS | COVER STORY | MEDIA | SURVEY
Media on both sides
Doomsday Conspirators Co-operation rather than conflict should have been the leitmotif of their rise as global economic powers, but both China and India have failed to dispel the mutual suspicion that blights bilateral ties. And the media must shoulder a lot of the blame. PD Kaushik
I
n a democracy, media is the fourth estate, comprising both print and electronic medium. It is more powerful than the legislature, executive and judiciary because of its reach and impact on public opinion. It is a common feeling that media on both sides of the border has not played a constructive role in improving relations between the two countries. For instance, media in India and China have downplayed positive achievements, but negative incidents have been blown out of proportions. Such coverage and reporting have adversely impacted public opinion in both countries. Is the media to be blamed for such sensational coverage merely to catch eyeballs or are there other issues which dictate media coverage. A nationwide survey on such perceptions, however, contradicts the myth of negative reporting. The overall sample of the survey comprised 20 per cent respondents from the Indian media and 10 per cent from the Chinese media. In fact, it is interesting to note that media on both sides of the border suffers from lots of misconceptions about each other. Indian journalists felt India was not even on the radar of the Chinese media because more newsworthy actions are taking place in other parts of the world. Chinese journalists however felt that
the Indian media ape the West and frequently indulges in China-bashing. Individual opinion is the key for any policy initiative. The results so far reveal that media is perhaps the only category of respondents who had emphatically responded in either a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’, unlike other categories where the percentage of ‘Undecided’ was considerably high. For instance, almost one out of every four respondent was undecided in China. In the development of a concrete action plan, a clear ‘Yes’ or a clear ‘No’ is of immense help. Both countries must strive through public policy intervention to convert the ‘No’ into ‘Yes’ for everlasting peace and economic cooperation in the region. Threat Perception How do the media look at the threat perception? Almost 63 per cent media persons in India view China as a threat to India. The most common reason for such an opinion can be attributed to strong China-Pakistan ties. Likewise, almost 60 per cent media persons in China also feel that “India is a threat to China.” The issue of Tibet and growing closeness of India with the United States were some of the reasons for such a perception. Such kind of threat perception existing in the minds of media persons on both sides of the border is understandable. Since media keeps a continuous watch on the actions of the government, any inconsistency in government’s public posturing sows the seeds of suspicion in the minds. China’s equivocal stand on the issue of Pak-supported terrorist outfits and insurgency activities in Kashmir, clandestine military and technological aid to Pakistan, etc., raise the suspicions of the Indian media on the bonafide intentions of China for peaceful and strong relations with India. Likewise, the existence of the Government of Tibet in exile in Dharamshala in India and India’s official position on Tibet is viewed as inconsistent and contradictory by the Chinese media. Thus, media persons on both sides of the border rate the opposite side as a looming threat. The threat perception in the media also seems to have a regional variation.
China Response: By Occupation Others 17%
32% 9%
Media 29%
13%
Academics Business Government
India Response: By Occupation Others 21%
19% 20%
Media 20%
20%
Academics Business Government
Almost 63 per cent media persons in India view China as a threat to India. The most common reason for such an opinion can be attributed to strong China-Pakistan ties. Likewise, almost 60 per cent media persons in China also feel that “India is a threat to China.” Almost 60 per cent in the Indian media located in the North, South and West suffer from a higher threat perception. But a minority in the East and Central region viewed China as a
threat. Perhaps the Central region has a lower threat perception due to its location and its level of development, both social and economic. But the low threat perception in the East was quite unexpected. A majority of the news reporting incursions by the Chinese army comes from the eastern side. So could it be construed that more than 30 years of uninterrupted Left rule in the East has somewhat influenced the media favourably towards China? Except for political reasons, one cannot attribute the rationale for such a response. Thus, it can be safely concluded that awareness levels about the issues between India and China are high in the media, as compared with other occupation categories. Besides, political, economic and social development has a strong bearing on perception of the media.
March-April 2011 India-China Chronicle |35|