Editor,
Today, George Orwell’s 1984 resonates louder than ever, a novel which struck a chord against the rising powers of totalitarianism.
Meghalaya’s Communication Policy 2024 does have its own pros and cons, but has this been debated recently during the 1st Media meet which was organised by the Directorate of Information and Public Relations whether to understand if this will lead to a dystopian future?
Indeed, the rise of influencers and self-styled journalists is increasing and the flow of news and content is at lightning speed, giving us the ability to reach the information on our fingertips, including fake reports and analysis. The trouble toiling this State is the lack of dialogue and open forum discussions on whether such policies have accountability.
Overall we do not have an oversight committee to red flag, instead big corporations are getting their grip on media organisations. In 2024, as per the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) India stood at a dismal 159, which reflects the failure to understand why media freedom is important for a progressive society.
Additionally, years ago, the government set up a Centralised Monitoring System (CMS) to strengthen the national security structure of the country. The CMS could monitor text messages, social-media engagement, phone calls on landlines and mobile phones.
The book ‘Pegasus: The Story of the World’s Most Dangerous Spyware’ by Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud reflects on how strong cyber-surveillance tools could sometimes be detrimental to democracy and human rights.
Christopher Gatphoh,
Laitkor Rngi, Shillong-10
