At this week's event, hosted by CNN-News18, all the politicians invited are from the BJP. No one from any opposition party is advertised as a speaker. Even those that claim to promote 'journalism of courage' have become platforms for the powerful to voice their opinions to select elite audiences.

https://thewire.in/media/ahead-of-lok-sabha-polls-media-summits-are-busy-ego-massaging-prime-minister-modi-and-his-ministers 

When such media events began in the 1990s it was the normal practice that apart from speakers from the government there would also be speakers from opposition political parties. Sometimes there would be a panel of speakers with both the political party in government and ones in opposition represented. That was the era in which a plural and liberal democracy was thriving. Today, there’s no place for such balance even in media hosted events.

by Sanjaya Baru

19/03/2024

The Union government has asked higher educational institutions (HEIs) to screen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Wednesday (March 13) as he lays down the foundation stones for semiconductor facilities in Gujarat and Assam. https://thewire.in/education/ugc-directs-universities-to-screen-modis-speech-organise-event-with-viksit-bharat-posters 

The move has been perceived as a bid to reach out to first-time voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls before the model code of conduct comes into effect, according to the Telegraph.

12/03/2024