A philosophy for development communication: the view from India

Speaking of news: Press, democracy, and metapragmatics in a changing India

“…The press, argued one political philosopher, should operate as a “homeostatic mechanism” keeping the body of society at a “proper operating temperature” (Padhye ). Another emphasized that the news must be guided by the principle of sarvodaya , “the welfare of all” (Verghese ).…”

“…Doordarshan news makers and their sponsors in the government ministries complain that the mainstream cable news networks, with their urban commercial focus, failed to reflect India's multidimensional social realities and were particularly irrelevant “for the vast, rural intellect” (Verghese :5). Yet government broadcasting found equal concern with a corresponding trend: the rise of small, regional cable broadcasting in local languages with perhaps 100,000 speakers—too small to justify Doordarshan's offering a competing state voice.…”