TDP to set up media watch committee

Express News Service
Last Updated : 17 Jun 2011 08:05:20 AM IST

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam will set up a “media watch” committee at NTR Bhavan to monitor the coverage being given to the party and also to watch the performance of its leaders who take part in panel discussions on television channels..

The party will train its senior leaders on how to talk during TV panel discussions.

The party has also decided to boycott YS Jagan’s media group _ Sakshi TV and Sakshi daily.

An interesting discussion took place at the party’s Politburo meeting on media here on Thursday.

Politburo member and former journalist Kalva Srinivasulu, who initiated the debate, expressed serious concern over the smear campaigning undertaken by some electronic and print media organisations.

The Politburo discussed the media trends for half an hour and felt the need to constitute a committee of experts to closely watch news coverage on TV channels.

The TDP is currently recording all the news telecast on TV channels on daily basis.

“We want to monitor the situation and lodge complaints to media managements if there is scant or negative coverage of us and if undue publicity is given to rival parties,” a Politburo member told Express.

Though the TDP was unhappy with three more TV channels and a recentlylaunched Telugu daily, its main focus was on Sakshi TV and daily newspaper. When YS Rajasekhara Reddy was chief minister he referred to two vernacular newspapers as “aa rendu patrikalu”. The TDP will expose Sakshi in a similar way, sources said. It will ask its leaders not to participate in panel discussions on Sakshi TV.

“When the YSR Congress staged dharnas before the district collectorates on farmers’ problems all the media channels gave it overwhelming publicity. But, in reality, people’s participation in it was very thin,” a Politburo member pointed out.

The Politburo also wanted to keep tabs on its leaders who take part in panel discussions on TV. “We want to observe who are participating in discussions and how they are able to snub the opponents.

Whether TDP leaders are able to convey the party’s message properly during discussions will also be observed,” the sources said.

For this the Politburo decided to train 10 to 15 leaders into TV panel discussion experts.

“The trained leaders will present the party’s views in a better way,” a Politburo member said.

Though the meeting decided to constitute the committee to monitor the news in media, it did not name any leader for the task. However, the Politburo felt that TTDF convener E Daykar Rao successfully faced suspended leader N Janardhan Reddy during a recent TV debate.

“We felt that Dayakar Rao refuted the allegations of Reddy effectively,” a leader remarked. “We have complimented Dayakar Rao for giving a fitting reply to Nagam who is spending more time levelling allegations against Naidu and less on Telangana,” a Politburo member from Andhra region told Express.