Do not run away from the media

The Congress party’s decision not to send its representatives to TV channels for debates and discussions for one month is wrong and misconceived. The party may have thought of it as a measure to avoid spokespersons making avoidable statements or giving different reasons for its bad performance in the elections when the party is still examining the reasons for it. But that is a bad and untenable reason in a democracy where there is a profusion of communication channels which actively debate issues of public and political interest every day and night. Many of these discussions may not make anyone more informed and wiser, but a bad discussion may be better than no discussion, as a bad press is better than no press. A party that avoids participation in a public discussion after it received a major defeat would only be considered to be sulking and lacking in courage.

The Congress position will only go by default or will be misrepresented by others if it is not there to state it. Many of the reasons for the party’s defeat are obvious and are known to everyone who knows the party and has seen it functioning, preparing for elections and conducting its campaign. Why should the party run away from a public discussion on them? It should rather face the uncomfortable questions from the public than shy away from them and shield itself with timidity and silence. If there are matters on which the party is yet to take a collective view, that can be stated openly. Such openness and the sincerity that comes through it can only help and benefit the party.

There are people who are ashamed to show their face in public after they have a bad experience or suffer some humiliation. Political parties in a democracy, being public entities, cannot do so. They have a public duty to explain themselves and their actions to the people. They need always to be in conversation with the people and public discussion forums give them a structured opportunity for that. The party is also losing its opportunity to counter the claims and opinions of other parties and to question the judgments of all-knowing anchors and commentators when it abstains and leaves the field. No winner’s story is complete without the loser’s version of it, and so the Congress and other parties that lost the election have the responsibility to present their side to the people. The media may even be biased and may be a bad messenger, but the party should not avoid the messenger. There are things that the party can actually learn from the BJP’s communication skills and strategies but doing a Modi on the media and journalists should not be one of them.