New Delhi: Instead of "propaganda of different types which indoctrinates people", sustained campaigns by media on issues like healthcare can play a major role in educating the public, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said today.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, was speaking at the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi, where channels were awarded for innovative programming.
"Instead of having propaganda of different types which indoctrinates people, if you have sustained campaigns of this kind, which will drill into the human mind the healthcare, preventive health care system, radio can become a very powerful tool of education," Mr Jaitley said, referring to a community radio station which won for its health campaign.
Globally, he said, newspapers are shrinking but in India regional newspapers are expanding. The same trend could apply to community radio as well, he said.
The Information and Broadcasting minister said that about two decades ago, an "erroneous impression" that the entire system including governments had was that radio and TV are monopoly of state.
The situation changed when airwaves were thrown open and ownership was vested in the people after which there was an "explosion" of TV channels and a large number of FM channels came up, he said.
Earlier speaking at the event, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said community radio can play a vital role in empowering people by giving information including that on key government programmes.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, was speaking at the 6th National Community Radio Sammelan in New Delhi, where channels were awarded for innovative programming.
"Instead of having propaganda of different types which indoctrinates people, if you have sustained campaigns of this kind, which will drill into the human mind the healthcare, preventive health care system, radio can become a very powerful tool of education," Mr Jaitley said, referring to a community radio station which won for its health campaign.
Globally, he said, newspapers are shrinking but in India regional newspapers are expanding. The same trend could apply to community radio as well, he said.
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The Information and Broadcasting minister said that about two decades ago, an "erroneous impression" that the entire system including governments had was that radio and TV are monopoly of state.
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The situation changed when airwaves were thrown open and ownership was vested in the people after which there was an "explosion" of TV channels and a large number of FM channels came up, he said.
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Earlier speaking at the event, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said community radio can play a vital role in empowering people by giving information including that on key government programmes.
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