The bulk of the reporting on the issuance of guidelines pertaining to the usage of social media tools by the various Ministries & Departments of Government of India went to the extent of ridicule in the ambit of journalistic satire by hailing them as some sort of commandments. The biblical commandments were a mere expression of a well reasoned & restrained way of life. The moment they were consolidated into commandments for the spread of power and influence, their waning effect started.
The well meaning guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting showcases that the wonder lies not merely with the tool or technology, the magic is carried out by the due usage of the same.
Prime Minister Modi has somehow extended his uncanny approach to the domain of social media as well, which has still not got liberated from being a ‘fad’ of the millennials.
These guidelines are quite simple and generic but have a profound impact in the end outcome of communicating and engaging with the intended stakeholders.
The filling up of the complete profile information with a cover picture establishes the authenticity of the social media channel. It sets the base coordinates for any future build up. By dint of their being the sole custodians of the sovereign interests, the government functionaries fail to dot the i’s and cross the t’s when it comes to their turn. Practicing what is being governed and expected out of citizens sets the tone and tenor of responsibility and accountability right.
The regular posting of press releases, event images and videos would easen and speeden up the task of communicating the progress of the various departments. The social graph would communicate on its own to all the interested and intended seekers of information which at times are hidden like a treasure on government website under in-coherent and in-comprehensible layers of hyperlinks which are broken at times.
The regular posting has been balanced with the guideline of avoiding spamming. Any effort of governance has to be backed with due sensitivity and responsibility. This is perhaps what is reflected out here.
Being selective in who the officials handles should follow and retweet is again a dominant signature of bearing responsibility. In today’s times, when we are facing a deluge of information and information warfares are the next big things on the anvil, a sound discretion is what is expected out of the rulers of the day.
The propensity to express lands up the serious business of governance in jeopardy at times. The paparazzi is always on the lookout for the same. The guideline to restrain the passing on of privileged & sensitive information sounds trivial but is very well meaning considering the non-retreating, relentless and viral nature of the social graph.
The maintenance of political neutrality on social media channels is certainly a symbol and indication of maturity and extreme sincerity. It doesn’t take up a while to dilute the gravity of a well meaning and intense discussion. The Government of India is after all, the government for the entire citizenry and not just the electorate of the ruling party.
A one way monologue was probably the trend of the yore. In today’s era of participatory governance, active engagement with the people can only ensure effective delivery and long term success. Non-Engaging Communications have their blend of insensitivity. The usual plain vanilla government scripts have to make some conscious effort to be responsive to the intended audience. The onus of interpreting the official communication thereby just doesn’t lie on the seeker, but on the giver.
Providing proper hash-tags is to create the well reasoned information graph to make it a valid and effective capsule of information. At a time when the megalith machinery of government doesn’t communicate within each other, this tagging regime would initiate that top level inter-connected thematic views something which the incumbent Prime Minister is so very fond off and unleashes the mojo of his characteristic style thereof.
Using the right language for a receptive audience is again a declaration of responsibility on the part of government communications which are one-sided having their due colonial imprints with little respect and reverence to the common man who happens to be the theoretical master in a democratic set-up.
Last but not the least, watching one’s back is always important in any new endeavor. Protecting the safety and security of the official accounts is vital. Changing their passwords on a regular basis is the base security protocol.
Any new technology comes with its unwarranted fad and fat. This makes the due deployment or acceptance of the same a difficult proposition. In these simple set of guidelines, Prime Minister Modi has somewhere stole that roar and thunder from the domain of social media and declared it open for the masses at large.
The genius of great creators when compounded with that of greater communicators unleash tremendous power for the people at large.
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