Our global network | South Asia

Why the media has a central role in creating a public sphere for democratic debate, and how journalists can be a beacon of light for policymakers
A S Panneerselvan

I became a journalist in 1974. In those days, LPG meant Liquefied Petroleum Gas and GDR meant German Democratic Republic.

The early nineties saw the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. In its wake came new meanings for old acronyms: LPG now means Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation, and GDR is short for Global Depository Receipts.

Change was rapid and continues to be so. But there were few resources for journalists to make sense of these major shifts in the global policy framework or its impact on the livelihoods of ordinary people around the world.

Panos South Asia came into being in 1997, with the aim of creating a more vibrant and inclusive media - a smithy to forge and shape new ideas and policies to make a more equal world.

We firmly believe that the media has a central role in creating a public sphere for democratic debate. An informed and sensitive media is vital for any country to make the right choices – ones that are inclusive, responsive and alive to the concerns and aspirations of those who are less privileged.

So we work closely with journalists – and the media more broadly - offering a range of fellowships, organising capacity-building workshops and seminars, and producing resources such as the ‘Understanding WTO’ toolkit.

In this way we enable journalists to produce high quality reportage, razor-sharp critiques, detailed and empirically rich stories, informed and powerful analysis, and insightful editorials that can all function as a beacon of light for policymakers.

We also realise that – unlike civil society’s new development paradigm – strengthening the media cannot rely on a bottom-up approach. It requires an equal measure of top-down input, as the decision-making powers lie mostly with media owners and editors.

Working with media gatekeepers is therefore an important part of our work, as is attempting to bridge the yawning gap between academics and journalists.

Panos South Asia has now become an adda or thinnai: a coffee shop; a seminar room; a meeting place; a debating forum; a one-stop resource centre. It is an incubator of new ideas, methods, and systems to facilitate the free flow of knowledge to ordinary citizens through that wonderful gateway called the media.

Every director who preceded me at Panos South Asia played a crucial role in building the institution. My singular contribution is the introduction of what I call a ‘rhizome’ philosophy – namely an organisation without a centre, which is difficult to uproot!

Given South Asia’s volatile political environment it is essential that we distribute resources and activities throughout the region. If one office is having problems, colleagues in other countries can come to its aid.

To this end I have developed a network of six offices spread across five countries. Above all, this has ensured we retain our perspective on the bigger picture without compromising on the details.

A S Panneerselvan is executive director of Panos South Asia. He was formerly the managing editor of Sun TV and bureau chief for Outlook magazine.

> Panos South Asia website