Report of Digital Media Campaign by NUJ(I)
We are extremely delighted to report that the Digital Media Campaign for enactment of a law for the protection of journalists in India carried out by the NUJ(I) from November 29, 2015 to January 14, 2016 turned out to be a massive exercise with terrific success.
Not only a large number of members of the NUJ(I) from across the country actively participated in the campaign but their multitude of friends and sympathizers also enthusiastically joined it. The result was that the number of posts, likes, shares,comments and endorsements have run into a tremendous amount.
Within the first two weeks of the campaign itself as many as 89,839 approaches were recorded. Not only the journalists, their friends and sympathizers but a good number of other opinion makers, politicians, intellectuals, academics, social activists were also mobilized behind the campaign with a substantial number of them re-tweeting or sending their own messages in support of the demand. The messages were also addressed to the Government ministers, Members of Parliament and State Assemblies.
On December 07, 2014, a huge rally was organized by the NUJ(I) at Jantar Mantar, the historical venue officially permitted for holding protests near the Parliament House , in which journalists from several states, besides Delhi, participated. Posters, banners, pictures, slogans and the scenes and activities of crowds of participants were captured on camera and recorded on videos. These were extensively used in the digital campaign.
Twenty two thematic slogans, some with facts and figures of the incidents of killing of and assaults on journalists, were prepared by Dr.N.K.Trikha and circulated to all units for use through email, Facebook and Twitter, which was very widely done.
In addition, 20 digital posters were got created by an IT expert, artistically depicting various aspects of the issue and the demand.
NUJ(I) president Mr. Ras Bihari was interviewed by the national TV. A clip of its recording was uploaded on the U-Tube. Other materials were also put on the U-Tube. Other media too covered the programme. This also was used in fortifying the digital campaign.
Some 200 journalists got engaged in the campaign individually in different parts of the country multiplying the impact manifold.
Delegations of state and 103 district units of NUJ(I) led by senior functionaries called on the Governors of the states and District heads and submitted memoranda of demands to them. These were video recorded and used repeatedly on different platforms. Appeals were made in large numbers through email, Facebook, Twitter, U-Tube and WhatsUp to the Prime Minister, Home Minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister of Central Government, and the Chief Ministers of the States.
One IT expert has roughly calculated that there were approximately 400 known users, 30,000 likes, 2000 comments, 1000 re-tweets,1200 shares and 1000 responses.
In the end, we express our gratitude to the IFJ for reposing their trust in the competence of the NUJ(I) to carry out this project in India.
(Ras Bihari) (Ratan Dixit) Dr. N.K.Trikha,
President Secretary General Former President
NUJ(I) NUJ(I) NUJ(I) & In-charge, Coordination with IFJ