A two-day International Conference on “Media, Populism and Democracy” got underway at Nagaland University on March 27, 2025. The event is being organised by the Department of Political Science in association with Centre for Southeast Asian Studies.
PRO, NU, Peter Ki, stated in a press release that the inaugural program was graced by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Jagadish K. Patnaik as the Chief Guest who, in his speech, discussed the evolution of the media and its effects on society. He asserted that good civil society, good political leaders, and good and independent media are required for democracy to thrive.
Prof. Shashi Shekhar Singh, Dept of Political Science, University of Delhi, in his keynote address dwelt at length on the theme of Media, Populism and Democracy. Where democracy is a system of government, and populism is a political approach that involves addressing the people directly, the role of media is critical, he asserted. He went on to classify media into three categories: state controlled, corporate media, and people controlled. Whereas majority of the countries have media that is corporate-controlled, there is also the case of the nexus between the state and the corporate, he pointed out. As democracies need informed citizens, who periodically decide on whom to vote for, he said, it is essential for the media to carry out the duty of extracting the truth and bring them to the people. Misinformation, he said, poses problem for democracy and is a recipe for distortion of the democratic process. He made his points by alluding to the historical context as well as the present situation.
Dr. G. Chandra Sekaran, an Assistant Professor in the Centre for South East Asian Studies, Nagaland University, concluded the session with a vote of thanks. The programme attended by Deans, Heads, Officers, Staff, research scholars, and PG students was compered by Dr. Neizhanuo Golmei, Asst. Professor, Dept of Political Science.
Earlier in the programme, Dr. Shasanka Sekhar Pati, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, delivered the welcome address where he stressed the importance of public oversight in ensuring that independent media operate responsibly in a liberal nation. The programme was chaired by Prof. John H. Sema, Dept. of Political Science.
The International Conference will conclude on March 28, 2025.
