Asia: Media and the Tiger

Interview with Indrajit Banerjee

Marcia Caines

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‘Dare Devil’ March 7 1915, photographer unknown, taken from Picture Machine The Rise of American Newspictures by Williamo Hannigan & Ken Johnston, Harry N.Abrams, Inc., Publishers

Indrajit Banerjee is Secretary-General of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), Asia’s premier media research, publication and documentation centre. He’s specialized in Information and Communication Technology Policy and Social Implications, Media Globalization Cultural Identity and Television Studies.

In times when the media is increasingly criticised for using its power in a more destructive than positive fashion Indrajit Banerjee faces the challenge of using the media to promote development in the battle against poverty and also considers the threat of so called “uneconomic growth”. His commitment to poverty eradication and development in Asia has involved him in numerous political projects with the aim of spreading democracy and encouraging good governance, putting citizens’ needs in first place.

MC: If information and communication technologies are a key factor in the diffusion of knowledge and abolishing ignorance in developing countries, what are the methods?
IB: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) certainly constitute powerful tools to enhance development through the diffusion of knowledge and information. However, ICTs cannot be regarded as a panacea for all developmental problems. In order to contribute to development through the dissemination of knowledge and information, ICTs must be effectively harnessed and applied to specific problems of development. The mere existence of ICTs cannot solve human problems, they must be used with specific development problems in mind as well as with focused and targeted applications. Many other factors need to be in place before ICTs can have their full developmental impact, such as the necessary skills and capacity to apply ICTs in rural areas and for the benefit of the poorest sections of the population in any society. Another thing to keep in mind is that ICTs should be used to complement traditional developmental strategies and initiatives and cannot be stand-alone solutions. For example, in the sector of education it is important to build schools to provide qualified educators and devote resources to develop high quality education and then this can be complemented with the use of ICTs which can dramatically enhance access to education resources, knowledge and information.

I think it is time that governments, the private sector and the civil society form a strong partnership to work together to overcome the problems of development

MC: Improving the economic conditions of large numbers of people leads to problems such as; pollution, demographic growth and incontrollable urban migration. It is therefore equally urgent while encouraging economic growth to identify new social and consumer models. Can the “open society” coexist with both cultural autonomy and different development models?
IB: Development is a very complex process and indeed economic development can itself lead to the creation of new problems. Wealth can also lead to increased pollution as more and more people can afford cars and other modes of transport. In their seminal work on sustainable development, Daly and Cobb (1989) argue that the scale of human activity relative to the biosphere has grown too large and that further growth beyond the present is likely to increase costs more rapidly than it increases benefits. This could lead to an era of “uneconomic growth” that impoverishes rather than enriches mankind. Thus it is urgent to look for new and sustainable models of economic development which ensure that there is a harmony between the scale of human activity and the natural and human environment.

MC: Is the cost of information and communication technology an issue when faced with knowledge sharing at all levels? How do the poor and illiterate gain access to the media?
IB: The cost of ICTs has always been an issue in the debate on the question of access. If ICTs continue to remain financially and physically inaccessible to large sections of the population in the developing world, the digital divide will become critical and become a major impediment to sustainable development. Although one must recognize the fact that although the cost of ICTs has steadily declined along with the cost of telecommunications as a whole, they are still beyond the reach of the poorest sections of society. Moreover, ICTs have an extremely high rate of obsolescence and this means that technology needs to be constantly upgraded at high costs. A key to addressing the problem of access is to develop innovative low-cost solutions to ICT access and we have seen some remarkable and very innovative new developments in this area. This must be a major thrust in ICT development in the years to come and could decisively help to overcome the barriers to information access (UNDP, 2005).

MC: New technologies change and are replaced at astonishing rates, does this rapidly evolving process create disadvantages for Development Communication in developing countries?
IB: As mentioned in my answer to the previous question, the pace of innovation is such that new technologies and platforms are emerging all the time. This does put pressure on development communication initiatives. However, there should also be constant innovation and strategic implementation of ICTs in the sphere of development through the deployment of low-cost efficient technologies. Much progress has been achieved in this area and we have witnessed many innovative and cheap uses of ICTs such as community media, alternative media and innovative portable ICT applications which target development needs and goals. The battle is far from won, but giant strides are being made to deploy low-cost ICTs as otherwise large sections of the population are going to be deprived of the possibility of overcoming the barriers to knowledge and information which are critical in the development process.

MC: How important is the role of mobile phones in the response to the problem posed by the digital divide?
IB: Mobile phones have made a tremendous impact especially in those countries where fixed line telecommunications have been deficient and lacking in reach and penetration. Today, in many parts of the developing world, mobile phones have surpassed land line telephone penetration and people enjoy unprecedented access to telecommunications. However, mobile phones cannot successfully address all the problems of the digital divide. Access to a wide range of ICTs and applications are essential in the fight to transform the digital divide into a digital dividend. Access to the Internet, to radio and television and other channels is crucial for a rich spectrum of knowledge and informational content. Mobile phones will play an increasing part in the problem posed by the digital divide, especially with increasing convergence of technologies, however they cannot be considered as a panacea for the larger problems of the digital divide which include lack of education and the necessary skills to harness technology to fight poverty, deprivation and ignorance.

Development is a very complex process and indeed economic development can itself lead to the creation of new problems

MC: You mention the lack of political will and commitment in Asia across many countries as a major challenge, what measures can be taken to tackle this?
IB: I think the climate in Asia has changed significantly in terms of political will and commitment. In many areas of ICT development and deployment, Asians are emerging as global leaders. In Singapore, in Malaysia and increasingly in China and in India, governments are resorting to the widespread deployment of ICTs in all sectors of activity as they have understood that ICTs can play a critical role in leapfrogging their development process by overcoming obstacles created by deficient infrastructure. There is still a long way to go and governments across the region need to devote more resources to accelerate the deployment of ICTs especially in rural areas. In Asia there are stark rural/urban divides in ICT use and access. While urban areas have witnessed tremendous growth in terms of ICT diffusion, rural areas continue to be ridden with problems of equitable and affordable access and this is the key challenge for the political establishments and governments of Asia.

MC: As well as coming to terms with poverty in order to transform it, is it possible that the “prise de conscience” represents a potential source of anger and resentment in developing countries? Governmental organizations have often been criticized for giving a false sense of security and social identity with their formal approach to human development. Are these valid observations?
IB: I think that governments, like other institutions, have long grappled with the complex problems of development. Sometimes the problems themselves have been too overwhelming and complex, while in other instances, lack of political commitment, corruption and lack of expertise have prevented governments from playing their full role in development. Governments are also often crippled by bureaucracy and this is where the NGOs have thrived due to their flexible organizational structures, their commitment, their focus on specific development problems. However, governments carry a much larger burden of development on their shoulders than their counterparts in the NGO world, especially in the developing world. Governments are faced with limited resources and they have had to deal with each and every single problem of development from poverty, to lack of sanitation and hygiene, to health problems, to issues relating to education and the environment. I think it is time that governments, the private sector and the civil society form a strong partnership to work together to overcome the problems of development. Development is everyone’s problem and thus everyone should actively contribute to overcome all forms of deprivation that exist in the world in order to create a world of peace, progress and security.

MC: What are AMIC’s projects for accelerating the information process in Asia?
IB: AMIC has been spearheading the development of media through its research, publications and capacity building activities for the past thirty four years. AMIC is Asia’s premier regional media and communications centre and we have worked for the past three decades in many key areas and aspects of development including media and democracy issues, human rights, gender equality, environment and education. The media plays a key role in the development process as it helps overcome barriers to knowledge and information and enhances and empowers citizens.

AMIC is currently involved in many important initiatives in the area of media and development. We are currently working on research and publication projects on issues such as Media and Conflict in Asia, Critical Issues in Asian Journalism, Internet and Governance, Public Service Broadcasting, Media Pluralism and Independence, Alternative Media and many other issues. We do intend to continue playing a modest but active role in ensuring that the media is harnessed to contribute as fully as possible to the process of development in Asia through raising awareness and developing capacity.

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References:

UNDP Regional Human Development Report (2005), Promoting ICT for Human Development in Asia – Realizing the Millennium Development Goals, New Delhi: Elsevier.