Summary
Contents
Subject index
Communication rights are a barometer of the degree of transparency and fairness in a democracy. India, the world's largest democracy, has found itself at the center of this debate. This book, through five case studies in India, explores communication rights movements here. It encompasses pivotal areas of movements, such as, Right to Information, Free and Open Source Software, Women and Media, and Community Radio and Citizen Journalism.
The complexity of specific agendas in India, such as, rights of women, citizen activism and role of media is analyzed while placing the subject in a broader theoretical context.
The author makes a strong case of the right of people to be able to access information. He also explores processes through which ordinary citizens are able to develop spaces for self-expression; a concept synonymous with media democratization in this century. The author highlights the need to ‘localize’ communication rights struggles in those places facing real communication deficits daily.
The Citizen Journalism Movement
The Citizen Journalism Movement
An extraordinarily diverse and involved civil society in India has taken up a variety of causes—the environment, human rights, cultural diversity, labour rights and communication rights. These civil society-based struggles for change have been complemented by a variety of political irruptions and insurrections, most notably the Maoist movement that has cut a swathe through most of Eastern India right up to the Maoist stronghold in neighbouring Nepal. Both types of struggle respond to key deficits that continue to bedevil the great Indian experiment with democracy and, in that process, attempt to hold the government accountable to their publics. The press—both mainstream and alternative, has also played an important role in creating an environment supportive of a vibrant public ...
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