2. Communication
The BJP needs to effectively communicate its thinking, ideology and activities better to people in India and outside. Media management has been often highlighted as one of the areas of deficiencies in the party’s communications. Members from Friends of BJP (along with the proposed Think Tank) can help build a better media outreach strategy using new media, offline distribution solutions, etc. We need to look for solutions which are “faster, better, cheaper” and can get the message across to the masses. Some possibilities:
- Innovative use of online (Net and mobile), complemented by offline distribution of CDs/DVDs, columns in print, TV appearances, etc.
- Direct 1:1 interaction with key members from the media
This strategy will only use contemporary mediums to increase outreach and is in no way a replacement to the grassroots movement. Public education is absolutely essential in a democratic setup. How the average citizen perceive the important issues, how informed he or she is about them, how they feel about them – all of these matter because public policy is formed as a distillation of how the public feels about them. Affecting change then is than a matter of changing public perception and that argues for a very effective campaign for public education. (Public education must be understood here as making the public informed about issues that matter in the larger scheme of things.)
Tomorrow: Engagement
