Cong forms three media units to counter Oppn attack

Cong forms three media units to counter Oppn attack

BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 09:48 PM IST
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New Delhi: Facing the Opposition onslaught on social media, Congress has chalked out a comprehensive strategy to bolster its presence on both conventional and cyber media ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.

The party has set up three special units, including a high-level seven-member team, to formulate its political strategy and response on key issues.

The move comes in the backdrop of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi repeatedly expressing his keenness to get the party that cutting edge, which helps in responding effectively to the Opposition’s sustained media campaigns against it.

As per the ‘Process Manual for News Response Team’ circulated among select party leaders, three separate units are to be formed for tracking news and conducting research for content, formulating political strategy and communicating the party’s stand.

The objective is to formalise the process for formulating and communicating the official response from the Congress party on critical issues, policy matters or events.

Of this, the main body called Media Response Group, which will formulate political response defining the party line for any events and policy, will have the Political Secretary to the Congress President, the Chairman Media Committee, the I&B Minister, the MoS (PMO) as its members besides the in-charges for Research Team and Social Media.

Currently, party spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit heads the Research Team while Deepender Hooda heads the one on social media.

The presence of at least three listed members is necessary for any meeting of the group, which will seek inputs on key issues, as and when required, from the Congress President, the Prime Minister and the party Vice- President.

It will assess and debate inputs received, decide on the party line and will update party spokespersons and social media managers on the party stand.

The unit will have a formal meeting every week to review the media reports of the bygone week and set the agenda for the coming week. They, will, however interact daily either in person or otherwise.

The group for ‘Tracking News and Conducting Research’ will keep track of news and events 24×7 including social media and recommend subjects to which Congress needs to respond.

It will be operational from 15 GRG office and provide a “daily media report” and “breaking news” updates to the unit formulating political response.

The party leadership has also given a clear indication that the violation of party line by any member will no longer be tolerated.

One of the key jobs of the group is to provide details of violations of the party line by any AICC members or MP. The group will apprise the Chairman of the Media Committee of such violations. The Chairman who would refer it to the AICC’s Disciplinary Committee.

It has also been tasked with the responsibility of generating sound political content.

This unit has been formed by merging the teams of Congress “war room” at 15 Gurudwara Rakabganj Road and the AICC. It will operate from the 15 GRG office.

One of the recommendations this manual prepared by AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh-headed committee on media publicity is to hold daily briefings by spokespersons.

This task has been assigned to the unit, which is also supposed to communicate the party stand to the media through conventional mediums as well on-line ones.     As of now AICC holds regular press briefings on three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Party spokespersons, however, interact with the media on other days barring Sunday.

People communicating the party line will consist of spokespersons, social media managers and ‘Khidkee’ administrators and users. Khidkee is the social media network by the Indian Youth Congress.

This unit will be the official channel to communicate the party line on key issues or events and will “seed the print, social and electronic media with the the party view”. The unit will have to be available round-the-clock for rapid response to critical issues.

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