NGOs and the media management
Vicky Nanjappa
27 April 2015
Media strategy probably is the most important wing of any NGO which is planning oncarrying out a smear campaign against a country.
Apart from stage managing protests against developmental activities, the funds that pour in from the NGOs for media strategy is normally very high.
After Greenpeace, the Home Ministry of India placed under watch Ford Foundation which has made some very generous donations in India including a major one to the Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Ltd.
[Why was this Greenpeace activist "offloaded"?]
In fact it has been alleged that that the Ford Foundation had made two grants of 5.4 lakh dollars to Sabrang Trust and 2.9 lakh dollars to Sabrang Communication and Publishing Private Ltdrespectively.
Under the scanner of the Home Ministry following a complaint from the Gujarat government is how these funds were used.
The probe by the Gujarat government had observed that the trust has used 80 per cent of its funds for office expenses and some objectives that are unclear. Managing the media
For any NGO the media management was key. Several NGOs have used funds extensively for media conferences, the material attached to it.
[Ford Foundation under watch, has a lot to answer]
The intention was to convey the propaganda through the media. For instance NGOs that staged stage managed protests in areas were projects were being undertaken regularly had people to interact with the media through which they carried forward their propaganda.
The material passed on to several media houses included putting up false human interest stories and also defaming the government.
In journalistic banter, this stories are termed as "plants."
There have also been several instances where NGOs have called many journalists and awarded them in gala functions.
All this was part of the propaganda that was used by the NGOs. Fancy parties, gifts, trips abroad, facilitation and expensive gifts are all part of the modus operandi which the NGOs used to get journalists onboard.
The lure of these luxuries attracted many journalists to write these NGO propagated stories and in the bargain boasted of winning awards for the same which ironically was given out by the same NGO.
Everything under probe
The Intelligence Bureau says that each and every aspect is under probe. The modus operandi was a big one.
Like journalists, several NGOs even roped in politicians and the police.
Politicians and police officials were sent invites to speak at conventions and they went ahead without realizing that this was the bait.
It was important for NGOs to be in the good books of powerful and influential people.
The general idea was to make it look that there was a voice of consent from powerful quarters for their propaganda.
All these press clips, the speeches by politicians were part of a docket which these NGOs would prepare and circulate it.
Such clippings were even taken by the volunteers of these NGOs on their trips abroad.
Over there these clippings and material would be presented before Parliamentary panels and also circulated among the business class so as to show India in very poor light.
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