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| Info Deptt pats its own back for 450 handouts | | ELECTION COVERAGE | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Dec 11: Election coverage by the State Information Department this time has turned out to be a hi-tech and professional affair with the Department literally flooding the media organizations daily with poll related press releases and updates. The professional touch with which the news stories are done and delivered in time to print and electronic media organizations has made a marked difference over the coverage of the past election by the department.
"The very day the ECI announced the election schedule on October 19, we started special series of election coverage.", said Director Information, J&K, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, adding that, "Ever since, 450-plus poll related handouts have been issued and delivered at 600 odd media addresses through e-mail, fax and modem. "This is a record", he said and gave full credit to his colleagues in the department for working with "passion".
The media persons have been appreciative of the election related data and press releases issued by the Information Department and describe it both a qualitative and quantitative improvement over its functioning.
The Information department has set up two Election Media Centres in Srinagar and Jammu to provide up-to-date information about the various aspects of the ongoing Assembly elections, three of the total 7 phases of which have already been successfully completed. The Centres are fully equipped with multiple facilities like computers, dedicated telephone/fax lines, e-mail, modem and Internet including wi fi connectivity. Hotlines between the media centres and the Election Office and PCR have also been se up for regular inflow of information.
The department came out with a Handbook on Elections 2008 before the actual start of the elections. "Normally the department would publish election data in a book form for circulation among the media persons after the elections and installation of a new government but this time we thought to provide constituency, district and province-wise data on electorate, polling stations, polling schedule and all J&K Assembly elections held since 1972 before the elections were held", said Director Information. "Importantly, the book profiles each of the 87 constituencies since 1957 when the first electoral process was conducted in the State", he adds. The informative book was distributed among the media persons at specially held press conferences at Srinagar and Jammu on the launch of the two Media centres. The media persons were also provided with soft copies of the book and election data on Assembly Elections 2002. The data was also available on computer systems at the two Media centres for visiting journalists.
Since the announcement of poll schedule, 12 press conferences have been organized by the department at the Media Centres, attended by a large number of press persons. On the conclusion of each phase of polling, press conferences are held at the twin Media Centres to brief media persons about the polling. The Chief Electoral Officer, Director General of Police, Divisional Commissioners and Inspectors General of Police hold press briefings. To ensure extensive coverage from the districts as well, District Media Centres have also been set up by the department across the State. Hourly updates on voting on poll days are generated and sent to media persons through E-mail and fax.
In order to facilitate on-the-spot coverage of polling, the Information department has also organized chopper flights and special vehicles on polling days for media persons to allow them a firsthand opportunity to report from far-flung areas. |
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