PIB Varta highlights need for stronger grassroots outreach
NONGSTOIN: Minister for Labour, Employment & Skill Development, Meghalaya, Methodius Dkhar, Monday called for a stronger partnership between the media and administration to improve awareness, counter misinformation and ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last mile and the intended beneficiaries.
Addressing the PIB Varta - Media Sensitisation Workshop on Centrally Sponsored Schemes, organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Shillong, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in association with the District Administration, West Khasi Hills District, at the DC Conference Hall, Nongstoin, the Minister stressed the need for greater grassroots outreach and credible dissemination of information on government initiatives.
The workshop brought together media representatives, social media influencers of the district, district officials and grassroots stakeholders with the objective of strengthening media-administration coordination, enhancing awareness of Central and State Government schemes, and bringing development initiatives and stories from the remote areas of West Khasi Hills to wider public attention.
Dkhar called upon mainstream media to play a stronger role in countering misinformation circulating on social media by providing verified information, factual context and appropriate clarification to the public.
Hema Nayak, Deputy Commissioner, West Khasi Hills District, said the workshop was conceived with the objective of bridging the gap in mainstream media representation of interesting stories emerging from the remote villages of the district.
A technical session on “Regional Journalism and the Last Mile: Taking Development Stories from the Ground to the People” was delivered by Ms Princess Giri Rashir, journalist and media professional associated with EastMojo.
Speaking during the session, Rashir highlighted the evolving role of journalism in the digital age, noting that people increasingly receive news and information through social media platforms and mobile phones. She emphasised that credible regional journalism is essential for verifying information, establishing facts and providing the larger context behind viral content.
Rashir stressed that journalists must go beyond official announcements and examine whether government schemes are actually reaching the intended beneficiaries. Referring to her reporting on Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, she said responsible journalism requires examination of relevant documents, understanding scheme guidelines, speaking to multiple stakeholders and seeking responses from the concerned authorities before publication.
She said departments could make greater use of media platforms to explain challenges, corrective measures and the role of communities in improving outcomes.
Highlighting the growing role of citizen journalism and digital content creators, Ms Rashir said they can play an important role in bringing grassroots issues to public attention. At the same time, she emphasised that information shared through such platforms must be properly verified before being amplified.
Officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, PWD (Roads), Public Health Engineering (PHE), Soil & Water Conservation, Tourism, Fisheries and DRDA shared information on various government programmes, schemes and development initiatives being implemented in the district.
The presentations provided media representatives with an overview of the objectives, implementation mechanisms and benefits of various schemes and initiatives, while also facilitating greater understanding of the challenges faced in delivering these programmes at the grassroots level.
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion involving media representatives, departmental officials and the district administration. Discussions focused on strengthening last-mile communication, addressing implementation challenges, improving public awareness of government schemes and ensuring that development stories from remote areas receive greater media visibility.
Image: File.