The central government has decided to set up an ombudsman of sorts to track views and opinions of the media and public, reports Indian Express. The ombudsman would also if required, counter negative opinions against the government.
The National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) last month made a proposition, that a National Media Analytics Centre (NMAC) be created which will keep an eye on blogs, digital wing of TV channels and newspapers and also social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and others.
“The government will keep a watch on the narrative in all such threads. Every time a negative narrative surfaces, a possible counter would be initiated — through press releases, briefings or press conferences, depending on the intensity or standing of the post,” said sources to Indian Express.
Relevant tags will be generated by the software which will highlight “belligerent” comments and classify them into negative, neutral and positive categories. The software will also have the capacity to display if a particular negative posting was factually correct or an intentional jibe.
“The software would also help recall the past pattern of the writer to check the number of times he took a negative or positive stand, his background, and preferences of websites and areas of interest to judge whether they were aimed at fomenting trouble or radicalisation,” said sources to Indian Express
The objective – to come up with quick counters on social media to put a lid on resentment so that personal opinions do not escalate into law and order problem.
The feedback on the posts under scanner, if necessary would be passed on to security agencies or higher authorities for possible intervention.
(Feature Image Source: Reuters)