The PMO, sources said, is keen that no time is lost in responding to “negative” news. The PMO, sources said, is keen that no time is lost in responding to “negative” news.

To counter what it perceives as negative news in the media, the government plans to set up QRTs (quick response teams) in various ministries and departments that will immediately step in with arguments to alter the nature of discourse.

The Sunday Express has learnt that in a meeting called by the Cabinet Secretary recently, ministries and departments were advised to draw up a list of experts, including from outside the government, and keep their telephone numbers handy. These experts can be called at short notice to cogently argue the government’s case on issues where the narrative turns critical.

According to a senior official, even in the latest episode where Gujarat witnessed a spate of violence in the wake of the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel, it was felt that “the government did not manage the media well”. “The feeling at the top (Prime Minister’s Office) was that there was no effective communication,” the official said.

Sources said the QRT could comprise senior officials from each ministry or department besides nodal officers from the Press Information Bureau and outside experts who would be called in to speak in the defence of the government.

“For instance, when there was an outcry following the issuance of show-cause notices to three private channels — Aaj Tak, NDTV India and ABP News — Doordarshan had called in experts including a former High Court judge to explain the nuances in a special show immediately after the print media reported it,” source said.

The PMO, sources said, is keen that no time is lost in responding to “negative” news. They said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will also play a role in coordinating with other ministries and departments in drafting quick responses to sensitive news breaking on TV news channels.

“Be it black money or incidents of riots/violence or controversies such as FTII appointments, the government must ensure its voice is heard,” sources said, reflecting what is being felt in the PMO.

The Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), under the I&B ministry, is already equipped to closely track 600 news channels with the help of 200 content auditors. It keeps updating senior government officials about what is trending on TV news across the country on an hourly basis through text messages.

Top government officials, including the National Security Advisor, Principal Secretary to the PM and Cabinet Secretary, also get a hard copy of the ‘sentiment analysis’ on issues trending in social media such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs. “These, in many ways, serve as an advance warning system, to the government at the highest level,” sources said.

The Union Home Ministry has provided the EMMC with a RAX phone to relay any significant newsbreak aired on the TV channels it tracks. The I&B ministry has plans to ramp up the EMMC’s capacity to 1,500 channels over the next two years to meet the challenges presented by an expanding television media.

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