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Can a responsible minister tweet?

Indian Express’ editorial on the latest media-manufactured Shashi Tharoor controversy—the minister’s purported comments criticizing Gandhi and Nehru for their foreign policy outlook—introduces a strange new dichotomy: Either you can be a “glib crusader for social media” or a “responsible junior minister” in Dr. Singh’s government.

Strange not merely because the latest controversy had little to do with twitter—Tharoor’s alleged blasphemy was committed in a conference—but because using twitter does not detract from ministerial responsibilities.  Indeed, a look outside India’s borders would reveal that many responsible people in high government ranks are using social media to influence public opinion. Agreed a minister’s job requires tact and if Tharoor had used the forum to bad-mouth visiting state dignitaries or reveal state secrets, the opprobrium directed against him would have been well deserved. But how does merely using twitter disqualify one from the job? Or indeed, make one a crusader?

The Express editorial is doubly troubling because it acknowledges that the crusty old Congress establishment may be uncomfortable with the idea of a twittering minister, and then glibly goes on to blame Tharoor!  How is it the minister’s fault? Surely, the Express would agree that the importance of social media would only increase in future–to dismiss it as “shoot-from-the-hip” voice is really unfair. And if it is, why is the media constantly bothered about Tharoor’s tweets?

Two final points need to be made here. One, the side-issue of Tharoor’s tweets and creating controversies around them serves  the Indian media well. The business of media dictates that more controversies mean rising TRPs. And targeting a minister with little political base and no goons is safe journalism. Second, as has been previously argued on Retributions, MSM remains suspicious of social media. Perhaps because of the fear that  it would be swamped by the new-age media as it has happened in the West with newspapers rapidly losing circulation. Or perhaps because it is just disdain for a medium which removes the middleman from conversations. But this confrontation is meaningless: MSM and social media can exist together.  Or as this blog has argued,

As the blogosphere continues to grow and develop, the MSM faces two stark choices: It can either continue in its present state of denial or it can accept that bloggers have managed to carve their own niche and are unlikely to disappear. It is a choice between confrontation and cooperation. We can only hope that, for once, MSM would display wisdom and humility.