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Panel Discussion: The Role of Digital Media in the 2019 Indian General Elections

ISAS-KAS Joint Panel Discussion

The 2019 Indian general elections were dubbed by some as `WhatsApp election". The ISAS-KAS panel will discuss the ways in which political parties used digital media during the 2019 election campaign, the extent of disinformation and the attempts to curb fake news.

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About the Panel

Digital media played a central role in the 2019 general election campaign. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the first to use digital media in a big way in the 2014 Indian general elections, in 2019 virtually every political party used digital media to reach out to voters. The use of digital media was so widespread that the 2019 polls were dubbed by some as the 'WhatsApp election'. This was a reference to India being the biggest market for the Facebook-owned messaging platform, WhatsApp, which has over 200 million users in India, and its extensive employment by all political parties for campaigning. There is also evidence to show that disinformation spiked during the election campaign despite efforts by India's Election Commission and digital media companies. The panel will discuss the ways in which political parties used digital media during the 2019 election campaign, the extent of disinformation and the attempts to curb fake news.

​​​​​​​Please register onlinehere

Program

2.30pm Registration and Tea/Coffee

3.00pm Welcome Remarks

Professor C Raja Moha

Director, Institute of South Asian Studies

National University of Singapore

ISAS-KAS Panel Discussion

The Role of Digital Media in the 2019 Indian General Elections

Chairperson

Dr Ronojoy Sen

Senior Research Fellow; and Research Lead (Politics, Society & Governance)

Institute of South Asian Studies, NUS

Panellists

Professor Sahana Udupa

Professor of Media Anthropology

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Dr Joyojeet Pal

Associate Professor

School of Information

University of Michigan

Mr Govind Ethiraj

Founder-Editor

Boom

Dr. Nalin Mehta

Executive Editor

The Times of India - Online

4.10 pm Question and Answer Session

4.50 pm Concluding Remarks

Christian Echle

Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

5.00pm End of Event / Tea Reception

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Venue

Hotel Mandarin Orchard, Singapore

Speakers

  • Professor Sahana Udupa
    • Dr Joyojeet Pal
      • Mr Govind Ethiraj
        • Dr Nalin Mehta

          Publication

          The Role of Digital Media in the 2019 Indian General Elections: ISAS-KAS Joint Panel Discussion
          read now
          The Impact of Digital Media on the 2019 Indian General Election: Special Report
          read now
          Contact

          Katharina Naumann

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