Political parties are deploying big money and celebrity sparkle to win votes. Plus, reporting on the Rohingya story.
Big money, high stakes – playing the media game as India votes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants a second term, and his party - the BJP - seems destined for victory in India's general election. How much of that is due to Modi's genuine popularity, and how much is down to the BJP's sprawling publicity machine - is another question.
Over the past financial year, the BJP's publicity budget has been 20 times that of the main opposition party, the Congress. That's a lot of extra rallies, billboards and social media ads spent to brand Modi as the leader Indians need. Throw in a few dozen celebrity endorsements, Bollywood style, a mainstream news media, most of whose support the BJP gets for free, and it adds up to an election that looks like Narendra Modi's to lose.
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