By Kalpana Sharma
Elections are often the best time for us journalists to get a sense of what ordinary people, women and men think; how developmental programmes work or do not work; why even relatively prosperous states still have pockets where children starve; and many other aspects of life as it is for millions. Often such stories are overlooked by the media. The bulk of elections coverage, especially these days, remains speeches by politicians endlessly attacking their opponents.
This report in Indian Express was a refreshing change from the norm. It illustrates well how election reporting can consist of not just providing a ground’s eye view of what is happening, but also bringing out, through women’s voices, the factors that dictate voting preferences.
