Change in the air

Is there a change in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's approach to the media coverage given to the Prime Minister's overseas visits? Seems so, if one were to go by the communication sent out to media houses by the Ministry of External Affairs relating to Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Abu Dhabi and Dubai from August 16. The ministry has sought details of the journalists who intend to cover the visit, while giving advance information on accommodation arrangements for the media delegates. Ever since the NDA government took charge in May 2014, it stopped the practice of inviting journalists to accompany the PM on his visits abroad. Also, in the past one year or so, the government did not, on its own, facilitate media coverage, by way of giving out prior information on accommodation etc. In the pre-Modi days, journalists were invited to travel with the PM on board the same aircraft, while media houses paid for the accommodation of their representatives in designated hotels.