Media refers to the communication tools or channels through
which news, music, movies, education, promotional messages, and other information
is disseminated. It includes mediums like radio, television, magazines,
newspapers, internet, etc. It describes the different ways in which we
communicate in the society ranging from a telephone call to the news on
television. The term media is used to denote a medium that is designed to reach
out to a large audience such as the population of a country.
For instance, in the present times of the pandemic, media
is constantly updating us about the scenario of the country as well as of the
world regarding the number of active cases, the policies that government has
adopted, etc. Along with the news of the pandemic, the media is also regularly
updating about the other things happening in the country.
Media plays an important role to inform the public
about the social, economic, and political activities happening in the world. It shows
the ground reality of the society and portrays what the truth is. Media is the
4th pillar of democracy and plays a vital role in generating a
democratic culture that is beyond the politics and helps increase the public
consciousness. They are known as the watchdogs of the democracy as they supply
the information about various candidates standing for the elections so that the
people can choose their representative on those bases.
ROLE OF MEDIA IN DEMOCRACY
The Indian Constitution guarantees the fundamental
right of ‘Freedom of Speech and Expression’ to every citizen, which includes ‘Freedom
of Press’. For a democracy to function properly, the government and the
citizens need to go hand in hand and for this purpose, media works to bridge
the gap between them. The judiciary has protected the rights of the media as
well as constrained it in the interest of justice as well as the fundamental
rights of the others. Media exposes loopholes in the democratic society which
helps the government to fill those vacuums and make the system more responsive,
accountable and democratic friendly. Media has also helped to shape the
democratic society by emphasizing issues such as child birth and care, domestic
violence, and sexual harassment, which would have been private. It also helps
in molding the public opinion and bringing social change in the society by
highlighting issues such corruption in the government or the non functioning of
the government. It is also a means for educating people, especially those in
the rural areas, by circulating information without any bias.
RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE MEDIA
- The
media has the power to reach the government and expose their real picture to
the world so that transparency can be maintained in the government. - A
challenging role for the media is to reveal any piece of information or truth to
the public in such a way that no particular group of people are agitated from
it. - It
also has the responsibility to help the citizens nourish and enjoy their rights
and also to check that they exercise those rights in a lawful manner. - Media
can organise debates to challenge the loopholes in the functioning of the
government and also appreciating the good work of the government. - They
can also build a sense of patriotism in the citizens who without the fear of
any politician can work for the betterment of the nation. - Media
should never present any information by deliberately twisting it to create a
hype in the people. - It
should also not get involved in creating fake news, or promoting a party or a
brand just for the sake of money. - Presenting
real and important issues should be the main motive of the media, rather than
indulging in presenting issues that are of no importance to the general public.
