"Our liberty depends upon the freedom of the media, and that cannot be limited without being lost."
-Thomas Jefferson
Hey there! Today's blog is all about the fourth pillar of democracy, Media. What role is it supposed to play, and most importantly, what role is the Media playing currently?
Mentioning the four pillars of democracy- the Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, and the Media, Shri Naidu said that each pillar must act within its domain but not lose sight of the larger picture.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy advocated freedom of Media in India in agreement with the views of John Milton.
Article 19 of the constitution guarantees to the people of India the "Freedom Of Speech And Expression",
which includes the liberty of the Media also. Free media plays an important role in Democracy, which is said to be the lifeline, heart-beating, and soul of the nation.
Indian Media
India is the biggest market for the 4th pillar of democracy with over 82,237 registered newspapers, being circulated across different regions, and almost 700 television news channels, running all over India, and these numbers are increasing day by day. For social media platforms also namely Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Whatsapp India provides for its largest user base because of its lenient and restriction-free cyber laws. Despite this large user base and circulations, the media in India covers news to a larger extent of Entertainment, Politics, or corporate advertisement only rather than to educate and show the truth to the people.
What's wrong with Indian Media?
For a few years, it's been said that Media is supporting a particular mindset. It's also said that the media is spreading hatred, reporting false news, targeting unnecessary issues. It's also said that during debates, the anchors themselves become partial instead of conducting the debate partially with neutral facts. The level of Speech during debates is constantly degrading, using abusive language, and disrespecting opponents.
The following text was posted on Quora by Subhayan Purkayastha, a knowledge enthusiast. "Indian media is heavily biased. They are driven by a particular agenda and tend to be inclined towards a particular group or party. I personally feel that media houses should be objective and not subjective but that is hardly the case today. Other than DD News, I find all the private channels are biased to some of the other party and I believe it has something to do with the funding they receive and from where. Recently cases like the JNU, Ramjas, Dadri, Kashmir issue, etc was out there for all to see. Watch ABP News, it will show you something while pressing the previous channel on your remote, and you will see the same news with a completely different narrative. Be it TRP or funding or siding with a particular party, whatever it may be, the fact that media houses are biased cannot be denied. Now why this is a problem? You see media is supposed to be independent. Media more often than not plays a vital role in influencing the mindset of its audiences and viewers. When they are subjective and biased, they become selective. They decide what to report and what not to. They start modifying the news in such a way that it doesn’t tarnish the image of the party or group they are supporting. This process leads to confusion among the general public and the real news fails to reach us. Let people form their own opinion instead of forming an opinion for them. Once the journalism is driven by facts and data(verifiable), people will get in-depth news. Governments will be forced to become more transparent because every action of theirs will reach the commoners and they will be held accountable for their actions. They cannot sweep it under the rug. Automatically the governance improves. Independent media is vital for any democracy. They play a pivotal role in influencing people and thereby shaping the future of the country. Unfortunately, there are agencies and media persons who have become part of the political nexus. Sad!"
But, there is also a ray of hope in these times :)
In August of 2019, The highest honor in the field of Journalism, which is also said to be the Nobel Prize version of Journalism, The Ramon Magsaysay Award was received by a very reputed Journalist, Ravish Kumar, an Indian. He is among five individuals who were declared winners of the award, which is Asia’s premier prize and highest honor and celebrates the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia. This shows that there is still a part of Media that is playing its role well.
Big thanks to Bashar and Umar for such a great recommendation!❤
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