The Evolving Role Of Media In Indian Politics.

Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. It is a mirror of society and a powerful tool in checking the implemention and abuse of laws. Although the Indian constitution does not have an exclusive act defining the liberty of the press but it is evidently included in the freedom of speech and expression under the Article 19 (1) (a).

Media, a derivative of word medium meaning carrier, reports news, provides information and analysis on issues and creates awareness among masses. The fundamental function of media, both print and mass media, is to inform people, educate them and guiding the society. Newspapers satisfies the queries of public by answering the questions of what, when, where, why, and how the events happened and who are participants in various happenings. Media is easily accessible by all walks of people. It keeps people updated as information about everything and from everywhere is provided within seconds. Media plays an active role in raising awareness on human rights, apart from other civil and political rights and helps in mobilizing people to recognize and protect human rights and bringing perpetrators to justice. By reporting and denouncing cases of human rights violations and other criminal cases and discussing punishments according to laws, media helps in bringing down the incidences of abuse and violation.

These are the real role of Media in society, but is it that what Mass Media doing now in the current political scenario? Isn’t it time we asked this question to ourselves? What are our opinion about politics today… exactly what Media is feeding us now…. in fact in a frenzy they are trying to feed us what to think and what should be our action based on what we are fed by them.

Media in any form is very influential…. be it the old age Newspaper medium, Broadcasting Media like Radio and Television.Then there is the ever favourite Medium of Cinema, And now to top it all the ever actively vibrant Social Media which has tremendous influence and reaches in the public’s hand within seconds by just a touch of a smart phone.

It’s high time Media understood it’s responsibility. How conveniently all the news broadcasting channels are manipulating every small issue done by the opposition party and in doing so kind of feed us the most manipulated news that the ruling party( whoever is in power at that time) is the best in the current scenario… A common man at the end of his day sitting in front of any such media just gobbles up what is being fed to him….People are made to forget the steeping fuel price increase by the petroleum ministry, so many suicides of poor farmers who couldn’t bear the heavy burden of the loans when rich business men loot the banks of millions . The cow lynching and the darkest hour of an 8 year old being gangraped in a temple….. , the Nirbhaya case and everything was just wiped off from the people’s mind.. How rightly it’s said that Public Memory is short …just till another incident is being fed to them.

The best example of the media frenzy in helping the people decide whom they should cast their vote for is the loud and boisterous debate they call as Chat show.. and the latest cinemas like the Accidental Prime Minister and the surgical strike based movie Uri all are released just a couple of months before the General Election in April -2019 .

All what we need is common sense to understand what is the real intention behind all these. So stop..think….act..before it’s too late. Jai hind…