MEDIA AND SOCIETY : Dr.

Amit Bhardwaj
What is Media?
Meaning of Media: 'Media' is the plural form of the English word 'medium'. The word 'media' is
used as a noun for the means of communication, radio, television, newspaper etc. "Two or more
means of communication are collectively called 'media’. The medium itself makes the power of
information and its effectiveness intensify, just as any message through the Internet becomes
viral in a few minutes. Media, also known as singular or plural, are the main means of mass
communication.

The main purpose of Media is to inform, educate, inspire and entertain the community so that
new ideas and techniques can be accepted and their lifestyle can be improved. Mass media is
used as a channel of mass communication, so that information can be disseminated over a wide
area. The term media is defined as one of the general communication methods or channels in
society through which news, entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are spread.
Media includes every broad and narrow medium—such as newspapers, magazines, TV, radio,
billboards, telephone, fax and the Internet.

Thus, media means that technology whose purpose is to convey the message to the
mass audience. It is the primary means of communication to reach the vast majority of the
general public. The most common means for media are newspapers, magazines, radio, TV,
film, internet.

Media is also used to establish communication with the general public. The general public
generally depends on the media to get news and information about political issues, social issues,
entertainment and culture. Recent technologies (sometimes called new media) such as pagers,
iPods, cellular phones, satellites, computers, electronic mail and the Internet have been included
as mass media. At the same time, communication through digital telecommunication, computer
and internet has made this process more rapid. Modern media allow for long distance
communication between people. On the other hand, many people prefer both traditional
broadcast media and new media.

Nature of Media

There is no direct relationship with the recipient: Millions of people get information but there
is no direct relationship between the giver of the information and the receiver.

Messages are public: The messages and information sent by the media are for everyone, not for
any particular person. Equally, all these information are received by everyone at the same time.
Feedback is not immediately received: Whatever is shown or published in the media, it does
not get immediate feedback.
Requirement of Formal Organization: A formal organization is needed for the media, from
where it operates.

Scope of Media: Providing information, educating, entertaining, monitoring, and providing a

forum for discussion.

Relationship of Media in Society

The relation of media and man is very old or rather the relation between media and
society is probably as old as the society. The media is known as the fourth pillar to monitor the
activities of the legislature, executive and judiciary in democratic countries. Media has played an
important role in reaching out to the masses and making them aware. If the media plays a
positive role, then any person, organization, group and country can be made prosperous
economically, socially, culturally and politically.

In the present time, the utility, importance and role of media is increasing continuously.
No society, government, class, institution, group or person can progress by neglecting the media.
Media has become an indispensable necessity in today's life. If we look at what is called a
society, then the fact comes that we cannot call a crowd of people or unrelated human beings as
society. Society means the interconnected fabric of relationships, in which the existence of
communities consisting of rational and thoughtful human beings.

Media is a holistic system which includes media of information like printing press,
journalists, electronic media, radio, cinema, internet etc. If we talk about the role of media in the
society, then it means that what is the direct and indirect contribution of media in the society and
what is its positive and negative impact on the society while discharging its responsibilities.
Considering the impact, it is clear that with the increase in the power, importance and usefulness
of media in the society, its positive effects have increased significantly but at the same time its
negative effects have also emerged.

While the media has contributed in making the public aware, exposing corruption, logical
control over power and promotion of public interest, it has tarnished its role by getting caught in
the web of greed, fear, malice, competition and political viciousness. Adoption of yellow
journalism for personal or institutional vested interests, Exploitation of others by blackmail,
giving preference to hot news and distorting the news, publishing news inciting riots, giving
double meaning to events and statements, flattering the ruling party, unnecessarily praising and
glorifying someone and criticizing someone else, many unfair things are being done by the
media these days. Exaggeration of sensitive issues, ignoring the news related to 'honesty,
morality, conscientiousness and courage' has become a common feature of the media nowadays.
This behavior of the media creates chaos and imbalance in the society. Through Print Media, TV
and cinema, western culture is spreading, due to which there has been an increase in incidents
like unnecessary fashion, obscenity, theft, hooliganism in the society. Due to this decline, the
younger generation is also falling into the pit of decline.

The role of the media should be as a genuine information dissemination agency. The
society gets information about the events happening all over the world through the media.
Therefore, it should be the effort of the media that this information should be accurate. No
attempt should be made to present the information by distorting or corrupting it. For the benefit
of the society, information should be presented to the public in a proper and pure form. The
presentation of the media should be such that it can guide the society. The presentation of news
and events should be in such a way that the public can be guided. Good articles, editorials,
informative information, best entertainment etc. should be included in the news, only then the
right direction can be provided to the society.

Media provides leadership to the society in many ways. This affects the ideology of the
society. Media should also be present in the role of motivator, so that society and governments
can get inspiration and guidance. Media is also the protector of the interests of different sections
of the society. It also plays a role as a watchdog of society's policy, traditions, beliefs and
civilization and culture. Different sections of the society get information about various events
happening all over the world through the media. Therefore, it should present the information
objectively in the right perspective.

Media also plays a big role in the imbalance and balance of the society through its news.
Media can develop a sense of peace, harmony and courtesy in the society. In times of social
tensions, conflicts, differences, wars and riots, the media should act in a very restrained manner.
Media also plays an important role in the emergence of the feeling of devotion and unity towards
the nation. The media should take an active part in the broadcast of inspirational and encouraging
news in the honor of the martyrs. Media can also play the role of social worker through various
social functions. It can do a great service to humanity by providing public support during
earthquakes, floods or other natural or man-made calamities. Media should also come forward to
promote good trends.

Looking at the multifaceted role of media, it can be said that today media has emerged in
both destructive and beneficial roles. Information plays an important role in the development of
any society and media plays its role in conveying this information from one person to another or
from one place to another. Today, media intervention is in every part of our life, be it our
personal life or social. Often we depend on the media to get information and to transmit any
information to the public. The dissemination of information and its impact on the people also
depends on which medium we are choosing.

Positive influences of media

Media has its own effect on society; media has many advantages both positive and
negative on public life. Let us know about it in detail. Television is the biggest medium of media
in today's time.
• People get education through media, they get to know about health, environment and other
information.
• Through media, people get a good platform to put their talent in front of all over the world.
• Media increases the knowledge of children. Children learn a lot through channels like
Discovery, National Geographic or quiz programs.
• Radio is also a good medium, through this; information can be obtained by staying anywhere.
Nowadays, the facility of Radio FM is also available in mobile.
• Media opened the way for the progress in marketing. Through advertising, people get
information about different types of goods, due to which sales are also high.
• TV channels also earn through advertising.
• It is a very good means of entertainment. People started getting entertained through TV serials,
news, songs and films shown in it.
• Countries, different regions of the world and people of various religions can come together and
show their their talent.
• Live news of the the world is available through the media. Media immediately capture the
incident in any corner of the world and bring it in front of everyone.
• There are different channels for all subjects, so that we can watch whatever and whenever we
want.
• There are separate channels for children.
• Many religious channels are also available, which can be enjoyed by the elders of our house.
• There are many types of news channels, different for local news, different for the state,
different for the country, different for foreign and different for the share market. With so many
options, we can choose whatever we want. This channel is also available in many languages, so
that people, who understand different languages of the country, can enjoy these channels in their
regional language.
• For the latest news, internet can also be used, social media is very popular nowadays, through
which many people are connected and they can share their point of view along with information.
• Many sports channels also come on TV, due to these, we enjoy the cricket matches going on far
and wide while sitting at home.
• Media people work hard in many ways to expose the corrupt leaders. They bring their truth in
front of everyone through sting operation.
• Media persons work hard to deliver their news. Every media person tries to telecast the news or
program first in his channel. Media has become a part of our everyday life.

Negative influences of media

• With increasing number of channels, one channel becomes the rival of other. In the competition
of TRP, they do not pay attention to the quality of the program, and just show anything.
• Nowadays, more advertisements are being telecasted on TV than programs.
• To show anything, nowadays sloppiness is served. Many times such programs also come in the
family channel, which cannot be watched while sitting with the family and suddenly everyone
feels confused.
• Due to the increasing channels on TV, most of the people have become busy in it. Due to one
program after the other, we keep sitting in front of the TV sets. People's life revolves only around
TV.
• People waste time due to spending more time in mass media, social media. It also affects the
social life of the people.
• Mass media, especially social media has the worst effect on children and students; they focus
more on their attention, which affects their studies a lot.
• Mass media, especially social media make you habituate; it becomes difficult for you to live
without it. Due to this, the development of the human brain also stops.
• Constant exposure to mass media and social media affects the brain and eyes of children, adults
and children. Children start wearing glasses at an early age. Apart from this, many health
problems like headache, pain in the back etc also arise.
• Many kinds of problems arise for those who spend more time in social media.
• Many objectionable channels also appear on social media. It is like a curse for our society,
which spoils the future of the country. The government should take strict steps and such TV
channels, programs should not be allowed to be broadcast on TV.
• Many people are used to listening to FM. They listen to it with headphones while driving. It
may create problem in their ears and wearing headphones while driving also causes big
accidents. Recently, it was heard that a school bus rammed into a train, killing 15-20 children.
The reason for the accident was that the driver had put on headphones and he could not hear the
man standing in the railway gate even when he made a sound and such a big accident happened.
• Mass media, programs shown on social media sometimes also give bad education. Programs
related to crime give new ideas to many people, and due to this, various types of criminal
incidents start happening in our society too.
• In the programs of mass media and social media, the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol is
also shown openly. Seeing this, children are affected along with the elders and they adopt it in
their lives.
• Rich, poor, caste and religion related issues are dominated by programs shown in TV, due to
which people get misinformation.
• Children and youth do stunts shown in mass media in their homes, which only harms them.
Something similar was happened during the telecasting of serial 'Shaktimaan'. The way
Shaktimaan used to fly round and round, children also started doing it in their house, due to
which many children lost their lives.
• Media people say anything, go to any extent to make their news. Nowadays media has less
truth, more content.
• They will not go to help people in the time of any disaster or accident but will ask them “how
are you feeling?” It seems that media has lost human values too.
• Media has promoted casteism, many times the channels talk about a particular religion in such
a way that people of that religion are hurt, and sometimes these issues lead to communal riots.
• Many times some false rumor is spread about a particular person, which spoils the reputation of
that person.

Media Literacy

Media literacy refers to the ability of people to analyze, evaluate and generate
messages for different types of media.
People interpret media literacy differently. But media literacy does not mean just training in
newspaper, radio and television, but it means education to make people aware of media, to create
understanding about things and transparency in attitude and also aims to inculcate morality in
people. Media literacy includes practices that allow people to use, critically evaluate and create
or manipulate media. Media literacy is not limited to any one medium; rather it develops your
understanding of each medium and its various aspects.
The importance of media literacy today is more than ever because the nature of media has
changed a lot due to market and commercial competition. Today a huge amount of people in
India are active on social media and on an average spend about 02 to 03 hours but most of the
people do not know its purpose. They need to ask themselves the following questions –
1- For what purpose are they using social media (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc.)?
2- What kind of news are they watching on social media?
3- Do they investigate the news?
4- Do they forward the news? If yes, what is its purpose?
5- Are they sharing any content just for pleasure or fun?
6- How will the content shared by them affect the society and environment?
7- What is the source of any news appearing on the social platform and how reliable is it?
There are many such questions, which a media-user should ask himself because today everyone
is using it but he/she is not fully aware of its side effects and effects or rather he is not media
literate. Today, there is a need to be more concerned about social media because today everyone
is a journalist, everyone has their own pen. In such a situation, the need of media literacy is felt
more today because in its absence, an invisible poison is spreading in the common society and
public life, which is making people mentally hollow and sick instead of physical damage.

Media literacy is a new concept for this country, but it has been used for many years in
many parts of the world, especially in developed countries. In view of the current situation, there
is a need to take a proper step regarding media literacy in India and the need to give a new look
to media education is also felt. Even today, it is difficult to find out which information is correct
and which is wrong. Although there are many fact checkers available today, they are not enough
to assess right and wrong. The first step should be taken towards making people media literate in
the country other than a best technology for checking any information. Today, in the era of
digitization, it has become easy to reach the people. So, a campaign should be started at the
government level to make the general public aware of it through offline and online medium. At
the same time, emphasis should be laid on increasing media literacy at the school level.
Even today in our country there is a limited format of school education in which the child is
burdened with the syllabus. The same formality is seen in the name of extra-curricular activities.
In such a situation, the work of making students aware of the use of digital media, the content on
it and teaching the difference between true and fake news should be started from the school level
itself, so that children may develop an understanding of media from adolescence.

Media literacy is needed not only by the students but by the whole society. We have to
understand that every news that appears on any social platform is correct, it is not guaranteed. It
is necessary to investigate that content and it is not appropriate to just share it with others.
Today, questions are also being raised on the credibility of newspaper and television news. There
have been many occasions when the media was seen presenting false news with an exaggerated,
chili-spice. In such a situation, it is also the responsibility of the government to create a better
standard and at the same time prepare a syllabus to make every section media literate and include
it in the curriculum, so that better and correct information can be exchanged online and a healthy
society is created. The importance of media literacy today is more than ever because the nature
of media has changed a lot due to market and commercial competition. At the same time, the
new media has been so mixed in human society that if the society is not made aware of its
modalities, then it can prove harmful for it.
 Now, there is a need for media literacy in the country. News has to be read critically. The
truth behind it has to be understood. Media literacy has many aspects, so people interpret it
differently. Most scholars take it as training in newspapers, radio and television. Very few people
know that this term refers to make people media aware and it also aims to inculcate morality in
children.

Impact of Media on Children and Youth

The young generation of any country is a very important human resource and through this
generation, the problems of the country can be easily solved. This generation can bring change
and development in every country. In developing countries, the role of youth becomes very
important because the importance of a disciplined, hard-working and dedicated youth force in
their social and economic progress is like the blood flowing in the human body. Indian youth
have been representing the hope and future of our country. The main basis for the change taking
place in the society is the development and expansion of the resources and the methods of giving
and receiving information in the society.

As soon as we hear or say about media, the information resources like newspapers,
magazines, radio and television appear in front of us. Some time ago, man had to go himself to
send and receive information or we used to take the help of animals which took more time to
reach the information to its destination. Over the time, information media developed slowly in
the beginning but later rapidly. Newspapers and magazines developed as a large medium of
information in a very detailed manner and at low price. At present, so many resources of
information are available all over the world at low cost. All information as per the need of the
world, can be obtained in the blink of an eye. The development of media has reached a very
rapid stage.

The greatest influence of the media is seen in the youth of 17 to 26 years and in children
between the ages of 04 and 16 years. This effect is positive as well as negative. At the same time,
television, radio and cinema have always taught us how to live a modern life with entertainment.
Currently, India has about 60 percent youth and social media is doing the job of connecting these
youth. Its craze is increasing day by day which has become an important part of the daily routine
of the youth. This vital part has revolutionized life. According to the data of Internet and Mobile
Association of India, three out of every four people in urban areas in our country use social
media in some form or the other. From internet to 3G mobile, youth are fulfilling their dreams by
crossing the borders of the world through social media. Just go to social sites, express your
curiosity and complete the search. All the questions will be answered. Till some time ago, I had
to write to keep some information in mind and tell others, but today just take a picture and save
it. Keep it in your phone and send it to other person in the same way. Not only this, keep all the
queries and documents related to yourself in the form of note-pad easily in your mobile or mail
id with you. Use it, as and when it is needed. Not only this, through social media sites, youth are
using their understanding, knowledge, passion, curiosity and they are fulfilling social concerns
by connecting people of their similar mindset all over the world.
Updating status on social sites several times a day and chatting with friends for hours has
become like an intoxicant of habits. Obscene material and provocative messages are also being
circulated through these social sites. Along with this, our privacy also seems to be ending
somewhere. Through this, it has helped in carrying out many terrorist activities.
At present, a major linguistic problem is also being seen among the youth, which is
personal communication, due to which they are not able to communicate effectively or socially.
At the same time, the adoption of western civilization among the youth makes them seem to be
modern. Due to which the lifestyle of the youth of our country is getting affected. Many
problems like lack of concentration, depression, insomnia, irritability, restlessness among the
youth are also increasing due to the habit of social networking sites
According to Abraham Lincoln, it is a child who will complete the work started by a
person in the future. He is going to sit where the person is today and when that person is gone,
the child will perform the activities he considers important. If the development of the child is
according to their nature, then we will not have to struggle and we will not have to pass
meaningless ideal resolutions and we will move towards the path of peace with love.
Children are also very much interested in the socio-political activities taking place in the
society. All this has become possible because of the media. According to an Assocham report,
“Children in the age group of 06 to 17 years watch TV for at least 35 hours in a week. There has
been a change in the nature of these children by watching more TV. Children's attitudes are
changing. Violent tendencies are increasing in them. The study also found that some children are
not even afraid of hitting their parents. If children are not listened to, they become very violent
towards their parents."

Dr Sunil Mittal, Senior Psychiatrist, Director, Delhi Psychiatric Center DPC, says that
"Besides spending more time on social networking sites, watching television for more time leads
to depression, annoyance and many other psychological problems in children, adolescents and
youth." Children, after watching their favorite shows on TV, try to do exactly what they see their
role models doing on TV. They like to watch and imitate these programs in reality. At the same
time, there has also been an increase in the tendency of children to be alone. Along with this, due
to the increasing nuclear families, children are also dependent on this medium for their
entertainment. Children are not so much interested in playing outdoor games as they are
interested in playing the currently popular games which are played on computers and mobiles
through these medium. This has affected their physical and mental development. Many types of
diseases not occurring at this age have also infiltrated in small children. Presently children are
maturing before their age, whether it is physically or mentally. Small news stories are dramatized
and presented in such exaggerated form that creativity is completely destroyed.

Media should be used by everyone but its time limit must be fixed. People often express
their feelings on social media. But nothing happens except to get comments on it. If you share
your feelings directly with family and friends, you will recover from bad times sooner. The
youth have become addicted to social networking websites. Habits like updating status on social
website several times a day, chatting with friends for hours have affected the younger generation
to a great extent. Spending time on websites like Facebook and Twitter for hours is not only
affecting their studies but also slowly ending their creativity to do something new.
According to experts, significant changes are being observed in the behavior and lifestyle
of youth in many ways which are closely related to their social and personal life. The way people
interact with each other, is changing rapidly. The hunger to dominate social media day and night
is making people psychopaths. Unnecessary TV debates, hate speeches, live streams create a
stressful environment, which sometimes distracts the attention of the person from his work.
Therefore, it is necessary that the society and the government should seriously consider
this matter and prevent the uncontrolled use, misuse or use of media from becoming a medium of
propaganda. We have to save ourselves and our country and society from the negative role of
media so that the mental health of children and youth can be kept healthy. Through media, we
have to focus on speaking well, seeing good, listening well, which increases the communication
of positive energy in the society. Proper use of media can solve or help in solving many
problems of the society. Positive use of its power and potential will keep the mental health of the
youth healthy and they can be used properly for the progress of the country. At the same time,
peace and harmony will sustain in the social environment as well.

Media and Gender Issues

Media can bring significant social changes in the society. Media through various
campaigns generates consciousness and awareness about social evils in the society but media is
also accused of ‘creating’ the image of a particular section of the society. Due to which, the
distance between social classes goes on increasing. One of these issues is the construction of an
image on the basis of gender.
The image formation or representation done on the basis of gender through the media
changes the way of interaction in the society. It not only depicts a particular image of women but
also presents a media image in relation to men.

Media coverage of women: It is alleged that the media lacks balance in its coverage.
Unbalanced coverage is seen in respect of women. In most of the programs discussing serious
issues, such as politics, economy, science, sports, etc., women are less invited as a participant,
whereas the number of women is very high in all these fields. Women's participation in
agriculture-related matters is also rarely shown in TV, radio and newspapers. Only on the issues
of domestic affairs and women empowerment, the participation of women is high. Women MPs
and women legislators are given relatively little representation on issues of parliamentary
business. According to the Association of Women Journalists, only 18% of news incidents
involve women, and in many countries this number is even lower, while women's issues are
almost equal to men in all countries. Talk programs on TV and radio have only 10% of female
interlocutors. Apart from this, there is also a difference in the words used about women activists
at the political and social level.
More delicate words are used about women and the words with strong and powerful expressions
are used less. Women players often get less space in the media and their issues are less
discussed. Women players who perform well in Kabaddi, Hockey and Cricket World Cup get
less space. The media's perspective also changes while covering the matches of female players.
There is bias in their coverage in the newspapers and on TV. Most of the female journalists
shown on TV are instructed to look more beautiful. In cinema too, more attention is given to
beautiful faces than talent.

Portrait of Women in Print Media: There are hardly any articles published in newspapers on
the problem of housewife in the home and society. Women based articles only represent the
upper and middle class and do not represent the political and economic realities of Indian
women. Even in women's magazines, bias is visible. Often women's magazines are just a bunch
of cooking tips, fashion, love stories and health discussions and women-based ads.

Portrait of women in radio: Less than 2% of radio programs also account for women-based
programs, while 25% of radio advertisements focus on women in fashion, cosmetics, food and
clothing. According to the image portrayed by radio, an ideal woman must remain confined
within the boundaries of her home. Many FM channels misrepresent the image of women
through film songs and programmes.
Portrayal of Women in TV: News related to women is given less space in TV. The image of
women as consumers in news tends to be heavy. In advertisements their lifestyle is shown as
upper class. Women are mentioned more in the news as wife, daughter and mother. In TV
serials, a wrong image is created by showing women doing domestic quarrels, jealousy, malice
and conspiracies.

Female image representation in cinema: In Indian cinema and serials, the storywriter is always
a man and he also writes the stories in his own way. Although in the present time, many women
have started writing for films, film songs and serials, due to which women's perspective also
reaches people through stories, but this thing was rarely seen in old films. For a very long time,
women were portrayed as weak and helpless characters in cinema and still do today. Female
characters are shown to be dependent on men and men are often shown to be attracted to the
beauty of women. In item songs, women are shown most of the time. There is no doubt that this
type of presentation affects the mentality of the society. Female characters need to be courteous,
self-sufficient and strong.

Image of Women in Advertisements: In an old pressure cooker advertisement, there is a line

that says that whoever loves his wife, how can he deny it to the Prestige. It is clear from this line
that the men take the decisions of the house and the women take care of the household chores.
The advertisements of many products, despite not being related to women, show women as the
main characters in them. Advertisements for men's creams depict women. Mere appearance is
not a problem but it is wrong to see that women only prefer fair skin.
Women are often featured in vehicle advertisements. Women are shown more in personal
marketing and telephone marketing.

Books and Image Representation: The pictures and material shown in the books start affecting
the mind of the children at an early age. In the first grade when the child learns the alphabet,
Ram and Shyam are always told to play or exercise while Sita and Radha are told to clean the
house or play with dolls. This is where social discrimination on the basis of gender starts in the
minds of children. Often men are shown in the roles of doctors, engineers, policemen, traders
and farmers, while women are shown to take care of the housework. With the change in the
society, these roles have also changed and the books should also have a place for change.

It is clear from the above analysis that gender inequality is also given place in the media. There
is a danger of creating inferiority complex and narrow-mindedness among the people of any
class.
 Media and Rural Society

India is a country of villages and how can rural news remain untouched by it. It is
because of the media that rural news is in the headlines today. Agriculture, rural culture and rural
folk life etc. are covered in media. Rural society is now familiar with the media of
communication like TV, Radio, Internet, Mobile and Newspapers. The people of the villages are
using these media in their daily life. Media is the biggest reason for education, medicine and
political and social awareness in rural life today. The villagers have also started paying attention
to farming based on scientific method to strengthen their economy. Media is playing an
important role in strengthening the economic condition of the villagers by giving information
about plantation, animal husbandry, fisheries etc.
Media plays an important role in creating awareness in rural life. Villagers today are
using Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Email etc in their daily life. Television is a powerful
medium of mass communication and other means like radio, mobile, internet, newspapers and
magazines have also influenced rural life a lot. At present, rural people have access to all these
media tools. Through which the villagers are trying to improve their life. Thus, the role of mass
media in rural society is increasing continuously and media has a lot to contribute in the
implementation of various rural schemes. The farmers now take the help of the media to do the
farming work in a better and scientific manner. They learn new technology on YouTube.
Farming has flourished through mediums like online education, radio and TV. People of the
village constantly get new information through various mediums. Villagers now solve their
problems and get new information through agriculture related content of farmer channels, radio
and newspapers. Farmers can directly talk to agriculture experts sitting at home and get solutions
for their problems. Despite having all the facilities for the villagers, they are still cut off from the
mainstream of development and their access to the media is limited. Only aware and educated
farmers are able to take advantage of the media. The media has to change its role and include
that section of the rural area in the stream of development which is illiterate. Media can make
villagers aware by making audio-videos, movies, cartoon films, serials etc. in simple language.
At present, the level of education in rural areas has improved a lot. Today, media can
become the voice of the rural masses. Media should provide full coverage of rural problems.
Media can easily reach the schemes of the government to the poor and farmers. Farmers can get
information about new varieties of farming through media. In poor and developing countries, the
media can play an important role in connecting most of the farmers and workers who are far
from development. Even today, 70% of the people of the country live in rural areas. Therefore,
media needs to do more work for their all-round development. Efforts should be made to
increase the reach of media in the rural society. Media is capable of changing the condition and
direction of rural society. The media has affected the rural society. Media has an important
contribution in informing, educating and entertaining the rural society and media should
understand its responsibility towards the rural society.
The media should make every effort for the all-round development of the rural society.
Today, through the media, the farmer is able to use new technology and easily get the measures
and suggestions to deal with any natural calamity on his crop. This is the result of the efforts of
the media but the farmers and villagers are worried about their future due to continuous losses in
agriculture and debt-ridden. Due to lack of employment opportunities in or around the village,
there is no option in front of them. There is no money for self employment. On the whole, all the
paths of their development seem to be closed and he is forced to commit suicide in desperation.
Political parties, farmers or villagers perceive them as ‘vote bank’ but media has made them so
aware that they have started talking about their rights, rural development and employment etc.
Now, instead of giving votes on the basis of caste, religion, party, they are also considering to
vote for those who talk about development and providing employment for their children and
family. Behind this awareness, the result of the agenda setting of the media is clearly visible.
Cities should be developed but not by neglecting villages and not by crushing the dreams
of the villagers. Until the gap between cities and villages ends, imagining a developed India
would be like dreaming with open eyes. There are many challenges in rural development which
need to be addressed. The role of media in rural development and its effects will have to be
studied. To sell its product in the market, the media industry is adopting all the methods that the
producers of other goods and services do. Undoubtedly, media gives importance to city centric
programmes, news etc.
This may be a major reason for its market share and base. In the intervening period,
villages were lost to media but now media has started giving importance to the news related to
rural development to some extent. It is not possible to imagine the country's inclusive
development and a developed India, until the city-like system reaches the villages.

Media and Violence

The American Psychological Association, during many years of study, has found that the
violent scenes shown in movies, newspapers, TV and other mass media are having a variety of
effects on all sections of society. By the time a child reaches puberty, he already witnesses
thousands of violent incidents through mass media. As the spread of TV and cinema and social
media is increasing in India, many types of violent incidents can be seen in the society. With the
advent of social media and TV, the attitude of Indian children, youth and adults to watch media
content has changed because we can now watch different types of TV channels in our local
languages. The effect of foreign programs is also observed on Indian audience. Action scenes
shown in Hollywood films are also used in Indian films, in which scenes of shooting, hitting
someone, beating, etc. are plentiful. The scale of sensitivity is increasing with such action films.
Violent incident is not only related to killing someone, but killing unnecessarily, showing
arrogance and beating to get something is also included in violence. Players also take the lives of
others to win medals in WWE wrestling. It has a bad effect on the Indian public. Although this
type of wrestling is not played in India, but the number of people watching this program in India
is very high.

Often we say that the media is the mirror of the society, the things that happen in the
society are shown in the media but there is another side to it. Media is not limited to information,
education and entertainment but also works to form the opinion of the people and to persuade
and incite them on any subject. Programs related to violence not only convey the facts of the
crime-world to the people but also explain the ways of committing crimes to the people.
Although the primary function of the media is information and education but for its publicity
work, the media sometimes ignores its important responsibilities. Poverty, plight of the society,
unemployment, hunger, malnutrition, social inequality etc. rarely find place in the media whereas
the news of a famous person's life, industry and fashion gets more space. Media is not a mirror
but acts unbalanced and discriminatory.
 Violent incidents can often seen in programs of children's interest. Children's inclination
is also found in these types of programs. Claims are also made to increase the TRP of such
programs but what does the society get from such programs? There is no TRP to measure this
and no measure to evaluate as how much educative content and society based problems, a
channel is showing. Ultimately, the TV program makers blame the audience's choice and the
audience blames the program makers. The news channels on TV are also full of violence based
programs. Cartoon programs & movies also have violent scenes.

Cartoon programs have a great impact on children. Through these programs, children
learn about how to interact, speak and express themselves. The programs being shown in India
are more from foreign background and less from Indian background. The child is very delicate
and gets confused very quickly. So these programs found a huge market in India as the mix of
animations was interesting for kids to watch. Due to the programs shown on TV, people started
to feel that in reality the rate of violence in the world has increased. The fear of violence and the
depth of violent incidents started affecting the people. Viewers started looking at their
neighborhood with a suspicious perspective after watching the violent program. What the society
believes about a thing, it also happens in reality. A similar atmosphere created fear in the society
by the violent scenes shown on TV.

Today's era in media is of social media. Social media has become an important medium
in India during the last decade. Social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc.
are prevalent among today's youth and children. At the same time, they have become an
important means of socialization because in these mediums, all types of content is available to
read and watch. This kind of openness is creating new challenges in the society. The spread of
information has become easier with the advent of the Internet and social media. It is very easy to
spread misinformation which creates many social problems. It is a personal medium. It can not
be watched in groups like TV. This is the reason why it is spreading information to the people in
an uncontrolled manner. Action movies that should not be shown to children are easily found on
the Internet and there is an option to watch these any number of times.

As a result, children and youth do not understand the difference between good and evil
and the lack of self-control is pushing children more towards these mediums. Social media is the
easiest and cheapest way to connect with the world but its effects are equally dangerous.

Traditional medium, folk medium, folk music, folk drama, folk dance and sports have
been the effective means of communication in the society. In these, education, old stories and
tehzeeb are reflected; many violent incidents are also included for entertainment. Animal
sacrifices or fighting were a form of folk entertainment during festivals. These methods have
been considered a measure of bravery and boldness but such competitions had a controversial
effect on normal life. While on the one hand, they are part of the culture, on the other hand there
are violations of human rights. Non-violence has been advocated in almost all religious.
Video game is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and its users are mostly children
and youth. Video games involve action and play. The child learns to shoot aimlessly with the
help of keyboard by sitting in front of a video game screen which also affects his behavior. The
child experiences violence in the imaginary world and gradually he becomes insensitive in real
life also.
 Media and Rising Crime

The history of crime is very old. Crime is prevalent in many forms in Indian society.
Talking about the arrival of private channels, ZEE TV was the first of the private channels which
came in 1993, followed by Star Group. Private channels first understood the social environment
and gradually developed programs according to it. Along with new programs, crime programs
were also produced. Today, every news channel is serving crime news openly by glorifying it.
Those who are not criminals, they also get them prosecuted through their programs and the
audience thinks that this will be the culprit because when the viewer watches the television
program, the scenes that are served in front of him, find place in his conscious mind. The news
of crime is shown without thinking about its social implications, as if crime is a common part of
common life. The news channels are presenting crime in a positive way. Publicity is being done
by linking the criminal to a particular group which provides more help to criminals. If we look at
the criminal programs, these are now an integral part of all the channels to get maximum TRP for
the channel. The code of conduct is also put on hold in order to increase it. With the arrival of
private channels in the world of television; globalization, privatization and liberalization opened
a way for every channel to earn their profits. The number of criminal programs began to
dominate. In crime incidents, spicy content dominated in such a way that the audience remained
tied to the programs. Each channel is getting maximum TRP. It has fallen into the trap of TRP
and has nothing to do with crime and social/moral values.

Now the question arises that how much positive and negative effect is there in the society
due to the transmission of criminal news. For this, the need of a research is felt but if we look at
the way of broadcasting, it seems to encourage criminal tendencies because the society accepts
the good content but also accepts its evils at a faster rate. Ever since the entry of criminal
programs, crimes in the society have not decreased and the responsibility for increasing number
of these crimes lies with those criminals as well as the media, because media exaggerates the
crime. In the present context, the media is engaged in emphasizing on news and programs related
to crime, whose graph is increasing continuously. Viewers are getting tired of watching news
related to crimes day by day. Crime news should be telecasted, keeping in mind the social
interest and not media’s own interests.

Most of the news channels have put aside the ethics and values of journalism and now
their reporting itself has started touching the limits of crime and in some cases even crossing it.
Many news channels especially Republic, Times Now, Aaj Tak etc. have gone beyond the
familiar excesses of crime reporting like sensationalism, gossip, unconfirmed information,
character assassination, media trials etc. If you don't believe it, watch the news channels' 24x7
reporting and prime time debates about the suicide or suspicious death of film actor Sushant
Singh Rajput and its investigation. Many news channels are reporting in this matter causally.
Conspiracy theory has replaced facts and evidence in this case. The discipline of journalism has
become redundant and attacks are being made on the basis of selective and unconfirmed leaks of
investigative agencies. For example, the target of this reporting is actor Sushant's girlfriend and
actress Rhea Chakraborty and his family members.
 Media trial is going on against Riya that ranges from vulgar, anti-female, abusive
captions, hashtags, aggressive and hysterical threats to car chases, trying to break into the house
and forcibly inserting a mic into her mouth and vice versa. It is now ‘ethical’ to ask offensive
and derogatory questions. Crowds of news channel reporters are encircling, chasing and even
trying to forcefully enter the housing complex when she is leaving the house and going
somewhere else. There are many allegations in this supari journalism – murder, conspiracy,
hawala, crores of rupees, nepotism of Bollywood and discrimination against outsiders, Dubai
connection and drugs in Bollywood etc. But the facts and evidence are very less. Everything is
being run on the basis of speculations, allegations, selective leaks and unconfirmed information.
Selected private chats are being made public with the help of investigative agencies.

It is true that the excessive interest of the media in news of crime especially related to
high profile-high society-Bollywood is not new. Sometimes its hyperactivity towards such news
items shows, as if media was waiting for this news. In fact, the investigative agencies which had
failed to get to the real killers and gather concrete evidence began selectively leaking
unconfirmed and half-baked 'information' to the news media to cover up their failure, which was
always referred to as such 'news'. The channels/newspapers left no stone unturned to make it
'juicy, sensational and provocative'. What finally happened in this whole matter is not hidden
from anyone.

Some five-six years ago there was a film by Jack Gyllenhaal - 'Night crawler'. This
Hollywood crime thriller film is, in fact, a black comedy. The main character of this film is a
psychopath who already has a short criminal history. Coincidentally, he is attracted to TV
journalism, especially crime reporting and soon learns that TV channels are the first to witness
criminal incidents - breaking news, 'exclusive visuals' and fights over bites. Taking advantage of
this, he himself jumps into crime reporting with a camera and sells the first such exclusive
visuals/bytes to TV news channels at very high prices that are ready to do anything for exclusive
visuals and bytes. The TV channel and its producer-editor tend to succumb to his terms and
bargains for visuals/bytes. This makes this psychopath video "journalist" crazy and the logical
end of the process is for doing ‘exclusive’ and to commit the crime himself and make and sell his
own videos.
This story of the crime reporting may seem far from reality. But in the real world it is not
even that far from reality.

Media and Democracy

'Democracy', is made up of two Greek words: 'demos' - people and 'kratos' - power. Thus,
from the etymological point of view, democracy means the government of the people or that
system of government in which the supreme power is with the people. In a democracy, the
people are their own destiny-maker. No ruler is permanent. If the right to rule is given during the
election then it can also be withdrawn in the next election.

Is there any active dialogue between the people and its representatives? That medium is
the press. The press draws the attention of public representatives to public opinion and public
problems, while on the other hand it informs the public about the policies, working system,
achievements and shortcomings of the government. The real account of the tenure of the public
representatives comes to the public only through the press. This helps the public to choose the
right representative during the election. The press has a very important place in a democratic
system. Like the legislature, executive and judiciary, the press also plays an important role in the
decision-making process of the government. Apart from this, the responsibility of the press is
also to monitor the three pillars of democracy. The basic need of democracy is conscious public
opinion. The work of awakening the public politically, socially and culturally lies in the hands of
the press. As the voice of the people, the press protects public interest, rights and freedom.
Therefore, it has been called the 'fourth pillar' of democracy in the right sense, while there is no
mention of it, in the constitution. The success of democracy is doubtful without the mutual
participation and cooperation of the people and the people's representatives. Press is the only
medium which acts as a 'bridge' between these two.

Therefore, the existence of the press is essential for a dynamic democracy and good
governance. Democracy of a country can achieve its objectives only with a watchful, free and
fair press. The social responsibility of the press in a democratic system is very deep. Integrity,
objectivity and active role are required in reaching the public problems to the people's
representatives and in the presentation of the achievements and failures of the people's
representatives in front of the public. To keep the democracy healthy and dynamic, it is
necessary that the press should work with the spirit of social responsibility. In a democracy, it is
the responsibility of the press to see whether the people's representatives are working in the real
interest of the people according to their wishes or not. Therefore, in the parliamentary system,
the press plays the following roles with intense social responsibility: A vigilant watchdog of
democracy, helpful in the formation of public opinion, increasing the scope of public
participation, building the image of legislatures, providing necessary material for discussion in
legislatures
.
In a democracy, the media have freedom of expression. There is no restriction on any
type of comment published or broadcast by media. Therefore, newspapers are expected to
behave in a respectful manner. They should get to the bottom of some kind of rumour, so that the
truth can be brought to light. In a country like India, communal riots are spread through rumors,
damage to government and private property is done by taking sabotage action and sometimes
success is also achieved in change of power. Stimulating news increases newspaper sales but
does not provide any long-term benefits. This confuses the public immediately but later on, when
the truth is revealed, the credibility of that newspaper is also affected. It is often seen that the
guilty is someone else, but in the beginning an innocent is made a scapegoat. On the basis of the
news given by the media, the angry public misbehaves with that innocent person which cannot
be compensated later.

The media is expected to show impartiality in news-communication. Healthy

development of media is not only a good sign for Indian democracy but it is also necessary for
society, culture and harmony. It is true that the media has been given wide rights and powers so
that it can make full use of the freedom of expression and it is also indispensable for a healthy
and mature democracy. But along with the enjoyment of powers and rights, the media will also
have to discharge its responsibilities and obligations according to its discretion. It is very
necessary for the credibility of the media and its unlimited powers that fingers should not be
pointed at it in any way. Because if this happens, it will not only lose its faith in the people but
there will also be a great betrayal of democracy.

Positive impact of media on democracy

Digital Democracy: Democratic values can develop only when there is freedom of expression
enjoyed by the people. In this way, media strengthens the concept of digital democracy through
these platforms of freedom.
Fixing Accountability: The media acts as a platform where even seemingly invincible
governments can be questioned, held accountable and can bring changes by a vote of the people.
Strengthening the voice of the people: Media has the power to give information to the people.
In countries like Tunisia, social media played an important role in the 'Arab Spring'. It was used
as a technique to attain salvation.
Citizen Connectivity: The implications of social media for citizen engagement are very deep as
many people discuss news and contemporary issues on these platforms.
In this way people connect with persons of their own kind and they have a strong sense of
community.
Negative impact of media on democracy :
Political polarization: One of the most common criticisms of the media is that it creates an
'echo chamber' where people only see things and events from the points of view, they agree with
or disagree with.
Spreading propaganda: According to the Google Transparency Report, political parties have
spent around $800 million (Rs 5,900 crore) in the last two years, mostly on election
advertisements. Through this, hate and communal speeches can be easily spread.
Foreign interference: It is believed that during the 2016 US election, Russian organizations
used social media as a tool of information and publicly promoted fake pages on Facebook to
influence public sentiments. In this way, social media can be used for cyber warfare with the
intention of dividing the nation, state and society.
Fake News: Social media gives ample opportunity to people to express their views. It can also
be used by someone to spread rumors and spread misinformation.
Unequal participation: Media influences policy makers and changes perception of public
opinion. This is because it is believed that social media platforms represent every walk of life but
everyone is not using the platform equally.

Media and development of scientific temperament

When a person has curiosity, interest, habit of observation, ability to discover and
imagine and test something on the basis of logic and experiments, then we will say that such
person has scientific attitude. Whatever we call it scientific approach or scientific ideology or
scientific understanding, in fact, it is the tendency to advocate something by understanding,
feeling and observing and reasoning in every way. Scientific attitude is the quality of accepting
or rejecting any new idea. It is the habit of doing any work systematically. The efficiency of
solving technical problems is also a result of scientific understanding.

Those who are engaged in science journalism, they must have a scientific attitude.
Having knowledge of science or scientific attitude are two different things. A person may have
scientific knowledge, but may lack scientific attitude. On the other hand a person may have a
scientific outlook, but he/she may not be aware of science. In this way, both scientific attitude
and scientific knowledge complement each other.
The objectives of dissemination of science and developing scientific attitude can be
fulfilled through media. Even solutions to many disputes and conflicts can be found by scientific
approach. If scientific approach and general principles of science method are followed in
advance, then situations of conflicts can be prevented from arising. That is to say, the scientific
method should be clearly visible on the way of working, methods, thinking, behavior and in
decision-making process of a scientifically endowed person.

Role of media

Media has a special role in the development of scientific attitude. Through the media,
remote areas of the country and almost all sections can be reached. In addition to providing
information and entertainment, media plays a significant role in bringing about conceptual
change, motivating people in the desired direction and giving the desired shape to their thoughts
and opinions. Unfortunately, this vast power and influence of the media has not been used much
to develop a scientific approach. It is not that the media are unaware of this responsibility but
they have their own reason for not fulfilling it. The first argument is that any communication
medium does not run on content but on advertisements. Due to these commercial compulsions,
the media has to include programs or content in the media, eschewing the non-scientific or
scientific point of view. Still it can be said that media should not forget its basic duty and its
primary purpose should be communication not business.

The second argument is that the preference of media comes after politics, crime, films,
sports, business, entertainment etc. Mutual understanding of scientific society and media is
required. Communication media has its limitations. It has been observed that not enough people
with science background enter the field of journalism. Therefore, editors or program officers are
not able to get any scientific news report even if they want.

Although it is recognized that science reporting does not necessarily require a person to
have a degree in science but it is necessary to obtain, understand and assimilate science
information in it, and to present it in a language that is understandable to the general public. Yes,
one thing is for sure, due to the lack of science-oriented people in the media, perhaps the entire
presentation does not have that impression or glimpse, which is possible only in a scientific
environment. Therefore, there is a need to motivate them to create a science-oriented
environment in the media.

It is often seen that the media are not able to fulfill their responsibility. On the one hand,
the science column is printed on the page of the newspaper, on the other hand the column of
astrology and horoscope gets space. Some scientific program comes on television and after that
an astrological program telling the planetary condition. The Internet, which has become a huge
communication medium today, is a box of superstitions and mantras. With such double faces of
the media, can we make the society more rational, rational and developing?
A serial full of miracles was going on on TV. When a young child saw a man
going into the sea without a mask, he asked the elders sitting nearby, 'He will not be able to
breathe under water, he must die!' The so-called experts said, 'Son, this is a monster, nothing
happens to it.” Thus the child's scientific aptitude was killed. Many such cases keep coming in
the media, which promote unscientific aptitude and superstition.

Media and Environment

What is environment? Environment includes all abiotic and biotic components such as animals,
plants, air, water, light, heat, soil, rivers, mountains etc. It includes everything that is invisible
and visible on earth. The Environment Protection Act, 1986 defines the environment as saying –
The environment consists of water, air and land and the interrelationship between them on the
one hand whereas human beings, other living beings, plants, micro-organisms and property on
the other.

Role of media: Media can also play a significant role in bringing wider consciousness in
environmental protection, environmental management, environmental awareness, and
environmental education. Public participation in the formulation and planning of environmental
policies can be effective only when they are given adequate information about environmental
issues from time to time. The media is expected to convey environmental events, news and
information that are happening at the global, regional and national level to the general public in
such a way that they can analyze the facts and form their own opinion. The goal of media should
be to provide understanding, discretion, practical-knowledge, skills to the individual for the
purpose of solving environmental problems. Not only awareness but consciousness and interest
should be awakened about the environment in the individual, society, country and nation. They
should also be inspired towards environmental protection.

Role of Print Media: Print Media is a powerful and comprehensive medium of environmental
mass communication. Newspapers and magazines are published in more than 100 languages and
dialects including 19 major languages in India. This medium is the most alive medium according
to the democratic system. Their role in environmental protection can be important, provided that
the media persons adopt an objective approach. Through this medium, environmental
information broadcasting, creating a conducive environment for environmental protection,
publication of environmental news, programs, articles, features, interviews are helpful in creating
public opinion. Through posters and pictures, short but effective messages related to
environmental protection i.e. our environment, save the environment, love for the environment,
plant trees, environment and pollution etc. can be communicated among the general public.

Role of electronic media: Radio, television, film, multi-media and audio-video, slides, neon
signs come under electronic media. Education, information and entertainment are transmitted
through radio. Through this medium, information related to environment, environmental
protection, environmental pollution, environmental education, wildlife protection and
conservation, tree plantation campaign programs can be easily sent to the general public. Radio
broadcasts played an important role in carrying forward the Green Revolution. Radio has its own
strong role in spreading messages related to national policies and programs related to
environmental protection, pollution abatement measures, agricultural and industrial
development, sustainable development and environmental awareness and education work etc. TV
is very close to the public. Its role in reducing environmental problems can be helpful to a great
extent. Management of waste, pollution control, social forestry, wildlife conservation,
agricultural development, conservation of water and land and environmental protection laws can
be promoted by broadcasting through television channels.
Global warming is present in front of mankind as a challenge today. Accepting this
challenge, the media is trying to create awareness among the general public. Films are a good
medium to provide education, information and entertainment to the general public. Through
films and movies, information about environment, environmental pollution, our environment,
forest and wildlife protection etc. can be easily given. Documentaries and feature films on the
environment are also made. There is a need to produce more and more films related to
environmental protection, environmental pollution, wildlife protection etc., so that meaningful
information and knowledge can be provided to the general public.

Role of Information Technology: The use of Internet in the field of environmental management
is useful in terms of providing factual information worldwide. Information and data on various
aspects of the environment can be easily obtained on the Internet. The information obtained from
this will prove to be very useful in environmental research, planning and management. A new
area of information technology is multimedia. This includes stationery, sound, video, two-
dimensional or three-dimensional graphics and animation. Its objective is to provide information,
education and entertainment to the people in a controlled manner. Through this, information on
biodiversity and wildlife becomes entertaining as well as educative. It has the advantage that if a
film is made on real scenes, then the cost comes manifold, whereas with multimedia, this work is
completed cheaply and easily.

Role of traditional media: The roots of traditional medium or folk media are deeply rooted in
rural and tribal areas. Through these, not only there is a socio-cultural expression of rural life,
but these mediums can also be helpful in environmental protection and spread of environmental
consciousness. Folk songs, folk music, folk dance, nautanki, puppets etc. are the means of folk
medium. These media make direct contact with the audience. So, environmental information and
messages are effectively communicated through them. They can be used more easily in villages
than in cities because they are a powerful medium of expression of their traditional medium of
folk culture.
Many environmental movements were born in India in the last years as a result of the efforts
made from time to time towards environmental protection. The media gave wide space to these
movements and made the public aware of their objectives. These movements are – Chipko
Andolan, Narmada Bachao Andolan, Tehri Dam Movement, Silent Valley, Appico Movement,
Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Vishnu Prayag Dam, Chilika Andolan and Save Water Andolan and Air
Pollution Control of Delhi etc. The media has to keep in mind that through which medium they
are conveying their message and to which section of the society. While they will have to bring to
the forefront the incidents of disobeying the rules made for environmental protection, at the same
time the work of the organizations which are doing good work for environmental protection will
also have to be highlighted. It is an indisputable truth that media can prove to be very effective in
raising environmental awareness as compared to laws and other pressures.

Accountability of Media
Media also has a huge responsibility towards the society. It is a medium that elevates the
voice of the general public. It has the ability to take the voice of the people to the government
level. This medium can become the companion of every sorrow and pain of the public, but is the
media able to fulfill the freedom given to it with full responsibility for the public interest? Is it
completely honest in its work? Is it not responsible somewhere for the rampant corruption in the
country? Hasn't the media itself become corrupt? The main thing to be mentioned here is that
even today, not all media is irresponsible. Clean and honest journalists are present who are trying
to give right direction to the country, who risk their lives for the good of the public and are also
sacrificed. Historically, media has evolved to inform, educate and entertain people. Media also
affects the lives of people in different ways. Is the media really fulfilling its social responsibility?
This requires a holistic thought. The media should keep its conduct keeping in mind the interests
of the people and keeping them in line with them.

The media must prove its worth with a proper analysis of the real 'what' and 'how'. Its
role is also very sensitive in cases of public crisis, disaster management or terrorist attacks. In
these situations, the media has a special contribution in effectively presenting the necessary
information from the public and the dimensions of their every possible help. The important role
of the media in giving a desired direction to the behavior, thoughts and special attitudes of the
people has always been appreciated. Media also contributes a lot in spreading awareness. Be it
the campaign to administer polio medicine to children or the work of spreading awareness about
AIDS or awareness about Corona, the media has fully fulfilled its responsibility. The role of
media is commendable in many ways like motivating people to vote, making efforts to stop child
labor, making them aware of the dangers of smoking, planting saplings, making them aware of
the dangers of environmental pollution. Media keeps on spreading awareness and inspiration to
the citizens to make them aware of their rights.

Media works to provide information and increase awareness among people about
government proposals, schemes, programs and policies. On the other hand, media has an
important role in effectively conveying the issues, problems and concerns of the public to the
government representatives. The media has always played an important role in shaping public
policies in a particular direction, format and shape. The role of media in the society is very
important in both informative and educative aspects, which proves helpful in providing effective
and efficient democratic/governance system by increasing public participation.

In the present society, there is a deviation from the initial role of the media. It is not that
the media has completely separated social concerns, but the role of the media continuously
seems suspicious in many cases. The media should not dare to ignore the important
responsibility towards the society. The media should fulfill its social responsibility in a fair and
fearless manner, in which it should present the facts in a faultless manner and should not play a
decisive role in them by being prejudiced. The impartiality of the media today is not out of the
question due to petty interests. The media is representative in bringing the voice of the society to
the government. But is the media really the voice of the people today? Who is raising the voice
of the oppressed today? Apart from cricket, where is the voice of rural sports? The rhetoric of
politicians, scandals, cricket matches, celebrity's personal life or sex-related news are being
given attention more than serious issues of common public and problems of rural background.
The commitment of the media towards social responsibility is being questioned.
 Media ownership has led to a change in the content of media from the domination of
corporate houses. Now the dimensions of information, education and entertainment are changing.
Advertising revenue has a profound effect on the media. Rich people are successful in turning
public opinion in their direction due to their share in media. The media has assumed the form of
a disguised industry, forgetting social concerns, in which news has become a product. The
emptiness of thought is clearly visible in the coloured pages of the newspapers. In the new
media, where films, crime, scandals, delicious food and sex related material are being served in
abundance and imaginary world is being created which has no concern with the maximum
public.

In today's time, many examples of media personnel indulging in corruption are heard.
This level of corruption seems to reach even from the national level to the media personnel
covering the area of the countryside. In this age of competition, in the guise of serving more and
more content in a hurry, the analysis in the news and the unbiased, fearless opinion side is also
being ignored. Today, media are in an endless race to beat each other and giving news without
checking the truth is becoming common. This is creating a negative trend towards the media in
the society. It is the responsibility of the media to give the right direction to the society. In this,
the media should bring the positive aspects of the society to the forefront, but in today's era,
negative news gets an important place in the media. The percentage of positive news is
decreasing, due to which there is a feeling of imbalance in the society. With the abundance of
negative news in a democratic system like ours, the country seems to be shrinking in the true
sense of the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy. The importance of
media towards social responsibility is only in conveying the decisions, actions, and initiatives
being taken by government and non-government agencies in public interest in a positive way to
the public.

Today's media discharges its commitment to social responsibility so far as it does not
adversely affect its dividend. The role of the media as the fourth pillar of democracy, which
should have been the balance of power of the governance system, is not seen in the required
quantity. The media, on the contrary, is leaving no stone unturned to increase its profits by
exercising its influence on power. There should be freedom of expression in the media but when
it crosses the limit, then it starts becoming a curse instead of a boon.

Today, in the pursuit of more and more TRP, the channels are not averse to serving
anything, they do not hesitate to shirk their responsibility towards the society due to their vested
interests. It is not right for TRP to play with anyone's face. They do not want to let any chance of
increasing the TRP go from their hands. Media should come forward in fulfilling the objectives
of social concern and commitment towards social responsibility so that a strong democracy can
be established in the true sense. Media has an indelible mark in the society. In the environment
of disorder, unrest and anarchy, the social responsibility of the media increases even more. It
should present a positive initiative in maintaining peace, harmony and unity in the society. If the
media understands its responsibility towards the society and walks on the path of social concern,
then that society is progressive, but if unfortunately the media turns its back on social concern
then the society and the country will be swamped. No one can stop us from getting trapped. We
can see misuse of media in the film 'Peepli Live'.
 Popular Culture and Media
The term culture: pertains to the way of life. The word 'popular' denotes the way people
like it more. Popular culture can also be seen as a process in which a different kind of
intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic sense is developed. To understand popular culture, we can
compare it with folk culture. Folk culture consists of small communities while popular culture
includes large communities and large cities. Folk culture has originated in a traditional way
whereas popular culture is the beginning of a new tradition. People of folk culture have good
knowledge of their place (village) and community and also know their role. They have no
problem sticking to tradition. In contrast, in popular culture, people choose their own roles. They
do not believe in traditional roles and social responsibilities. For them, life is like a journey of its
own. People pay more attention to their own needs and prefer solitude. In folk culture, the
costumes remain almost the same from generation to generation.

Costumes in popular culture are constantly changing and are largely contributed by the
media and celebrities. Music is prevalent in folk culture as a folk art whereas in popular culture
there are unlimited choices of music and they are selected according to their taste. In folk culture,
what is available around is used in food and there are many restrictions in eating. In popular
culture, many different cultures and styles of dishes are made and restrictions are less. Popular
culture is made by the people of any society according to their convenience. Popular culture is
sometimes also called professional culture.

Popular culture is the complex of ideas, attitudes, trends, images and other aspects that
are found in the mainstream of a culture. It is deeply influenced by television, internet and other
mass media and this set of ideas pervades the daily life of the society. The most notable
categories of this culture are: entertainment (movies, music, television), sports, news (i.e. the
people, topics and places that are in the news), politics, fashion/clothing, technology etc. Popular
culture is often viewed as frivolous, lighthearted and silly because it leaves no room for esoteric
ideas or themes to spread to the mainstream. That's why many reviewers criticize it by calling it
consumerist, sensationalist and corrupt. Popular culture is presented as a form of entertainment
in film, television, and literature. With the advent of the Internet and social media, the situation
has become even more different. In this, people also use wrong tricks to attract attention, create
identity and become popular.

Popular culture is encouraged by the media. It is spread through the media. People try to
adopt them after seeing the things related to it in the media. Examples are pop music, fashion,
late night parties, pub culture, etc. Pop culture refers to cultural products such as music, art,
literature, fashion, dance, film, cyber culture, television and radio, which are consumed by the
majority of the population of the society. Popular cultures are those types of media that have a
wide reach and appeal. Popular culture is acquired by a member of society as a set of certain
practices, beliefs and objects that are dominant and persistent in a society. The communication of
these highly influenced ideas by the media is introduced into the daily life of the people of the
society, thereby influencing the thoughts and attitudes of the people. This culture can be
effectively disseminated through the media. Popular culture has many categories like
entertainment which includes movies, TV, theater etc. which includes different types of sports
and many fields like politics, arts, dance etc. All these areas are promoted through the media.