Essay on Role of Media for Degree Classes (B.A)

Role Of Media

Essay for Degree Classes (B.A)      

  ( 800 words)

• INTRODUCTION                                                                              

• NEWSPAPERS IN OUR DAILY LIFE

• IT PROMOTES NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• IT’S ROLE IN DEMOCRACY

• IMPACT AND ABUSES

• CONCLUSION

                   “ If it were left on me to decide  whether we should have a government
without newspapers or newspaper without a government, I should not hesitate a
moment to prefer the latter”        THOMAS JEFFERSON

The media is a life line of a nation. The newspaper,the Radio and the Television are the most powerful organs for the expression of the news and views about man and things. It provides not only information on what may affect the functioning, but also by other features keep him informed of developments, nationally and internationally. With the growth of literacy and the development of the means of communication they are playing a very important part in society. Media is double edged weapons and cut both ways. The reach of the media and the effect, it can have on general public has always been recognized and never been challenged.

The press is at the present day a great power in the land. Newspapers have become an essential part of our daily life. No literate person can do without newspaper these days. The first thing one does in the morning is to seize the paper and glance through its paper hungrily. Newspapers contain a tremendous amount of news, news of every country and of every clime. They keep us in touch with the entire world, a railway collision, a social gathering all these find a place in newspapers. Travel exploration and scientific research are also described. During time of war, they particularly satisfy for information. Every movement of the armies, every military plan, every battle lost or won is accurately described, indeed we feel considerably annoyed if we do not get our daily paper at the accustomed hour every morning.

The press is the most powerful of all the organs for the expression of the news and views about men and things around the world. The press keeps us in touch with the current national and international affairs of the world. Without them we cannot know the important news of even our towns and villages. They extend the bounds of our own towns and villages. They extend the bounds of our knowledge and make us feel that we are a part of the living world. The press ventilates the grievances of the public and from the government in close contact. The current problems of political and social values are the subject matters of leading articles in the newspaper. The people get aware of the polices and schemes of the government through this agency.

Media plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy. In a democratic country people have right of voting to elect their representatives and media acts as a bridge between the government and the public to share each others opinions. Media is the back bone of a democracy the media also eposes loopholes in the democratic system, which ultimately helps government in filling the vacuums of loopholes and making a system more accountable, responsive and citizen-friendly. There is a need to inform the people of things around them so that there is a check on the government and media is the one who informs the people. A democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels.

The impact of media is really noteworthy. The excessive coverage of sensitive news has led to communal riots at times. The constant repetition of such news brings negative impact on the minds of the illiterates. Media should take utmost care in airing or publishing such sensational news. Media are double edged weapons and cut both ways by publishing or airing false news. They mislead people especially the illiterates. They can make people nervous with the news about strikes, public riots and war. People get annoyed by hearing news about suicide bombing. Persons working for newspapers or televisions are pressurized by evil-intentioned people and become target in their hands. Pornography and advertisements of naked portraits has affected the youth’s level of thinking. The love stories can also be a danger to the morals of people.

No one is perfect in this world and so is the media. I am not degrading the media rather I would say there is still a lot of scope for improvement by which media can raise up to the aspirations of the people for which it is meant. I can not think of a democracy without active and neutral media. Media is like a watchdog in a democracy that keeps government active. From being just an informer it has become an integral part of our daily lives. With the passage of time it has become a more matured and a more responsible entity. The present media revolution has helped people in
making an informed decisions and this has led to beginning of a new era in a democracy.