“If it’s true that nothing is more potent than an idea, then those who control the media can direct mind en masse.” The above quote by Lance Morcan from The Orphan Triology gives a clear glance over the importance of media in the country’s democracy. It is a well-settled fact that media, whether print or electronic plays a vital role in one’s life. Media which is known as the best medium of communication with the mass and the 4th pillar of any democracy with a purpose of dissemination of information if gets influenced by the corporate, it will be a serious threat to democracy. This article basically deals with the present condition of India with respect to the questions raised over the working mechanism of Indian media which is also being described as the world’s worst media in terms of fearlessness and showing unfabricated news.
All these give rise to a serious question that Is corporate replacing the 4th pillar media?
India, which is the largest democracy of the world having large variations in terms of language, religion, ethnicity, living habits, caste and social as well as economic structure also, accommodates world’s second largest population. With this high number of population and variations at the same times makes it very easy to promote the influenced news to propagate. Here the duty of media begins. Media which is the single most powerful entity in the world holds the power to change public opinion at any time. With the rapid increase in the science and technology and as a result of the globalisation now a days in just few seconds a rumour can be converted into a riot. The medium to connect the large mass is soon turning to be the platform of changing the public opinion through influencing media. On the one hand the prime responsibility along with the moral responsibility of media is very high, the current media houses are turning into a promotional as well as entertainment channels.
There are basically following conditions when it looks that corporate is influencing the media raising a serious concern towards the working ethics-
1. Paid News – This is the first and foremost problem which has been seen in the recent times. Paid news is the news which is highly influenced by the corporate. These are the kind of fabricated information which finds its origin form any propaganda. This kind of influenced news comes with the tag of Yellow Journalism, which means a kind of journalism which promotes news based on any propaganda consisting of deliberate disinformations. These news are backed by the corporate so that a good or bad image can be formed in front of the common mass and public opinion can be made.
Several media houses were prepared to enter into a ‘cash for coverage’ deal with an undercover reporter posing as a representative of an organisation promoting Hindutva for electoral purposes, investigative portal cobrapost.com revealed in its sting operation. As part of its investigation, Cobrapost surreptitiously filmed the interaction its reporter had over several months with top executives at dozens of leading newspapers and television channels across north India. The reporter, Pushp Sharma, assumed the identity of ‘Acharya Atal’ from the ‘Srimad Bhagvat Gita Prachar Samiti’. At various times he would refer to his organisation as the ‘sangathan’, and many of the media executives he filmed assumed he was from, or was close to, the Nagpur-based Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
2. The Political Propaganda – This is the second category of news which is influenced from a clear cut political motive to make a public opinion towards a particular issue. These news are basically spread by the IT cells of various political party to change the public opinion. The range of these news also rises whenever any election comes. It is often said that apart from social media handles, the political parties are also having their own news channels or the news channels are highly influenced by the different political parties whether by ideology or through monetarily ultimately leading to the false and fabricated news for general mass.
3. The Hatred News – This is the most dangerous kind of news which is propagated with the motive of spreading hate. These kinds of news are basically based upon the religion as well as caste. As India is having a diverse social structure spread of such news attacks the unity of the nation. In the recent years the result of such news had also be seen in several incidents. Such news are mostly spread over the internet through various social media handles and applications.
4. Other Forms of Influences- Creating fake citizens over internet, Ridiculing and Discrediting Scientists on Health and Environmental Issues, Interlocking corporations Showing Corporate Power and Social Influence are also some of the sectors where the role of media is in question with reference to getting replaced by corporate by any means. Apart from its prime concern, media is highly related in several other reporting such as Cinema Analysis, Television Daily Soaps coverage, Astrology etc.
In a nutshell, it can be said that the role of media is not limited to providing news but a fearless reporting with unfabricated facts and to bring the truth in front of the common people. India is such a country in which most of the public opinion is completely based upon the media reports. People blindly believe what they see over their television sets, what they read in the newspapers and what they receive from social media.
But, such as sheer influence of the yellow journalism over the lives of people possess a serious effect over the largest Indian democracy. This also imposes a liability over the citizens to check every such news which looks fabricated with their own prudence and not to make any opinion through such yellow journalism. The deceptive, glossy fake media images provoke the hatred but it is upon us to retain with solution of love to maintain the glory of the largest democracy.
