Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people which gives equal opportunity to everyone to participate and play a significant role in shaping the nation. Our democracy is based on 4 pillars that are the legislature, executive, judiciary, and media. The 4th one is most important as it keeps checks and balances on the other three. Significant participation of masses is a must and they have to be informed about various issues around the nation and world, then only democracy could run at full speed. And this is where the role of media starts.
John Milton once said that give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. Thus the Indian constitution and some international convention guarantees Freedom of speech and expression under Article.19(1)(a). And the Supreme court also said that the words must be broadly constructed to include and circulate one’s views by words of mouth or in writing or through audiovisual instrumentalities which means freedom of speech and expression is most important of all Fundamental rights but should not offend the liberty of other. As it is rightly said that to deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity- Nelson Mandela.
In Bennett Coleman v. UOI supreme court held that media is the main vehicle through which citizens of the country express themselves. It is through media that people create as well as discover the truth of their ideas. Hence, the 4th pillar plays a vital role in observing the theory of separation of powers of the other three pillars. Media is most powerful of all as it compels the government/ corporates entitles to answer the wrongdoings from the Watergate scandal in the U.S. to Bofors Expose in India. It is the media only that helped in giving birth to our nation.
But caution- media is not the reflection of reality. As the world is digitizing, the media rather becoming more powerful, it has become corrupt and has taken the wrong path by involving in the practice of selling news and has become paid media. Today media shows only the news which they are being paid for by political parties and big conglomerates. This paid news works more effectively in the electoral process which determines the very future of the nation. But the present situation is more awful than before as today the one who wants to show the truth or wants to practice the noble profession honestly are being discarded from the work.
The things shown on TV channels or social media or printed in the newspaper only spreads the message of communalism or sets the negative narrative in the minds of people. No positive news is being forecasted. Breaking news XYZ has killed ABC, PERIOD; our channel’s investigation has led us to this conclusion. Channels conclude that the accused is a real convict before the judgment of the court. Furthermore, we also start believing them. This is the power of media which paints the picture so creatively that black becomes white and vice versa. Just think that if media uses its power appropriately then how our nation or world will look like. The role of media is to play watchdog but in real they are tamed dogs.
The world economic forum, released a report, has labeled Indian media as the second most untrusted institution in the world. India stands on 138th position out of 180 nations in the world press freedom index. How shameful is that! The corporate honchos first purchased the media then donated it to the government and then the government nourishes them according to their wishes and fancies. Nowadays media is busy praising the decisions taken by our Prime Minister regarding lockdown and the step taken to combat this pandemic. Back then India Pakistan news was being circulated all over and this news never came to a positive conclusion ever.
It’s just that media or Indian leaders want the people to get indulge in one or the other masala news, which are way far from reality that is happening behind such things. As it is very well said that whoever controls media, control’s mind. Thus the real news is being ignored, the bleeding banks of India, how GST has caused huge loss to medium-sized traders, loss of jobs, Kashmir issue, a hike of fuel prices, Indian rupees is performing worst, and many more. It’s no more a noble profession, it just became a business to make a profit at any cost. Its time to understand and realize that facts are facts that should not get disappear on account of their likes and dislikes.
This situation occurred due to the lack of powers that regulating agencies have in penalizing the outlaws of paid media. National Broadcasting Authority, Press Council of India is not statutory authority or are quasi-judicial authority respectively, so the TV channels could only be penalized. Many politicians from different parties suggested amend section.123 of Representation of people’s Act,1955 and section.15(4) of the Press Council Act, 1978 but nothing happened. However, the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure can effectively put a stop to such ill practices. Until we keep media away from money and politics, we as a nation cannot rise. Thus it is very much necessary to make effective laws that can stop such practices. An independent autonomous press commission should be made so that unlike today media can be regulated and monitored.
Media is that transparent glass between the higher officials of any country and its citizens which makes the picture crystal clear. It’s the media’s job to criticize the government and to bring the truth in front of us because it’s our right to know what is going on. As being an intellectual and conscious citizen it’s our responsibility to not to reach out on conclusions by just watching the TV news or reading newspapers as a famous quote by Mark Twain is if you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed and if you read the newspaper, you are misinformed. There are two different meanings of morality and conscience, everyone has a conscience but not everyone has morality, and media do not possess any of them. So in simple words, freedom of the press is not just democracy, it is democracy. To achieve the true objective of Preamble of Indian constitution media has to be given a free hand as Jawahar Lal Nehru once quoted that Democracy and socialism are means to an end, not the end itself.
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