The role of the media in India is ever changing. From the times when Bal Gangadhar Tilak was charged with sedition for writing about the Bristish Raj early last century, to the times when the media industry today has grown to an over 10,000 crore power house, the media continues, in one form or the other, to become one of the most important dominant factors in the Indian psyche.
Should the media compromise? Well, the important word to analyse here is compromise. What does compromise mean, and to what extent does the topic mean it should happen ? I do not mean that the media must compromise on its values, but must on the contrary grow to embibe some which seem to be on the decline today.
Compromise, means to come to a pact, or a situation which is at least partially beneficial for all parties so involved. A mother compromises on two square meals a day to feed her child, a father on the comfort of a car to pay for his sons college, a country does many a time, to make its citizens happy. With the role that the media plays in the country today, a compromise means nothing more than just a conscious understanding of what is to be put forward and how. The media should understand that there are various factors out there, which they must be sensitive to, and hence be able to responsible enough to filter all that may not be great for the people living in a diverse country such as ours. People may argue, that this will make the media nothing but boring, and incorrectly so. For years together, great newspapers across the world have been delivering meaningful news to people at large and still making a survival for themselves amongst those who have the intellectual ability to understand news rather than sheer sensationalism. It is disturbing to see this trend change over time as people seem to be drawn to newer newspaper who's USP seems to be sensationalism over all else, do we wish to portray ourselves as a nation of people who cannot understand the value of events and people ?
There are times when the media has compromised over issues, and the way they have been reported. National Security Issues have always been a matter that the media steps back on. Imagine what harm some of India's national security issues on satellite television could cause, and thankfully the Indian media seems to have been intelligent on these issues. But then again, we must also look at a variety of other issues that the media has been credited to have distorted over the years. The Mumbai flood images, where at times the media has been credited to have displayed images from the year before to homes across Mumbai spreading panic, is this the way one increases one's TRP ratings ?
The media has been credited to have caused one of the greatest revolutions in the recent past, the information revolution, at the same time man has also become aware that people en mass usually do not know what is good for them. The media plays a major role in creating a situation where people should realize what is good for them. On the lighter side, I hate to think what kind of an effect all the Ekta Kapoor serials have on the general population of the country, with millions of house wives glued to the tube watching episode after episode of intangible family drama, could ruin homes. The example was best seen when children died trying to emulate the famed Shaktiman who seemed to have become the icon of children in rural Indian in the not so far past. All I'm trying to say is that the media needs to understand its ever growing responsibility and not create a situation which causes great harm for the sake of TRP ratings.
Yes, one can argue that it is not the fault of the media when it comes to these sitcoms and reality shows, but a fault in the mindset of the people who view it. But then, a child is protected by its mother, and when the mother of the information revolution absolves itself of all responsibility, one cannot but blame it. The media can many a time twist the imagination and thoughts of all the people who view or read from it, in any form it so desires. The pornography ever so readily available on the net, or the falsified charges on a teacher in Delhi for making young girls move into prostitution are pretty much the same, the use the media to cause a sense of havoc, for TRP.
The media must learn to compromise on a variety of issues in order to come forward with a situation which would actually benefit the people in this world, and not only this country. The role of the media is growing every single day, the people in this industry continue to chase an elusive target called TRP. Some might say that compromising on creativity and news may actually mean curbing the freedom of the media, but what about the harm this so called creativity may cause to people ? Pornography is a well accepted fact in many countries of the world, but is our society ready for it? Our society is too value based to allow it even today, and that is the way it is. For once, sensationalism must take a back seat in our country today.What I say does not mean that I'm speaking out against the millions of people who practice arts which may not even me comprehendable to me. No I'm not against the students and faculty of the Baroda University who were lynched for painting nudes, I do understand the value of the fine arts. Neither am I blaming the producers of the SITCOMS, after all, it is a business that they're doing, and catering to any palate, just like a restaurant does. All I'm asking for, is for small mercies, and a compromises in the sense and sensibilities. After all the freedom of speech, and now the media should not be absolute, lest they cause incalculable harm. Our founding father did understand the value of freedom, but also that of conformance, and in our part we as future media professionals must understand our roles in molding the sensibilities of people across the country, whether it be the four year old child who watches the TV or the housewife who spends most of her day in front of the tube or even the seventy year old man who does not understand the newspaper today. It is our moral duty and right as professionals. Am I wrong? I don't think so, after all the best societies in this world are based on the moral sensibilities of people.
Should the media compromise? Well, the important word to analyse here is compromise. What does compromise mean, and to what extent does the topic mean it should happen ? I do not mean that the media must compromise on its values, but must on the contrary grow to embibe some which seem to be on the decline today.
Compromise, means to come to a pact, or a situation which is at least partially beneficial for all parties so involved. A mother compromises on two square meals a day to feed her child, a father on the comfort of a car to pay for his sons college, a country does many a time, to make its citizens happy. With the role that the media plays in the country today, a compromise means nothing more than just a conscious understanding of what is to be put forward and how. The media should understand that there are various factors out there, which they must be sensitive to, and hence be able to responsible enough to filter all that may not be great for the people living in a diverse country such as ours. People may argue, that this will make the media nothing but boring, and incorrectly so. For years together, great newspapers across the world have been delivering meaningful news to people at large and still making a survival for themselves amongst those who have the intellectual ability to understand news rather than sheer sensationalism. It is disturbing to see this trend change over time as people seem to be drawn to newer newspaper who's USP seems to be sensationalism over all else, do we wish to portray ourselves as a nation of people who cannot understand the value of events and people ?
There are times when the media has compromised over issues, and the way they have been reported. National Security Issues have always been a matter that the media steps back on. Imagine what harm some of India's national security issues on satellite television could cause, and thankfully the Indian media seems to have been intelligent on these issues. But then again, we must also look at a variety of other issues that the media has been credited to have distorted over the years. The Mumbai flood images, where at times the media has been credited to have displayed images from the year before to homes across Mumbai spreading panic, is this the way one increases one's TRP ratings ?
The media has been credited to have caused one of the greatest revolutions in the recent past, the information revolution, at the same time man has also become aware that people en mass usually do not know what is good for them. The media plays a major role in creating a situation where people should realize what is good for them. On the lighter side, I hate to think what kind of an effect all the Ekta Kapoor serials have on the general population of the country, with millions of house wives glued to the tube watching episode after episode of intangible family drama, could ruin homes. The example was best seen when children died trying to emulate the famed Shaktiman who seemed to have become the icon of children in rural Indian in the not so far past. All I'm trying to say is that the media needs to understand its ever growing responsibility and not create a situation which causes great harm for the sake of TRP ratings.
Yes, one can argue that it is not the fault of the media when it comes to these sitcoms and reality shows, but a fault in the mindset of the people who view it. But then, a child is protected by its mother, and when the mother of the information revolution absolves itself of all responsibility, one cannot but blame it. The media can many a time twist the imagination and thoughts of all the people who view or read from it, in any form it so desires. The pornography ever so readily available on the net, or the falsified charges on a teacher in Delhi for making young girls move into prostitution are pretty much the same, the use the media to cause a sense of havoc, for TRP.
The media must learn to compromise on a variety of issues in order to come forward with a situation which would actually benefit the people in this world, and not only this country. The role of the media is growing every single day, the people in this industry continue to chase an elusive target called TRP. Some might say that compromising on creativity and news may actually mean curbing the freedom of the media, but what about the harm this so called creativity may cause to people ? Pornography is a well accepted fact in many countries of the world, but is our society ready for it? Our society is too value based to allow it even today, and that is the way it is. For once, sensationalism must take a back seat in our country today.What I say does not mean that I'm speaking out against the millions of people who practice arts which may not even me comprehendable to me. No I'm not against the students and faculty of the Baroda University who were lynched for painting nudes, I do understand the value of the fine arts. Neither am I blaming the producers of the SITCOMS, after all, it is a business that they're doing, and catering to any palate, just like a restaurant does. All I'm asking for, is for small mercies, and a compromises in the sense and sensibilities. After all the freedom of speech, and now the media should not be absolute, lest they cause incalculable harm. Our founding father did understand the value of freedom, but also that of conformance, and in our part we as future media professionals must understand our roles in molding the sensibilities of people across the country, whether it be the four year old child who watches the TV or the housewife who spends most of her day in front of the tube or even the seventy year old man who does not understand the newspaper today. It is our moral duty and right as professionals. Am I wrong? I don't think so, after all the best societies in this world are based on the moral sensibilities of people.
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