The Truth of Media

Media, a collection of mediums, has evolved constantly and continues to do so. Once represented only by newspapers and journals, today it is an eclectic institution comprising of electronic and social media besides the print. It no more limits itself to the newspaper we read while sipping morning tea. It’s omnipresent. It is unique from the other three pillars of democracy in various respects. One of the prominent aspects in which media differs is its private ownership which is both an enabling factor and an impediment.

The media is accused of not showing what people need. Nonetheless, it shows what people want. The fact that it is based on a private model ensures to show the news that is popular among the public. The media is accused of chasing TRPs. But TRP is one such measure that tells them what people want to see. If people want news with salt and spice, they show it. Not their fault. It's like democracy. If people choose a wrong leader. It is people’s fault.

It's a drawback of democracy that people may not know what is right for them. People can be easily swayed by emotions. The public is fickle-minded. Which is very well portrayed in the Shakespearean play, Julius Caesar. An eloquent Antony molded the views of people with the power of his words. And people is power. If one wins over people, he rules over them.

Thus, immense power rests on the shoulders of the media. And power corrupts. The media has not handled the power responsibly. In a utopian world, Media would be unbiased. However, in this world, an impartial media is a farfetched dream if not impossible. Ideally, the media should present the facts and leave for people to decide and choose. But no piece of news today comes without a shade of activism and propaganda. Almost every time I switch on the TV, It dictates me what to think. Journalists have assumed the role of philosophers and Prime Time news is philosophy lecture. It is natural for a media person to associate himself with a political side. One has the right to be rightist, leftist or centrist. However, when channels begin to associate themselves with a political party, they are typecasted. Viewers form a notion of specific channels and thus, view them from a lens of bias.

Due to these agendas, there is a trend of widespread polarization among the people. There is a seething wave of anger under the surface among the masses against one another. An effect of this polarization is that the nation is living on the edge. People can be easily provoked and that can result in an act of turmoil and violence. Today a tweet results in an insurrection, a cartoon results in a conflagration. In almost all cases of violence, the media had a role to play. However, we can't impeach the media. It does not have a face. It's not one person but an institution. And with the advent of social media, even accusing has become a difficult task. Who should we blame? Social media is a mere means of communication. It is just an interface between different people. In a traditional media setup, we can point a finger towards an anchor or a media house in instances of fake news which is not possible in the case of social media, where hateful and toxic hashtags trend every day.

As a pillar of democracy, Media plays a crucial role in making the other three pillars transparent. Also, it plays a big role in putting pressure on the government to bring policies needed for the public. However, media has become a hand puppet of government itself.

Media is not completely independent nor should it be, provided the power it holds. However, the checks and balances in place which impede its independence are not ideal. In fact, they are a matter of concern. Media is not accountable to people, rather it is accountable to the private companies they are owned by. Media is run by a handful of powerful business groups and political parties.

Moreover, there is an increasing lack of professionalism in journalism today. The viewers are often confused whether they are watching the news or wildlife channels when they see news anchors shouting and thumping their chests. The modest, intellectual, and impartial image of news anchors is in evanescence. Moreover, they also trespass the limits and the private spaces of people to bring forth a truth suited to themselves. Furthermore, they make the accusation as evidence itself. In a race among media houses for being the fastest to deliver news, rather than strong research and prior verification of the story, they make the process of researching the news itself. They start defaming people without being sure. In some cases, Media runs a parallel trial of the crimes in their studios. Consequently, they hurt the ones they are defaming. This is against the very basic principles of journalism it is founded upon. This precarious journalism can result in a disastrous blowback i.e. media will lose its credibility. As a result, Government would implement certain tight rules and regulations to check on the freedom of the press and people won’t resent those laws.

There are several challenges and a lot of them are due to the revenue-based model of media. It is an industry that gives a free product or charges a very small fee which is very petite in comparison to the actual cost price of the product people are consuming. Even the blank sheets of paper cost more than three rupees one is paying for a newspaper copy which provides services by skilled professional journalists, reporters, and photographers. Thus, it has to rely majorly on ads or patrons for financing it which hampers the freedom of the press. An alternative is to make media self-sustainable. A subscription-based product where the consumer pays equal to the cost price of the product. However, the real question is are people willing to pay that much? Also, this would limit people’s readership to one newspaper or one channel. Furthermore, a vast multitude of people will lose access to media because they won’t be able to afford it. A solution could be to market individual articles that costs a nominal micro-fee. This way, the consumer would not have to pay for the whole paper but just the articles he wants to read.

To contain the spread of fake news we need to employ innovative solutions like a fact-checker. Or media houses can mark their news pieces with different colors to denote their credibility. Where red can be used to mark a piece of news not verified yet, and green for the verified ones.

It is high time that media needs to introspect and get back to the morals which lie at its very foundation. It needs to redefine the principles it is founded upon. There’s a need to be an autonomous regulatory body for media and it should be mandatory for a news enterprise to work along its guidelines. The regulatory body should not encumber the freedom of the press. However, strict guidelines should be laid down for issuing an apology in cases of defamation. Presently, apologies are not issued and if they are, they don’t match the degree of the mistake. An error on the front page of a newspaper is regretted the next day on the fifth or sixth page in a small corner. The degree of apology should equal the degree of mistake.

Introspection with technological innovation can bring back the glory of the media. As India marks its 72^nd republic day, with the assumption of a sense of responsibility, Media can unleash the true potential of the nation as soon as it realizes the broader goal of the institution of strengthening the nation.

By Prateek Goyal