The Press and the Media: their role.

08 JUL 2015

   The Press and the Media are supposed to serve the people by informing them of both sides of a coin on any topic of interest or importance to them in the short term or over the long term. Particularly they are a check or a brake on the politicians of all hues and parties, whose purpose is supposedly to serve the same end system namely the people.

As both the politicians and the Press are supposed to serve the same common system, the people, it is important that the Press plays a pivotal role of informing people of the pros and cons of any issue that affects them currently or could affect them in the future. While doing this rule they have to be

1. Neutral i.e., should not focus on any one party, group, religion or caste or individual etc. but should focus on all the people. Most importantly they should be perceived as neural by the people too. It is like justice delivery system in this respect namely, not only justice has to done but justice has to be perceived to be done also. This is the only way that the Press and the media can establish credibility among people which is the only foundation on which they can survive and grow.

2. They should think about what they are professing so strongly and vociferously gives to the people, a plus or a minus, over the long term and the short term before they present whatever they present. They should ensure this by asking leading questions on the effect on the people the point under discussion has and not whether the point under discussion itself is good or bad, right or wrong.

3. When they support or oppose any aspect, they should have a sense of proportion. That is, they should compare the issue under discussion with similar issues of the past and the results they produced on the people.

4. They should also see that in doing so, they should not waste the precious time of the people as well as their own time.

We have a few comments on what is going on currently in the Indian Press and the Media vis-à-vis the above requirements. We will give them in the next few installments.

One affected indian Bakra/bakri in the service of the people of India.