CH6 - Understanding Media By Saswat Mishra

Q1. In what ways does the media play an important role in a democracy?

Answer: Media plays an important role in a democracy in the following ways:
1. Watchdog of Democracy: Media is considered as fourth pillar of democracy.
2. It provides a platform to people to express their opinions, specially in national and international issues.
3. Provides news and important events taking place worldwide.
4. Bring social awareness about economical, political, social and cultural events.

Q2: What is media?

Answer: Media refers to the various ways through which we communicate in society. It includes TV, radio, newspapers, telephones, internet, journals, cable, broadband etc.

Q3: Give two examples of digital media?

Answer: Internet, TV, Radio





Q4: Can you give this diagram a title? What do you understand about the link between media and big business from this diagram?

Answer: "Corporate Controlled Media" can be a suitable title.

The diagram gives us two interesting aspects:

Business houses to promote their products, put advertisements in various media like newspapers, TV, radio etc. These advertisements influence the readers or viewers to buy products. Thus money invested by the big houses in advertisements comes back to them by sale of their products. It also indicates products advertisements increase the cost of the product also.

Big corporates own TV channels, magazines and other non-media industries. They advertise their products through various media and influence people to buy their products. Since the business giants own the media houses, there are high chances of unfair reporting about their products.

Q5: You have read about the ways in which the media ‘sets the agenda’. What kind of effect does this have in a democracy? Provide two examples to support your point of view.

Answer: It is evident media has immense influence on the people by focusing on few issues. This can have adverse or negative effect on our democracy. If media focus on one side of the issue, it can influence our thoughts and actions. It should not judge itself and influence our decisions. Rather it should provide a balanced report and leave it to audience to decide.

Examples:
1. On a positive note, media highlighted about social crimes done under the name of "honour killing" by "caste panchayats" or narrow-minded families and communities.
2. India is the second most agriculture led country after USA. On a negative side, media (specially private channels) hardly broadcast programmes on agriculture to educate farmers. Rather these channels air "Saas Bahu serials" 24 hours a day. Even news channels have dedicated shows to cover "Page 3 masala" but they hardly run any show on technical education.
Q6: What is local media? Give two examples.

Answer: Local media refers to newspapers/TV channels/radios etc. which serve the communication needs confined to a particular region or area or metropolitan city.
e.g. certain radio FM channels (e.g. radio Mirchi) cover Delhi region.
Khabar Lahriya, a fortnightly newspaper, is run by eight Dalit women in Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh. Written in the local language, Bundeli, this eight-page newspaper reports on Dalit issues and cases of violence against women and political corruption.

Q7: What do you mean by censorship?

Answer: This refers to the powers that government has to disallow media from publishing or showing certain stories. e.g. government bans a particular book or literature or scenes from a specific movie or lyrics of song from being shared among people.

Q8: What is Public protest?

Answer: (NCERT book defines it as)
When a large number of people come together and openly state their opposition to some issue. Organising a rally, starting a signature campaign, blocking roads etc. are some of the ways in which this is done.

Q9: What is the consequence of the media ‘setting the agenda’ by reporting on the Fashion Week rather than the slum demolitions?

Answer: The important function of media is to give voice a section of the people who are either excluded from power or are under-privileged. If media fail to do so, it has severe dent on democracy. It shows biased reporting and bring inequalities among social sectors. Soon, people would no longer trust those TV channels or Newspapers. Media will lose its credibility. Eventually it would impact on its revenue through advertisements.

Q10: What is balanced report?

Answer: A balanced report is one that discusses all points of view of a particular story and then leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.

Q11: What do you mean by independent media? Why it is important?

Answer: Media to write a balanced report must be independent from any external or internal influence. No one should control and influence its coverage of news. No one should tell the media what can be included and what should not be included in a news story.

An independent media is important in a democracy. it is on the basis of the information that the media provides that we take action as citizens, so it is important that this information is reliable and not biased.

Q12: Give examples of print media?

Answer: Newspaper and magazines


Q13: Define mass media? Give its examples.

Answer: A form of media that has global presence i.e. it reaches millions of people, across the country and world are called as mass media. TV, radio, newspaper, internet are examples of mass media.