CURRENT SITUATION OF MEDIA IN INDIA
There is a thing called ‘MEDIA ETHICS’. These ethics are made to regulate the activities undertaken by media all over the world. Media ethics promotes values such as respect for life and the rule of law and legality. These ethics deals with ethical questions like how media should use texts and information in with regard to citizens.
In the very beginning, when media was in its growing stage, these ethics were strictly followed by all the journalists of all mediums, be it electronic media, print media or online media.
But today’s scenario is entirely different, theses ethics are no more followed by any journalist. Majority of media agencies have lost their independence and are now controlled by big business conglomerates or different political parties. There are certain news channels, radio channels and newspapers that are owned by big business persons or major political leaders; the content of such media carries the agenda of these big people. Ultimately these people with power and money shape the opinion of the masses.
It is often said with proud that INDIA is one of those few counties that have liberty of media. But this is not true of today as we, the people of INDIA only get to know what these people with muscle power wants us to know and not what we must be aware of, about our country and the world. A big example of this would be; labels like Big FM, Big Motion Pictures, Big TV come under the single ownership of ADAG- Anil Dheerubhai Ambani Group- the very well known businessman of INDIA and also the richest family of India. Likewise, all major television news channels take forward the agenda of different political parties, namely, Indian National Congress[INC] and Bhartiya Janta Party [BJP]. This is the reason that India is ranked 142 out of 180 counties in World Press Freedom Index 2020.
This topic cannot be concluded without taking up the very hot matter of Sushant Singh Rajput case. No doubt, the death of such a rising star is painful and truth ought to be revealed but that does not mean after more than 3 months of his death media be covering the same news and that too in an unethical way. Interview of Riya Chakrobarty, the main suspect of the case was aired on certain channels to clear the star image of Riya and misguiding the actual flow of investigation; various private videos of Sushant Singh Rajput, who’s not even alive, are being shown on news channels with controversial drama. Because of this case, all other news which carries higher importance are ignored because they do not give higher TRP rates to the channels.
This is just one example, which is of course the talk of the town but there are many other news that require sensitive coverage but the modern day media is adding nonsense drama to it. The basic motive of stretching this Sushant Singh Rajput case is a yet another agenda of the government to divert the mind of masses from other topics which are of greater importance like, the corona pandemic, sinking economy of the country and inter-border issues.
Times have gone when national and international news used to rule the prime time on television and front page of newspaper, media now publish or telecast the news that yield more money and viewership for their companies. And this money comes from sensational news and the ones that carry a lot of drama because people love such kinds of news. Today, the airport look of a celebrity is given much more importance than the economy of the country in which one is living, and that is shameful indeed.
The conclusion comes out to be that there is a great need to bring reforms in the mainstream media. Journalists must abide by their responsibilities and must inform to the masses what is genuinely ‘Important’ to be known.
