The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Media’s role

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Thursday, Aug 21, 2008
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Media’s role

This refers to the article “Ideal and reality: media’s role in India” (Aug. 19). It was during the freedom struggle that the Indian media were most productive. Today, they are no better than newspaper vendors. Television news channels are busy promoting TRP ratings through peppy chat shows. They prefer featuring cricket and films to programmes on the plight of the suffering masses. The media should do more than just reporting news — they should represent the truth.

Abhijith Unnikrishnan,

Thiruvananthapuram

* * *

Gone are the days when the media behaved responsibly. Today the media, particularly electronic, are driven by commercial considerations. The ill-effects they have on society are not a matter of concern for them. Television has given a renewed life to superstitious beliefs and astrology. Few television channels have any programme that encourages a scientific outlook and a spirit of enquiry.

AN. Kandasamy,

Chennai

* * *

If the media are not functioning responsibly, it is nothing but an expression of today’s state of affairs. Television and literature are tools in the hands of capitalists to earn more by exploiting the middle class. Thus we have astrology on television — to exploit the weakness of the middle classes who are concerned about their future. We have disco and fashion parades to pander to their fantasies. The media’s motive is to earn more, have a bigger share of the market.

Abhay Singh,

Kochi

* * *

The nonchalant and reckless show of irrelevant programmes on television is uncalled for. At the same time, such programmes point to a disturbing trend in society. The prosperous Indian middle class is reminiscent of the yuppie America. Lack of ideology and nationalism is the root cause. Besides sensationalising news, the media even act like a parallel investigating agency when they report crime. And this is pathetic.

Bhanu Pratap,

Lucknow

* * *

In many cases such as the Jessica Lal murder, the media played an excellent role in generating public opinion and helping the cause of justice. But, of late, irrelevant programmes and excess focus on celebrities have made the people lose faith in the media. Very few television channels or newspapers try to get to the bottom of an issue. They deal with it in a superficial manner, and conduct SMS polls to divert the people’s attention from the real issue. They fail to mobilise people.

Sugandha Jaiswal,

Kochi

* * *

A re-look at the role of the fourth estate is the need of the hour. It is important to give larger exposure to issues that are being ignored, thanks to glitz and glamour. It is a pity that one of the most important pillars of democracy has fallen prey to profit-mongering and is no longer the tool for addressing the problems of the voiceless.

Imtiyaj Kaji,

Bangalore

* * *

Both the print and electronic media are run on commercial lines. They compete to report sensational news. For most of the newspapers and television channels, agrarian crisis, poverty, illiteracy and other major issues are hardly newsworthy. Their only aim is to increase their readership/viewership. The article is right in describing cricket as the opium of the masses. The real spirit of the game has been lost and it is money that rules cricket today.

Natarajan Raghavan,

New Delhi

* * *

Casteism in the media is largely responsible for the manner in which they deal with the issues of communalism and casteism. Can reservation in the media sector not be a solution to this problem?

Kausal Kumar Madhukar,

New Delhi

* * *

The article was an eye-opener. The media can play an instrumental role in transforming society by educating, disseminating and propagating the right content. But philosophy-driven media are conspicuous by their absence. I feel we need to have a media regulator to act as a watchdog.

Tarak Shah,

Ahmedabad

* * *

I hope those who control the major media houses would have read Justice Markandey Katju’s excellent article and will change the content to champion the cause of the oppressed and downtrodden. And stop succumbing to the lure of TRP ratings and advertising money to do the popular thing — of continuing to cover cricket, film stars and pop music.

Arif Vakil,

Bangalore

* * *

It is true that the media often resort to sensationalism driven by business, focussing on non-issues and leaving limited space for the real issues. However, it is not fair to say that cricket and film stars are not relevant to the masses. Like it or not, cricket and movies move the masses, rural and urban, and will continue to do so. The media’s role is to ensure a balance among entertainment, business and responsibility to society.

Priya Narayanan,

Thrissur

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