Media and Social

Responsibility

BY: AMBIKA SANKAR MISHRA

The Media Society Inter Relationship:Media draws its basic nutrients from

the society to produce its contents To survive, media gets its audience

from society.Society uses media for educating and

informing its individualsSociety uses media to bridge the

communication gap between different

social groups.Both need a harmonious interrelation

for their co existence. A democratic

society considers media as the fourth

pillar of the state.

Responsibilities Of Media As a Social Institution:

Media as a social institution should

work like the voice of voiceless It should bridge the communication

gap between people of different

sections of societyIt should bring the demands of down

trodden people to the mainstream of

societyIt should play an active role in policy

formulation and their execution. It should work like the watchdog of

society

Media’s Responsibilities Towards

Society :

American Press Commission In its report

suggests following responsibilities of

media towards societyThe content of media should reflect truth, accuracy, objectivity and balance.It should be self-regulating within the framework of law and established institutions. It should avoid whatever might lead to crime, violence or civil disorder or give offense to minority groups.As a whole it should be pluralist and reflect the diversity of its society and Journalists and media professionals should be accountable to society as well as to employers and the market.

Realities of Media as an Industry :

To satisfy the financial needs in a

competitive market media has started

promoting unethical contents.It has started serving advertisers

interest more than the interest of

common man.It has started sticking to power corridor

JournalismPage-3 Journalism and other

inflammable contents have started

gaining prominence.Ad-Manager’s role has become more

important than the role of News editor

Realities of News Room:

To explain the realities of News Room

American Thinkers like Edward Herman

and Noam Chomsky focuses on following

five factors:

Size, Ownership, and Profit

Orientation The Advertising License to Do

Business Sourcing Mass Media NewsFlak and the EnforcersAnti-Communism or fear

The Need of Line of Control Dominance of commercial exactions over

social expectations have created an

alarming situationThe word self regulation has started

becoming a joke.Paid news and other evils have gone

widespread but are ignored Misuse of Freedom of press has started

increasing and the watchdog has started

becoming greedy for bonesMedia freedom means freedom with

responsibility.

Guide Lines of Press Council of India:

Provocative and sensational headlines should

be avoidedHeadings must reflect and justify the matter

under themHeadlines containing allegations made in

statements must identify the person making

allegationsComments or valuable judgements should not

be motivated or guided by partisan feelingsLanguage employed in writing the news

should be temperateCorrections should be promptly published

with due prominence and regrets expressed in

serious cases

Suggestions:

As a social Institution media should

not forget its responsibilities towards

societyAs an industry it also has certain

social obligationsAs it is the watchdog of society It

should always try to keep the trust of

peopleEven as an industry people’s trust is

the basic requirement for its survivalThere is a need of change in attitude.

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