By Sonal batra:
Lord Krishna would have been awed, if he existed in our time, to see the Indian melodramatic shows which showcase nothing but shoddy stories revolving around rich families and their ethics being washed away by acid by their own family members. No article on media can be marked complete without the mention of such shows. However, it is not only these phony TV serials that make the world of media. Media is a vast sector that includes the print media and the electronic media. Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the internet, movies, theatre are nearly ubiquitous, bonding people with their surrounding and to the world around. Media creates a bond between an individual and the society with its ever evolving branches.
Indian Media was brought to life in the 1700s with a newspaper in 1780 -The Bengal Gazette; radio broadcasting was initiated in 1927 and the first film screening was of Auguste and Louis Lumière moving pictures in Bombay during the July of 1895; all this marked the beginning of the endless journey of the Indian media. Today the modern day has copious newspapers, a variety of radio channels and the more preferred of all- the internet. Internet as a source of media is still an infant in India. Its use is neither widespread nor very popular in the rural parts of the country that craft the authentic India. Without their upliftment, the country’s progress will be mostly stagnant. Internet has made life easier and communication, broadcasting and storing for the next generations seem much more viable than before. Theatre and movies, too, hold a focal point in the society’s mind. Though much focus has been on commercialization, there are several who focus on more serious issues. Films, documentaries, theatre plays, nukkad naataks all are of essence in sustaining a bond with the future generations.
India has covered many milestones till date, breaking away the shackles of dictatorship on freedom of speech and on liberty of expression. Yet, at times the blotches of political influence on the so called free media seem apparent. Bias opinions by media sources are covered under the veil of ignorance. Though, since the supreme courts decision of marking the airwaves as public property and the passing of “THE BROADCASTING BILL”, there have been eternal launches of TV channels, radio channels, newspapers, websites, blogs etc. that give us a variety of opinions and essential facts that help to come closer to reality, there is no knowing with the enormous magnitude of views at hand, which ones to believe and which to discard. Yet, it is through these mediums the society remains interwoven and is educated of all that is around. Entertainment, education, absorption of virtues, vastness of cultures, entirety of human race, complexities of the animal world, the astounding genres of music, the wonders of the world and much more is what the media has brought into the lives of the common man. Had it not been for media, we would still be living surrounded by myths of the outside world. On a contrary note, one may stop to think over if Indian media has pushed people’s mind into believing superstitions by flashing news of a God being present in an icicle that is shaped in some form of a deity or by inculcating fear of ghouls by telling uncorroborated stories of events?
There are positives and negatives both aligned together that define media. It is a chameleon of different colors with the additional benefit of the power to evolve, for better or for worse. It is still a crucial part of the society and shall always play its role.
There is always going to be a debate whether media has liberated the society or has it diverted the humankind towards transgression. Is Media like the prudent Krishna that will enlighten the society or is it a deceitful “Kansa” that will dupe the populace? This is an eternal quest.