The media, today, is a mighty entity in India. We have seen how journalism has played a pivotal role in the investigation of the Sushant Singh Rajput case. But the question is: Whether the media is strengthening or weakening our democracy? In my opinion, the media is weakening our democracy.
I say this because the responsibility of the media is to present news based on facts in an unbiased manner. But is the Indian media doing that? We have several news channels presenting information in diverse ways. But what “news” are these channels showing?
Unfortunately, every channel is looking to increase their TRP. No one cares about what they are sharing. They are only interested in sharing news that hooks the audience. Certain news channels also resort to sharing fake news to gain popularity. If we look at the different news channels in India, we realize that each channel has its favourite political party and the content shared on the channel is to glorify that party and bring down others. We have hardcore biased reporting on all news channels.
The choice of news channels by the audience is no longer based on the quality of the content but is now based on the channel that subscribes to their political beliefs. The impact of biased reporting is that it has further fueled differences between countrymen, leading to chaos all around and weakening democracy.
Although the media is aware of its power on the minds of citizens, it has chosen to work for a profit motive instead of merely presenting facts to the audience and letting them form their opinions. The Media, in a way, is also controlling the thought process of the audience, which is not a positive sign in a democracy.
The media needs to understand its role in building democracy and present news more responsibly so that it helps in strengthening the democratic ethos of the country.