Topic: Explain significance of the Role of Press in
21st century.
Name:
Kinjal Patel
Paper
Name: Mass Media and Communication
Paper No:
15
Roll No:
14
Semester:
4
Year:
2015
Submitted
to: S.B.Gardi, Department of English Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji, Bhavnagar
University. Gujarat, India
Gmail
Address: patelkinjal.u21@gmail.com
Introduction:
“A free
press gives people access to the information they need to make critical
decisions about their lives. It holds leaders accountable, exposes corruption
and promotes transparency in decision making.
I raise awareness and offer an outlet for different voices, especially
those that would otherwise go unheard.
--- Ban Ki-moon (UN General Secretary)
The press
is a broad term now; it not only includes newspapers, new weeklies and
magazines but also all the journalists working in the media orient and
electronic. It plays great role in the iteration of public opinion. It also
acts as a regulator and reflector of the same interacting, between the people
and political parties in people. Hence, if the character of the press is
healthy, the democratic system will be more transparent to what are the views
and reactions of the people in respect thereof.
Beginning of Press:
Around
13B.C. in Rome there grew a practice of putting up two handwritten bulletins in
the main public square. These bulletins were known as Acta Diurnaa’. It is
believed that this was the first newspaper.
From 1720
onwards news and views was kept Separate. Industrial Revolution was beneficial
to Press as it brought many profitable advertisements.
By the
early 19thcentury, many cities in Europe, as well as North and South America,
published newspaper-type publications though not all of them developed well
content was vastly shaped by regional and cultural preferences. Advances in
printing technology enabled newspapers to become an even more widely circulated
means of communication.
In 17th
century hand written sheets were distributed, this helped in spread of Printing
Press. In China, early government-produced news sheet, called Tipao circulated
among court officials in 2nd and 3rd centuries.
Gazettes
were a mid-16th century Venice phenomenon. They were issued on
single sheets, folded to form four pages, and issued every week. The first
newspaper in France was published in 1631-La Gazette. The first newspaper in
Portugal a Gazeta da Restauracao was published in 1641. The first Spanish
newspaper, Gaceta de Madrial was published in 1661. The first newspaper in
India was published by James Hicky in January 1780. It was called the Bengal
Gazette and it was “weekly political and commercial paper opens to all parties
but influenced by none.”
Since
then many other newspapers were launched.
As more
and more Indians started learning English, many became reporters, editors and
even owners. The Anglo – Indian press began to lose ground except in Bombay and
Calcutta. In 1927, in industrialist G.D Birla took over Hindustan Times and
placed it on a sound financial footing. In the same year, S Sedan and started
the Free Press Journal, a newspaper for the poor and the middle-class in
Mumbai.
The First Newspapers:
Newspaper
development can be seen in three phases (1) the sporadic forerunners,
gradually moving toward regular
publication, (2) more or less regular journals but liable to suppression and
subject to censorship and licensing and (3) a phase in which direct censorship
was abandoned but attempts at control continued through taxation, bribery and
prosecution. Thereafter, some degree of independence has followed. The First
Amendment to the U.S. constitution specifically guaranteed “the freedom of
speech of the press”. The right to criticize the government had been
established as early as 1735. The basic formula for serious newspapers and
commercially successful, if sensational, popular newspapers had been worked out
by shrewd writers and editors- members of the new profession of journalism.
Parts of
India also had an early service, with newsletters being circulated from the 16th
century. Under British rule, both English and vernacular – language papers
flourished- the latter under government control- and enviable standards were
set by The Times of India and The Hindu.
In the
industrial era, technological advances were routinely appropriated by the
newspaper industry to broaden the geographical reach.
After
World War 2, radical changes in newspaper production in particular and mass communication
in general occurred on a par with those brought by the Industrial Revolution.
Electronic and communications technology have continued to revolutionize the
ways in newspapers are written, edited and printed, while radio, TV, and the
net have developed into serious competitors as sources of news official
information, and entertainment- and as vehicles for ads.
Impact of
Media:
Commercialization
of Press has created a stiff competition. In order to outdo each other print
media has often gone one step in publishing negativity.
Importance of press in Democracy:
Freedom
of the press refers to freedom of speech and expression which is and always
should be fundamental right. Without this right the liberty of man is not
complete. A country pledged to democracy must ensure that its citizens enjoy a
free and daily press. Press keeps a constant vigil on the liberty of the
people. To remove any government or to fight against dictatorship, anarchy and
malpractices press serves the best. In the communist countries, press is under
Government control. Even in democracies against any media may snatch freedom.
Media
through its various means of newspapers, television and cinema is what rules
the heart and minds of people. For instance, the ads by IDEA Cellular and the
TATA group promoting education for all, democracy by voting through short
Message Service- SMS, the ‘Jaago India’ slogans are perhaps not only charming
the public but also have a huge impact on their minds.
The Press
has helped to make our society a democracy by placing emphasis on issues that
at one point in time would have been considered strictly private such as child
birth, homosexuality, child care, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.
Coverage
of exploitative malpractice by corrupted officials has helped in taking
stringent actions against them by attracting the government’s attention. One of
the most disturbing coverage was the story of Geetanjali Nagpal, a onetime
booming model, who was found begging on the streets of Delhi. It was media, the
first one to spot her and help her in recovery.
The most
horrible explosion that is, the Mumbai terror attack, commonly abbreviated as
26/11 was an outrageous incident experienced by India. Media reported this
incident every second.
Press
Council of India:
In our country, press council of India (PCI) has the power to
warn stop and censor any work that flouts the standards of press. The Press
Council of India takes care of the press codes and press ethics, PCI is an
institute consisting of 28 members representing owners of the newspapers, news
agencies, journalists, educationalists, legal experts on various subjects.
Role of Press as a watch dog of
democratic society:
Press has
to perform an important role in guarding democracy of the country. Through
press people come to know about the government’s working, through news,
debates, panel discussion and reports.
Social Responsibility:
Press is
responsible to society. Press aware people. In democratic countries we find
press strengthening the democratic values. It brings out the issues of public.
Through press social integration and harmony can be brought. It awakens people
against social evils.
Investigation of Scams:
As we
know corruption is one of the most sensitive problems throughout the world, the
role of press becomes important. Reporters risk their lives in investigation
the scams. In recent years many scams have been brought out because of the
initials taken by media.
To propagate social reforms:
The
modern society has many evils. Since the establishment of the Press, the press
has been highlighting social reforms. In India, as there are many cases, creed,
languages, customs and religions, press has been an important device reaching
out for social reforms.
Passing Information:
Present
Age is the age of information. Press plays an important role in passing the
information. Now-a-days information reaches us within few seconds due to the
quick functioning of press. In the time of natural and other calamities help
reach faster due to the efforts of press. Still there are some countries where
information doesn’t reach on time; this problem would be solved soon.
Sharing Information:
Press is
linked through news agencies all over the world. This agencies share all the
information among them. This way important news reaches us within no time.
While sharing information Press has to obey the norms of particular country.
For healthy environment in the world sharing information is necessary.
Motivating Power of the Society:
Press is
the organ that plays multiple roles. Press criticizes malpractices of society
but at the same time better things are praised. Innovative ideas and
reformative work are highlighted in order to motivate the society.
Emphasizing education:
Press
voluntarily plays vital role in stressing education. Through various ads and programmers
it explains and emphasizes the importance of education. Press organizes
competitions and scholarship programmers to spread the message of the
significance of education.
Opinion Builder:
Press
being widely popular, people believe in what it says. Press allows debates.
Scholars from various fields are invited for debate. People get their opinions
on various issues. This allow us to build our own opinion.
Generate Debate:
We watch
and listen a lot on various issues in media. Political social, religious,
pollution, communal, environmental, defense related issues sports related
issues, issues related to the basic requirements of the people, price hike
issues, health scams and scandals issues, education and many more are discussed
and thus imports knowledge on various subjects.
Act as people’s mouth piece:
The Press
gives opportunity to people to express their opinions. Through press we express
our views to public. It raises our problems through various devices of Press.
Your voice reaches to the mass through Press so one can say that it’s people’s
mouth piece.
Social Reformer:
By
covering the incidents of social malpractices and injustices in all the fields
of the society, press exposes the hypocrisy in various fields. It raises voice
against superstitions and orthodoxy. Guardian of the rights and liberty of
people:
Press has
a very vital responsibility to guard the rights and liberty of people. Press
raises issues related to rights and liberty. It awakens the people who are
victims of injustice in any case and helps them in getting justice.
Freedom of Press:
Freedom of press is essential in any democratic
society for healthy development. It helps people at large to know about the
undercurrents of the national scenario. Countries which curb the freedom of
press suffer great losses in the long run. With freedom of press we cannot
overlook the security of the individual being forgone, chaos in public life and
disruption of harmony among social groups. Press is not given freedom at the
cost of national security or integrity. To keep a check on the freedom of Press
some rules and regulations are made. Press has to act in a responsible manner
while dealing with the news.
References:
5. study material